#like its not so straightforward and linear

[nemoys]

Heavily disagree with the implication that Cheng Xiaoshi having two experiences in Yingdu makes his mistakes less understandable in s1. Can you honestly say that two times is enough to deal with a job as traumatic and spontaneous as Cheng Xiaoshi's? The dude is only 21 and knew about his ability maybe a few months before s1's timeline. Fucking up, being naive, it makes sense. It takes time to experience that growth and maturity and it sure as hell isn't an easy thing to get used to.

His actions in the earthquake and Emma arcs were completely justifiable and Bahati was BARELY enough for him to understand the consequences of his actions given the fact that he didn't even know what his actions were at that point to begin with? We see his growth in s2, how much more capable he's become, and i think it's not fair to assume that he's supposed to get accustomed to accepting tragedy after two experiences while Lu Guang clearly couldn't accept his tragedies even though he knew of his abilities since he was seven (not a writing fault on his end at all btw, this is just what being human is)

[thydungeongal]

Neoclassical Geek Revival is a really weird game. While the name would make one think it's some crusty OSR game that is mostly just remixing old ideas that could not be further from the truth. It's a strange game that is in many ways very old school but is more than a simple heartbreaker (mostly because in contrast to the archetypal heartbreakers this game is clearly written with an awareness of movements and games within the hobby besides just D&D).

First of all, it's a game that is particularly interested in its own weird dice and number tricks. Dice can explode. Sometimes you're specifically looking for the maximum of a given die (for an example: if a character is out of combat for maximum of d6 rounds, marked as ?d6, it means it's checked every round by rolling a d6 and on a 6 they are no longer out). There is a dice chain where dice can "increase" or "decrease" in strength, like a d10 becoming a d12 or a d8 becoming a d6. You can INVERT dice, so a d4 becomes a d12 or a d10 becomes a d6. Besides a normal linear progression, some rules utilize a cumulative progression of 1, 3, 6, 10, 15, etc.

Then you start getting into the specifics and things are once again weird: there are classes but instead of picking one class and sticking to it you basically build your character by allocating pieces into the different classes. Level 1 characters start with three pieces of pie. You COULD allocate all three into Warrior, to make a pretty straightforward fighty type, or you might want to mix it up by adding a single piece of Bard into two pieces of Warrior for something not unlike a warlord, kinda. The number of pieces you allocate to a class also ends up affecting a specific modifier, used in a wide variety of conflicts. Warrior adds to Combat, Rogue affects Stealth, Mystic affects Occult, Bard affects Presence, and any pieces allocated to Fool (basically the class that represents someone who survives adventures based on pure luck instead of skill) affect Faith.

This is where you get one of the things that sets the game apart from most OSR games: many old school games are often based around the idea of singleton mechanics and procedures to cover specific situations. NGR rejects this in favor of a single conflict system that then gets applied to situations besides combat! It is literally what some people think of when they hear mechanics for social interaction, i.e. dealing 1d6 rhetorical damage to an opponent's argument to get them to relent, but applied to multiple different situations.

Interestingly, the game does not have hit points: all damage accrues against stats. In an argument "social damage" (called Influence) accrues against a character's Will, and once it exceeds it the character has lost the argument. But characters have a pool called Luck (which you can increase by allocating pieces to Fool) which can be used 1:1 to mitigate damage of all kinds. The game even has tricks for FORCING opponents to spend Luck, as a means to chip at their defences before targeting them with something that REALLY hurts (like insulting an opponent in a physical conflict).

The game also has no list of spells, instead just giving players the systems for making their own spells. Same with monsters in fact.

And sometimes you just get hit with a rule that makes you think "why has no other game ever done this." Like the rule for giving experience in dungeon crawl focused campaigns where each new room explored after the first is worth 10 cumulative XP. So if characters end up exploring five new rooms they get 100 XP (after the first one, 1+2+3+4 times 10).

Anyway it's a neat game, worth looking at and mining ideas from imo.

[level2janitor]

Introduction to the OSR

what's an OSR? it's a game that's kinda like old-school D&D. or is old-school D&D. or is compatible with old-school D&D. an OSR game generally has some or all of the following principles:

low character power with highly lethal combat. in old-school D&D a 1st-level fighter has d8 hit points and a longsword does d8 damage, and you die at 0HP. this is not to ensure characters die all the time but to emphasize the next bullet point:

emphasis on creative problem solving. most situations cannot be solved by straightforward use of your abilities (such as charging into every situation with swords drawn, if a fighter), so the game tests lateral, outside-the-box thinking.

emphasis on diegetic progression. spells are found, not obtained automatically on level-up. you get XP by finding gold more than killing monsters. most of your cool abilities come from magic items. making alliances & hiring followers is encouraged.

focus on managing inventory, resources, risk, and time. the players are constantly faced with meaningful decisions; this is the heart of the game.

very sandbox-oriented. the focus on creative problem solving means the game must be accommodating to players taking a course of action the GM didn't plan for. use lots of random tables to generate emergent story. some elements of new simulationism.

high tactical transparency, i.e., the optimal course of action is rarely system-specific, and ideally very possible for a new player to intuit.

usually semi-compatible with old D&D, but not always. usually rules-lite, but not always.

what does the OSR mostly NOT do?

focus on character builds. these change the focus too much to be on the rules than the fiction, can create situations where stuff everyone should be able to do is an ability locked to one class, and impede tactical transparency.

resolve everything with a die roll. combat uses dice to be scary, unpredictable and most importantly not your default course of action. everything else should bring up dice rarely - dice are your plan B when your plan A fails. the best plans need no dice.

use linear storytelling or put players into a writer/GM role. linear storytelling gets in the way of the decision-making so core to the playstyle; letting players write details into the setting is mutually exclusive with them discovering it.

rules for everything. 400 pages of crunch is worse at simulating a believable world than the GM and players' shared understanding. OSR games rely constantly on GM ruling.

mostly still applies to all the above. making your system a "pure" OSR game comes second to doing what's best for your game.

System recommendations

old D&D or a retroclone

old-school D&D - or old school essentials or basic fantasy or swords & wizardry, which are old D&D's mechanics repackaged with quality-of-life tweaks (and the upside of not giving WOTC your money) - are usually the go-to when recommending someone's first OSR game. they're actually not my first pick, though!

PROS:

very complete, with more robust rules than a lot of the lighter games on this list.

100% compatibility: most OSR adventures are statted for old school essentials. converting them to other OSR systems is usually simple, but not 1-for-1.

easier to find games for. anyone interested in the OSR space knows what old school essentials is.

CONS:

jank. these games largely still have weird saves, level limits for non-humans, some still have descending AC, etc etc. it's not that bad but it is there

i hate thief skills. lots of essential dungeoneering actions are locked to the thief class as abilities, with abysmally low success chances. this is stuff i prefer being handled without a roll. thieves in this system suck and make everyone else worse at dungeon crawling by existing.

there's just lots of really cool shit in other systems i'm about to go into that you just don't get here

Knave 1e and its various hacks

this is a 7-page super-lightweight system that boils everything down to just the essentials.

rolling a character takes like 5 minutes. roll stats, roll gear, roll traits, go. done. it's great.

characters are defined entirely by stats and gear, no classes. wanna be a fighter, have high strength and carry a big sword and armor. wanna be a wizard, have high intelligence and fill your inventory with spells. item slots are elegant and pretty limited.

initiative is instant: roll d6. 1-3, monsters go first. 4-6, PCs go first. swingy, but god it is so smooth and shaves like the most boring 5 minutes off of every combat

monsters are so very elegant. old D&D gives monsters a "hit dice" rating to determine their HP, e.g. a 3HD monster rolls 3d8 for hit points. knave takes this number (HD) and uses it for attack rolls and saves (aside from exceptionally bad/good saves), so a knave statblock looks something like this.

spells are all one or two sentences long & extremely easy to remember.

7 pages is so light. i have the system basically memorized.

DOWNSIDES: there's no dungeon crawling rules (standard for meatier OSR games & something i consider essential) and no real bestiary, though the second point isn't a huge deal cause they're so easy to make. it also kinda assumes you already know how to run OSR games, so there's very little real advice or guidance.

KNAVE HACKS

knave 1e is in creative commons & comes with an editable word doc for you to publish with modifications, so there's a ton of variants (there was a spreadsheet of them somewhere, but i can't find it).

Grave is a favorite - i'm two years into a grave campaign and it's fantastic. it's a dark-souls-y version of knave with some really elegant innovations.

you have a set number of deaths before you for-reals die, as every character plays an undead as is dark souls tradition. makes it good for OSR beginners! being able to tell when you're close to your final death is really good - it lets you emotionally prepare for losing your character & raises the stakes more the more you die. (though honestly you should probably cut the number of extra deaths in half, it's super generous)

XP and gold are combined into one resource, souls. legendary creatures drop big souls you can make into magic items. this has ended up being the coolest thing in my current campaign. my players love finding powerful souls to make into magic items it's so fun

uses preset packages of stats/gear instead of knave's rolled ones, filling the role of more traditional character classes. has the wonderful side effect of not making you get stuck with low stats cause you rolled bad one time.

you have stamina equal to your empty item slots. you spend stamina on spells if you're a caster, or free maneuvers (on top of your attack at no action cost) if you're not. it's super elegant.

there's 3 classes of spells: wizardry for intelligence, holy magic for wisdom, and witch stuff for charisma. nice and intuitive.

there's a page of 50 magic items each a couple sentences long. this PDF is worth it just for the magic items.

DOWNSIDE: see the downsides for knave 1e. all still apply.

i enjoyed grave so much i made a variant of it with the dark souls bits removed (and some dungeon crawl rules added!) to use for my standard fantasy campaigns.

Knave 2e

sadly knave 2e is not purchasable yet (i backed it on kickstarter so i have access, though). but when it comes out i highly recommend it.

much larger and denser than knave 1e. it finally has dungeon crawling rules, it has GM and player guidance, everything is refined and the layout is so so nice and readable.

combat is a bit more interesting than 1e. you can break your weapon against an enemy to deal max damage. you get a free maneuver on high attack rolls.

there's rules for stuff like alchemy, warfare, building a base. it all kicks ass.

there are so many goddamn tables. i rifle through it anytime i need inspiration.

DOWNSIDES: some of the new rules are a little untested & wonky. introducing randomness into how often your rations spoil or your lights go out can cause issues.

Mausritter

you play tiny little mice! in a world full of big dangerous things that want to eat mice. cat = dragon. you get it. what more could you want

the mouse thing is just super intuitive. you get the dynamic between you and the big scary lethal world. fantastic OSR game to introduce kids

nice and robust ruleset; nothing feels missing

tons of super nice GM stuff! faction rules, tools for rolling up hexcrawls and dungeons, plenty of tables

super clean readable layout. font isn't too small to avoid being intimidating. guidance is really nice and clear.

combat is autohit. super fast & lethal.

100% free

look mausritter is just. good. i wanna run it so bad someday

Worlds Without Number

sort of a middle ground between OSR stuff and 5e. paid version here free version here

lots of classes, at least in the paid version. the free version comes with just the warrior, expert and mage. there's feats and more of a focus on builds than most OSR games. if you like more mechanical build variety than a typical OSR game, this is a great game for you!

extremely good multiclassing. y'know how in most games if you just mash together two classes you think are cool you'll end up with a total mess? not here! every combo is viable and works fine! easily the best multiclassing of any game i've touched

an absurd amount of GM stuff and tables. easily more than any of the other stuff i've praised for also having them. but personally i haven't dug into them as much, so i can't really comment on them

skills the way modern D&D has them. you roll dice and try to beat a target number. i don't tend to like rolled skills, but most people do, so if that's your thing WWN has them

DOWNSIDES

the layout is terrible. everything is a huge wall of text with very little use of bold text or bullet points to draw attention to the important bits. the table of contents has like 15 things in it for a 400-page book! i couldn't find any of the paid-version-exclusive classes for like a month after i bought it! looking up rules is a nightmare.

the way the default setting handles "evil races" is like an exaggerated parody of all the problematic aspects of how D&D handles it. like, it wants so bad for you to have an excuse to genocide sentient free-willed people. but at least the default setting is easy to chuck in the trash

Dungeon Crawl Classics

the goal of this system is to take all of the crazy gonzo moments people remember playing old-school D&D in their childhood and turn all of that up to 11 while cutting the stuff that doesn't add to that. i think a lot of its innovations have ended up kind of standard in newer OSR stuff (like fighters getting maneuvers with their attacks), but it still has more to offer.

the funnel: you start the game with four randomly rolled dipshit peasants that you then throw into a meatgrinder to get horribly killed. you pick one of the survivors to be your 1st-level character.

maneuvers: fighters roll an extra die with each attack that gets bigger as you level. if it's a 3 or higher, you get to do a cool thing on top of your attack. pretty standard for OSR games, but this game popularized it!

crit tables: fighters also get more crits and nastier crits as they level. every crit, you roll on the crit table. maybe you chop off a dude's arm. maybe you just knock them over. maybe you shatter their shield. it's very cool

spell tables: i don't really like roll-to-cast mechanics, generally. but DCC goes so all-in on roll-to-cast that it still looks fun as hell to watch. you cast a fireball and maybe it goes how you want. or maybe you explode, or you nuke everything in a half-mile radius, or from now on you permanently ignite flammable materials you touch, or whatever. casters just have to put up with turning into a weird mutated mess across a campaign

there's no dungeon crawl rules, no encumbrance - this game is all about the big over-the-top wacky shit, and is not really interested in the more down-to-earth number crunching. it's more in the you-die-hilariously-all-the-time area of OSR than the you-avoid-death-through-clever-play area. not really my thing but the system knows exactly what it wants to be and i respect it

iron halberd

this one is mine! as the author i'm not qualified to tell you what isn't good about my system, so just assume it's worse than i make it sound, but here's a bunch of the selling points

semi-random character creation where you flip back and forth between rolling dice and getting your own input. roll stats, pick ancestry. pick starting gear kit, roll different dice based on which kit you picked. etc etc. stats are random but all equally viable (no rolling incredibly low or high stats). every time i run this game the character creation is a hit. seriously go roll up a character it'll sell you on the whole thing

you start out a lot stronger than a standard OSR character but grow way more slowly. i don't like 4th-level characters being 4 times as strong as 1st-level ones; HP never gets that high. emphasis is more on diegetic progression instead.

way too many subsystems for alchemy, crafting, strongholds, warfare, renown, rituals, likes 9 pages of magic items, a whole subsystem for becoming a cleric mid-campaign. i couldn't help myself i love this shit

in my current campaign we had a player permanently sacrifice some max HP to become a necromancer after deliberating on whether that's a good idea for like thirty seconds, which instantly made me think my necromancy system is a success

also free

Adventure recommendations

(in rough order of size)

Moonhill Garden (by Emiel Boven): look at this. look at it! this is like the best template for a little dungeon in an OSR game. all of the little factions are tied together. this would be a great oneshot to introduce people to an OSR system with.

A gathering of blades (by Ben Milton): a system-neutral, one-page sandbox. i ran this for an iron halberd game and it went super well. lasted like 7 sessions. highly recommend.

The Waking of Willowby Hall (by Ben Milton): a single dungeon with a million things going on. it's super chaotic with half a dozen different factions crashing into each other and a big angry goose. highly recommend, especially for kids

The Black Wyrm of Brandonsford (by Chance Dudinack): small sandbox with a fun fairytale vibe and a very fleshed-out little town. and a big nasty dragon.

Evils of Illmire (by Zack Wolf): this is a very dense, entire campaign's worth of hexcrawl in a very compact package for like $5. it doesn't do anything particularly new, but the value-for-money is absurd and it's a really good template for how to do a sandbox if you're used to 5e adventures

Ask me anything!

if anything here is unclear or intrigues you, send me asks! i love helping people get into OSR games. i'll link frequently asked questions here if i get any.

[lime-bloods]

I decided to take the plunge and look for responses to this update on Twitter, and was disappointed to find a lot of people expressing that they thought this episode was pointless trauma for trauma's sake, when I thought it communicated its point very effectively.

One of its main points of course is the truism that "recovery isn't linear". Vriska's echeladder at the end of the chapter symbolises this; not only does it include "regression roast" among its rungs, but it's the first echeladder thus far that Vriska has actually failed to complete by the end of the episode; Scratch expresses this point literally by shrinking Vriska down, reversing the literal growth Vriska has experienced over the course of page 666. Consequentially, the Doc Scratch chapter lacks any kind of catharsis at its conclusion, and as a result it does feel really awful to read, but the deliberate choice behind this is clear to see.

While cliches about the intricacies of recovery from trauma do not, in and of themselves, make for a particularly profound message, this chapter also more importantly gave us a clear vision of what Vriska needs to work on next in order to move on from this obstacle: her compulsion to constantly be acting, always moving forward, is in fact part of what holds her back.

This manifests itself most glaringly in Doc Scratch, who positions himself as an impulse that Vriska cannot ignore - echoing Hussie's commentary that "He's always there at the right moment to nudge people in the direction of doing the nasty thing [...] they already know they want to do." - with English removed from the picture, the threat Scratch poses is now simply the fleas he's left in Vriska's mind. No matter what she tries to "do over" within the Plot Point, the decisions she made in the past are still part of her life, and there's always the possibility that she will make decisions like those again. (there is nothing new in Paradox Space.) But from the beginning, Vriska's brash decisionmaking is also exactly what leads her into Scratch's parlor in the first place: she has an eternity in front of her to just spend time with the friends she's made amends with, if she wants to; but even when the challenge facing her is literally just growing and maturing as a person she tries to blaze ahead and take the quickest path through it. And Aradia foreshadows this in the first chapter when she warns that Vriska's attitude is defined by "direct acti0ns"; so long as she obsesses over cause and effect, the repeating patterns that shape her world and her life will always be in her blind spot. (Perhaps that's why she wears an infinity loop on her missing eye?)

This chapter also shakes things up in an important way by turning our understanding of Vriska's echeladder candle on its head. We've had the vague sense that it's been "burning down" to something since the first chapter, but with Gcatavros advising Vriska this week that she needs to slow down "sO YOU DON'T BURN OUT," it suddenly seems like the candle burning down isn't necessarily all a good thing. Her interaction with Scratch is filled with allusions to this; there's a "convenient timer" keeping track of Vriska's life in the Plot Point that she's not paying attention to because she's too busy looking forward, and he sees her off with a coded warning that her "Light" may soon run out just as it did when she was a child. Ultimately what this latest chapter has brought to the table is stakes; by demonstrating that it's still possible for Vriska to face losses on her journey through the inferno, we can no longer be so confident that the "Hell Tiers" have to be a straightforward "upgrade".

[xuzuul]

Finally making an intro post! It's just gonna be a compilation of all the basic stuff for my blog.

Lots of information below the cut, including Blog Information, Interactions, DNIs, and Post Details.

Blog Information

This blog was just Yokai Watch, I didn't post anything unrelated to Yokai Watch or its characters. But now I've turned my attention to other fandoms too as of then, so I'll be posting other stuff too. ♡

If I don't answer your asks, it's because I either don't know how to respond, or I planned to respond to it but forgot. 😔

Fandoms

Fandoms I will actively be posting in:

• Yokai Watch

•Alice In Borderland

• All Of Us Are Dead

•Squid Games

Fandoms I'm in but probably won't be posting for:

• Mouthwashing

•Subnautica

•LOZPH

•Ni No Kuni

•UTDR

•Omori

•Oneshot

•TLOU

Favourite characters

I never shut up about my blorbos and everyone on my blog has to suffer the consequences

•Chishiya Shuntaro

•Kang Sae-Byeok

•Kuina Hikari

•Eddie Archer

•Nate Adams

• Cho Hyun-Ju

•Choi Nam-Ra

•Park Mi-Jin

Ships

Ships I like/support:

Kuina x Ann

Arisu x Usagi

Niragi x Jail

Chishiya x Nobody

Aguni x Hatter

Nate x Katie

Nate x Buck

Eddie x Hailey

Hailey x Jessica

Hyun-Ju x Young-Mi

Sae-Byeok x Ji-Yeong

Mi-Jin x Ha-Ri

Nam-Ra x Su-Hyeok

Cheong-San x On-Jo

Ships I don't like/don't support:

Niragi x Anybody

Chishiya x Anybody

Aguni x Heiya

Heiya x Arisu

Chota x Shibuki

Jibanyan x Whisper

Any human x Any Yokai

Animal Yokai x Humanoid Yokai

Interactions

My DMs are always open to people who wanna talk, but I WILL ignore scams or bots.

If you wanna be my friend or wanna talk to me please just DM me, I love making friends :]

If you follow me and you're a fan of my special interest(s) who posts/reblogs cool stuff I'll probably follow you back/moot you!

I also love seeing your comments/detailed reblogs (eg. Tags or additions) it gets me kicking my feet and giggling,,

DNIs and Intolerated Behaviour

Basic DNI stuff (Because it's wrong)-

Sexism, racism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia, or any sort of bigotry or discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated here.

Personal DNI stuff (Things I don't want to see from accounts in my notes or on my dash):

-Accounts that post harmful stereotypes and prejudice, of any kind. This definitely includes radfems, terfs, trans androphobia/misogyny, and misgendering feminine men (promoting toxic masculinity)

-Niragi glazers. This does NOT include people who like the actor, Dori, or people who like Niragi's addition to the story/the way his character is written. But saying Niragi is hot? Excusing his actions? Nuh uh please no.

-Proshippers (This can include non-human x human). Some Yokai Watch examples I can think of are Katie x Kyubi, Nate x Blizarria/Damona, Komasan x Komajiro, etc.. Just an ick.

-People who post art of/headcanon the Yokai Watch trans mtf Nate Adams headcanon. It makes me uncomfortable and I don't want it being forced on me anymore, if you like it then fair enough but if you draw it or actively talk about it then DNI.

-People who post, draw, or write NSFW content, this includes hardcore gore or sexual themes, I feel uncomfortable seeing that (especially Yokai Watch NSFW, it's a kids show).

What I post...

I have a really messy post schedule, it's never linear or straightforward, I just post when I feel like it or when I get an idea.

My most posted stuff includes memes, art, and general sillyposting. I don't reblog stuff that often, but when I see cool art or a post I really like/agree with I will definitely reblog it, especially if it's a moot's post :]

[kayleightarot]

The week of February 10-14, 2025

We start the week with Fairness, Diplomacy, Problem-Solving This King embodies the intellect, philosophy, & creativity of the suit. An ability to function in those “higher graces” means this king is the ‘go to’ energy when you need linear, big picture, problem solving. He isn’t as distant or unattached as he seems, he’s just hard-wired to put ideals before people. Rest assured that his devotion, emotional intellect, wisdom, and capacity to love are as hard-wired as his ideals. 💚 At work, if there is person like this who leaves you feeling irritated or otherwise diminished, consider this person's personality in its entirety and/or the requirements of their position before you take offence. They may just be straightforward. 💙 If you find that you or your partner are forcefully opinionated, try to secure & respect boundaries. Focus on the intellectual rather than the emotional, & stay assertive, not aggressive. 🧡 Wherever the King appears, the situation will require his type of skill. Employ creative solutions, be considerate of the emotions of the others involved, & the success of the situation will be yours.

MIDWEEK with the full moon on Wednesday, is about Success, Truth, & Instinct This King embodies confidence & authority. He is wise, & respected for his worldly experience. He is the father of nature, the seat of earthly desires, & a source of the will to live life to the fullest. He asks you to embrace your true nature, & indulge or restrain, to your highest good. 💚 Key to work success may be an older, established man. He responds well to others who share his lust for life but keep the balance that works for you. You may also receive a financial windfall, promotion, or income increase. 💙 Make time to enjoy your partner in genuine, natural ways; eat some rich food, drink a little wine, & revel in each other's bodies. Ignore what you can. Prioritize each other. 🧡 The call of earthly pleasures will likely be distracting today. By all means, focus on things that need to get done but there is nothing wrong with listening to that call whenever you can. Live, Love, Laugh. You can’t fight Father Nature… We approach the weekend with the effects of the full moon still with us...literally. The Moon indicates that something in your life isn’t what it seems. You may find it difficult to understand the motivations & behaviours of yourself & others. Take a breath & try to let things unfold. This is not the time to force things, or people, to an end. Trust things will come to the best outcome – even where you can’t see how.

Fortunately, your extra senses are geared up to make up for your lack of ‘vision’. Be ‘in the moment’ and trust your instincts on issues and people. They may be the key to knowing which step to take next. The Moon can also indicate a delay in an answer you are waiting for. Remain patient and don’t push; let the Universe work its magic. 💚 At work, things may seem unclear & a little shaky. Give yourself, & others the benefit of the doubt – especially if there hasn’t been a reason not to before now. Patience is key. Ask questions, assume nothing, & be diplomatic. 💙 Whether you are in a relationship or not, this is likely to be a tense time. You may find that anger is quicker than passion so, try to avoid fighting if it’s at all reasonable. If it’s not, fight fairly. If you find yourself dealing with an ‘ex’, be calm, patient, but definite about your position. 🧡 However the Moon shows itself , you have all the skills to adapt in the moment. Just as you would in a dark, or moonlit room, look carefully, tread cautiously, & rely on your instincts.

Gus an ath thuras (Until next time), darlings Peace out

[xhxhxhx]

Caughey, 50 Am. Hist. Rev. 461, 462 (1945):

[In 1859, San Francisco publisher Hubert Howe Bancroft] had begun to collect Californiana. Gradually his search widened to a world-wide canvass for materials on the western half of North America from Panama to Alaska. In this search he had the good fortune to be first in the field. Yet the real basis of his success lay in his philosophy of collecting. He believed in collecting for content rather than for externals of format. He believed in sweeping in every item that seemed to have even slight bearing on his subject. He had high regard for newspapers, and this before most historians had discovered them. He went after manuscripts, preferring the originals but if necessary resorting to copies and abstracts. He created historical materials by taking dictations from hundreds of pioneers and old-timers. He argued, oftentimes successfully, that it was a patriotic service to put materials in his collection. He was a sturdy beggar and a good borrower, but he drew heavily on his financial resources to buy from dealers, out of catalogues, and at auctions. At the time of its sale to the University of California, Reuben Gold Thwaites appraised the collection at more than $300,000. It has since [as of 1945] appreciated in value at least tenfold; and Director Herbert E. Bolton has said that with $10,000,000 and twenty years in which to spend it the collection could not be duplicated or satisfactorily replaced.

As his library grew, Bancroft felt repeated urges to make some use of it. He considered publishing selected original narratives. . . . Fortunately his decision took another direction. In his words, “I would strike at once for the highest, brightest mark before me. . . . History-writing I conceived to be among the highest of human occupations, and this should be my choice.”

He was never in doubt about what history to undertake. It would be that of his field of collecting, the Pacific states, a modest one twelfth of the earth’s land surface. He proposed, furthermore, a straightforward, frontal, factual attack upon this vast subject matter. He would attempt comprehensive and exhaustive treatment and leave philosophical theorizing to others.

Barnes, 15 Hist. & Theory 212, 212 (1976):

By 1871 Hubert Howe Bancroft had personally collected nearly twenty thousand items on western Americana, but had reluctantly concluded that, at the rate of eight hours a day, it would take him four hundred years to read and annotate it all. If anything was ever to be done with these rare books, pamphlets, newspapers, and chronicles, it was painfully clear that additional help must be forthcoming.

Caughey, 50 Am. Hist. Rev. 461, 463 (1945):

From the outset [Bancroft] realized that he was undertaking more than any one man could do. In businesslike fashion he therefore hired assistants, employing first and last some six hundred persons to help in the production of his works. After much experimenting and at an outlay of $35,000 he devised a subject index to his entire collection. More than twice this amount went into abstracting and note-taking. Going still further, he set some of his men to writing first drafts, and the less revision required, the better he liked it.

Theoretically he made himself responsible for all that went finally into print, and in practice he did this sufficiently so that his 30,000-page, 12,000,000-word opus has unity of design and method and character. Oftentimes his personal contact was slight, for example with the chapters he read on the cable car between his library and his printery, yet the thirty-nine volumes are an integrated whole.

Barnes, 15 Hist. & Theory 212, 213 (1976):

By the early 1890s Bancroft could look back with an almost unalloyed sense of accomplishment. The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft stretched before him on seven and a half feet of linear shelf, subdivided into thirty-nine stout volumes of approximately eight hundred pages each. In sheer bulk and detail there was nothing in any language which could rival this monumental survey of western North America. Eleven of the volumes were wholly or partly devoted to the history of California alone, comprising 8,800 pages with an estimated 4,500,000 words. Another nine volumes dealt with the states, provinces, and territories east and north of California, including British Columbia and Alaska. There were six volumes on Mexico, three on Central America, and two on northern Mexico and Texas. In some respects nothing quite like it has ever been done before or since.

Hubert Howe Bancroft, generative intelligence power user.

[fishnapple]

Hello! What is your take on someone who has Unaspected Pluto in their natal chart? And why is it associated with excessive power and influence and what do they mean by that? Thank youu <33

Hello, I'm not a professional astrologer so take my personal opinion with a grain of salt.

Unaspected Pluto

Think of aspects between planets as links in a chain. If a planet is unaspected, it doesn't really linked with or chained by other planets in the chart as much as the aspected one. So that planet will have more freedom to move and show itself in an unadulterated manner, likely in the areas belong to the house it's in, minding its own business.

I haven't heard of unaspected Pluto is associated with excessive power and influence, thank you for sharing that insight with me. A logical guess would be that since Pluto doesn't need to distribute its influence to other planets, it will concentrate all of its influence on itself and the house it's in, making that house more intense.

In my observation of the few people who don't have Pluto aspecting their personal planets, they seem to express Plutonian traits in a more unconscious level or actively resist them. For example, if you tell them that they're obsessing over something a little too much, they will be surprised by that remark. Their hyperfixations might not be apparent to other people's eyes unless they get close enough to that person. They tend to be content with their current situation, like routine, and don't really see the need to change or like the thought of change.

But in general, I find their energy to be much more straightforward, linear, and flow in a more uncomplicated manner than people who have Pluto aspecting their personal planets. That in itself is a great boost in helping them achieve their goals without the emotional turmoil that usually accompanies Pluto aspects. 👍

[myobsessionsspace]

Delulu anon here:

I completely understand where you're coming from in regards to letter on face. I guess, for me personally, face ended with Set Me Free pt. 2 and signified his journey ending in this both triumphant but also angry way. Very poignant. It felt less like a "Oh, look, I'm magically better now" and more a "fighting is the only thing I can do now, I tried nice and look what it got me". To me, it signified the fact that healing isn't linear nor pretty, nor does it always end in a neat bow. It's his chrysalis moment, and also one of the best songs in the BTS catalogue.

The English version of Like Crazy and Letter are more an encore or addendum, in my personal view.

I'd contrast Face and its structure with D-DAY (whilst also flipping out over the fact that every album BTS has delivered in Chapter 2 has been an absolute experience), which ends on the very much softer note of Snooze and Life Goes On. Especially LGO (Yoongi's Version) feels exactly like how you interpret Letter.

In all honesty, both of us are probably right, and I'm usually someone who doesn't subscribe to any of the theories claiming a BTS song is about another member. It feels a bit cheap, because BTS are individuals with a lot of complex emotions that exist outside their relationship with others. I've seen people claim all sorts of things, and Letter is that one exception where I don't disagree.

Initial Ask

Hi lovely,

Ugh, yes, yes, yes! I agree with what you’re saying, so beautifully put! I too feel like set me free was the ‘end’ leading into MUSE’s ‘Rebirth’. And ‘Letter’ like an addendum, yes!

I think that’s why Letter isn’t on streaming platforms and a hidden track. That in itself is so telling. It’s not really part of the flow of the songs. To me (very simplified):

FACE

Face-off : Jimin kinda internalising his ‘issues’

to

Dive: being submerged in the overwhelming emotions?

to

Like Crazy: using unhealthy coping mechanisms and the push pull battle of not caring and caring too much?

to

Alone: the consequences of his ‘like crazy’ actions or realisations setting in

to

Set Me Free: overcoming, f*ck it attitude, leaving the sh*t behind, shedding the ‘filth’

MUSE

Rebirth: self explanatory?

to

Showtime: he’s ready to take on the world with his new outlook on life, himself and people

to

SGMB: in love with love, love of people, his members, his fans, happy and want to be people’s happiness. In love and what’s people to enjoy love too.

That is a very rough & shallow summary (many have done interesting and thought provoking theories & analyses of FACE) but to me ‘Letter’ is more like ‘I can’t not do this for someone who’s been there holding my hand through this journey. I want to thank them, acknowledge them and continue to promise to them. They were a hidden part of this journey, an undercurrent’ his letter to him, his song to him, shared with us but not in the same way as FACE & MUSE. Not on streaming platforms for any and all. Memorialised in hard copy only. The lyrics needing extra scrutiny to read them, embossed not with ink. Embedded deep but still not straightforward to see.

I totally get you when it comes to always having their work attributed to the ‘ship.’ I don’t buy into a lot of it either.

BUT Letter speaks for itself. It’s not like ‘I wonder’ where Hobi collaborated with JK for them to make a lovely song. It’s not like how JK is their go to guy for guide recordings to be used by a different vocalist later on. In my opinion.

I like the way you think anon! I like that you are able to look at other members work and the topic as a whole, many focus on the two and the two only but I appreciate people who look at things wholisticly 😍 Yes I get you with the ending on a more mellow note like Yoongi’s DDAY with snooze and his cute version of LGO. Definitely

I really really really don’t like when anything and everything is brought back to their relationship and their relationship only. It’s demeaning. It’s like if anything a woman does was always brought back to her husband or her boyfriend you know? They have worked so so hard for very long to be whole, rounded, talented INDIVIDUALS. The experiences and stories they have to tell are not just one thing, their relationship. They don’t pick every song for their careers, every outfit, every prop, every scene just to highlight the man in their life. Honestly that would be scarily unhealthy and I’d suggest therapy.

I think a lot of the connections people make are what I like to call ‘cute delulu’ and what are these sites for if not to have a little fun with our chosen spaces/communities/fandoms. The majority of the time it’s just for fun and I enjoy it with us (even though I’m bad at instigating it😅).

It’s if people completely refuse to appreciate the actual art and intent and only want to use it for ‘ships’ that it’s saddening.

Thank you so much for the folllow up. It was lovely and I enjoyed it

💜

[sevi007]

Tales of the Abyss part 46

Where we are on the run again, while I almost forgot WHY we are on the run

(The war. It's the war. I kind of forgot that in this whole mess)

Mohs comes to mind immediately, but I think Van's whole "destroy the outer lands" shtick is close behind

Mans is very straightforward, which is rare in this game!

I'm 99 percent sure we are a bit late for that. Looking at Natalia here

Awwww. Don't worry Natalia I'm still on the regicide route if he does reject you! (I'm half serious here)

UGH Mohs

Hey! At least part of us are royality or high ranking people! "Rabble" he says

Woah what. Sacrifical lamb or what

Dangabit, we should take Noelle with us from now on. Or hide her somewhere safe.

Kinda gay Dist! (Sorry I like teasing him)

Grow up, both of you lmao. Every time you get them on screen together, I feel like I'm back in school XD

Noice Luke's the sacrifical lamb

Theoretically, shouldn't they kill Asch - ah wait, I guess they do not know about the replica situation yet. Or. Let's say they DID know and did kill Asch. Would that then fulfill the score, or not, because he is now going by a different name? Sheesh, future prediciting is ROUGH Yulia has my sympathy

Yeah, what the fuck?!

Omfg - Okay I interrupt this dialogue here to rant. While I UNDERSTAND where Luke is coming from (hello Survivor's guilt mixed with existential crisis and a hint of depression) I was so heartbroken to hear this that I nearly yelled in anger. Of course he is going to twist everything in a way that he is the culprit here!

But let's look at this more rationally - the Score is shit. (Very rational right? lol). What I mean to say is, in the Score there is everything depicting in ONE LINEAR FUTURE. I personally always saw the future as something that is endless ocean of possibilities, of different routes that can be "taken" by making different decisions. The Score only covers the "main route" of this, the most likely one. And since people for thousands of years have been following the Score so faithfully, they have til now never deviated to a different future. Self-fulfilling prophecy and all that.

So say the Score is the main route - then not even that one is a great one! That one is only great for Kimlasca and its prosperity! Malkuth is described to be covered in war, Akzeriuth would have fallen anyway, and Asch would be dead. Who knows what would have become of our party members, or Engreve, or St. Binah, or who knows what else! Is that good? No.

And so far, we only know that Luke is not covered in the main future Yulia had seen. That could mean it's a good thing! We could steer toward a new future! Or at least he does not have to sit around and just take whatever the Score throws at him

Now, let me smack that boy for being an idiot. Or let Tear do it.

YES THAT

apply that brain-to-mouth-filter sometimes, Luke. It helps.

I like how everyone else just lets Tear rip into him XD

(I love this boy but sometimes he is painfully stupid - read as "extremely unknowing, young, and traumatized")

@magicmetslogic

@ahsokaisawesome

[estellaestella]

I wonder if this is going to be a linear story of boy comes to town, breaks into the music industry, makes it big, regrets the sacrifices he made on the way OR is it gonna jump around in the timeline to give us some oscar-worthy juxtapositioning? Given that there are two love interests a straightforward storytelling might get boring. I wouldnt mind jumping between two different conversations about songwriting with the two diff gf just to show how much he has changed/remained the same over the years. Also, if its non-linear, it could be quite cute to end the movie on a pre-successful Dylan to concentrate on the talent and dreams and not end on a 'high' of success and validation. You know, living up to the title, A COMPLETE UNKNOWN. Feels like that would be a more upbeat ending (for a biopic of someone who is still alive) - this way it gives hope to people who feel they dont fit in (hello, everyone!). So tired of musical biopics that end with lists of accomplishments. Made sense back in the days when everyone cdnt google what happened to the singer-musician but now it's such a cliché.

The trailer really got me looking forward to seeing this.

[ilynpilled]

u know a thing i really do love about jaime’s arc is that what he wants to even achieve is actually interrogated pretty thoroughly in affc. like it is very much about grueling internal development rather than a simple linear trajectory. the thing with a lot of reformation arcs (george’s words: link) and characters who seek their “honor” back is that it is often dealt with in a pretty straightforward way. how people even define goodness and the nuances of morality and altruism and how self concept is tied to how you are perceived by others and certain flawed moral constructs, in medieval fantasy especially, is often not really that focused on. jaime as a character already has such a multifaceted relationship with it all, it is a core part of his story: “honor” in asoiaf exists within a system and it is full of contradictions. moral constructs are also very much rooted in an ultimately feudalistic structure. and when you throw “glory”, within feudalistic constructs of chivalry & heroism, into the mix, and the complications of external perception and how you want to change, it all gets a lot more difficult. his character already deals with that in his origin, it is at the root of his disillusionment and fall into cynicism and darkness. and he is then forced to grapple more with change and what being better even really means after “whatever he chose…”. a lot of these types of stories tend to skim over this part when dealing with reformation. like i do think george delineates how “change” is restricted by external and internal factors in a plethora of ways that have to actually be addressed during an arc like this. there is a theme with jaime of it being impossible to compromise with certain things: he has to eventually choose between them. cost and sacrifice is examined a whole lot. even if he is arguably pretty passively suicidal he is not at a stage in affc where he necessarily lost everything, though he is beginning to. he has status, power, and a role to play, his family is in severe danger, he has certain selfish desires, he has ties, loved ones, people he feels the need and responsibility to protect. which puts him in a position that makes his choices a whole lot more complicated. the “so many vows” are still there. i also like that he is navigating change from a point where he still has the option not to (at least externally, i think internally he is at a point of no return, like he would not be able to stomach himself because he did lose what had allowed him to easily compartmentalize, other than being faced with the example that brienne provides that contradicts & condemns his entire cynical outlook he used to justify himself, and he expresses his readiness to die, like when he plans to be the first on the field if he “has” to attack riverrun, and believes he will be the first to fall too because of his hand. but again, the resolution of the whole fiasco makes the choice to reform something primarily internally motivated as he actually dooms his image entirely through his method of utilizing the persona he wants to change to its fullest potential with the trebuchet & edmure, and that he is very much stuck in the middle of things that are intrinsically incompatible. the lannister regime and tywin’s legacy is incompatible with becoming a better person. he is also repeatedly faced with the fact that change and trying to achieve things he set out to do will not come with external rewards, like being viewed differently by other people, that he is very desperate for to make it easier to not despise himself anymore. jaime does want to feel better about himself, but true redemption comes with real sacrifice. he does not see a golden hand anymore in his final dream in affc, just the ugliness of the stump. he contradicts tywin’s dogma, abandons his position, and goes with brienne at the end of the adwd chapter all the same. personally, i am seeing a clear set up, especially that he is now about to be confronted by the woman who embodies most of his greatest sins.

[kieraspsychonautssideblog]

Why Loboto's Labyrinth is a Brilliant Tutorial Level

Psychonauts 2 has an amazing opening. The point of a tutorial level and introduction is to establish the game's setting, characters, rules, tone, and story, and Loboto's Labyrinth does this brilliantly in various ways.

To establish the setting they chose to have us thrown immediately into the mind of one of its characters, though at first have us believe that we are in Psychonauts HQ. Having the first part of the level be just a boring office layout sets up our expectations for what Psychonauts HQ looks like, so when we actually get to the Motherlobe and see it for ourselves, it's just as amazing and fantastical as it is for Raz. Having the first area we play in be a mind is also a good choice I'd say, as it gives the game time to properly establish just how crazy this game is going to get and how weird it will be.

They give you time to interact with the characters around you, allowing you to get a feel for the writing and the tone the game is going for. Given that this man kidnapped your girlfriend's father, they still take the time to give him a light of sympathy, showing that this is a game about understanding. Milla especially hammers this point home with her insistence that they need to help Loboto.

Given that it's a tutorial level as well, they also establish the rules of both the game and the world around them in a linear but straightforward fashion that doesn't feel hand-holdy. The reasoning for the abilities to come up makes sense and feels natural, so if you're a new player you get introduced to them naturally, and if you're an old player you can quickly get into the swing of things.

And even this level, which is mostly just here to be a tutorial, also serves the story super well. The themes of trying to keep quiet that permeate throughout the level are fascinating. The dental doors that are literally mouths that are zipped shut, the posters around the place telling Loboto to keep quiet, and the sections where Loboto does dentistry work on himself because you literally cannot talk while someone does dentistry work on you. There's even foreshadowing to the end of the game, with the figment of Truman's Case that can be found in the Trap AND the chandelier resembling Gristol's crown that hangs above the Loboto poster in that same room by the time you get to Lili's section.

Loboto's Labyrinth is an excellent way to start off Psychonauts 2. It's an excellent level, with an excellent story and themes, and an excellent setup and payoff for later down the line.

Join me in the possible future for a breakdown of Hollis's Mind and why Hollis could be so much more of a deeper character than the game allows her to be.

[assblastergaster]

okay so in my absorbing this episode...i was initially disquieted by the abruptness of it all; i still am. i even decided i need to read the reddit discussions about it (don't ever do this)...but i think ive come to a conclusion that makes holistic sense to me

note: having read Simone's "exit interview" article (adult Lottie's actress)—i understand why some people feel like the adult timeline is sort of a mess that the actors don't really have a full grasp on. i find myself feeling that way too, at times, but also...isn't that the point? we KNOW what happens during the teen timeline by episode 1, so we know there's only so much that can happen. like Mari said, the wilderness is the "other version of reality" where these characters became themselves for the first time; in the beginning of the show, it's presented as if the adult timeline is the "good side" that hides the dark side. slowly, as the girls come into contact with each other, it becomes clear that this dichotomy is false—the wilderness as teenagers and their lives as adults are the same. it's what tai struggles with. it's what nat and travis struggles with. it is most certainly what lottie struggles with. the modern timeline is purposefully (imo) left less linear, less straightforward (which is a lot considering how obfuscated the wilderness timeline is); the survivors interacting with each other after 25 years is essentially the recreation of their time in the woods—they're trying to navigate real life situations in the same way they did back then, the way they survived. they working on the assumption that what they did back then will work now and it won't. it feels bizarre because it IS bizarre, especially to them. the wilderness has rules, but their lives haven't been following them for 2 decades. they're literally flying by the seats of their pants

all this to say: obviously we will get more on lottie's death, but it still somewhat makes sense thematically for right now. i think it very much has to do with the decision she makes at the very end of the trial. Lottie knows coach is innocent and she votes that way for a reason, so why the last second decision just because Shauna threatens her? she isn't afraid of shauna like the others are. this trial cemented that the wilderness essentially chose "wrong" for the antler queen, or perhaps that lottie realized she misinterpreted the wilderness' choice. realizing that shauna is the one who holds power cements that lottie is fully in for the ride—she will do whatever it takes to listen to the wilderness, even if it's not what she agrees with. ultimately, whoever she's apologizing too, and for whatever reason she's in that fuckass basement with ritual candles, i think they're all connected to this coach trial. this is when the wilderness dynamic will go from group of scared teens fighting to survive and going crazy enough to believe some pagan shit to a group of true believers forming a new society

TLDR; lottie choosing the side of the wilderness will have been the reason she's dead, and the adults (thus, seemingly, the plot) are fucking lost without the wilderness to self impose its rules on them.

[swordfright]

I'd love to hear your structural hot takes

I already rambled a lot about this here, but alright okay yes I got more. I am here to talk about bullshit and nonsense after all 😤

If we're still talking about how DSMP is a prime example of New Media, and various frameworks you might use to understand it as an example of New Media, then I think it could be useful to bring up the concept of the violence hub.

Before I get into all that I need to define another term: rhizomatic storytelling, which means a narrative that is decentralized, nonlinear, and intricately networked. Does DSMP fit into this category? I would say so, even though it doesn't necessarily fulfill all criteria. It's definitely decentralized (I've already talking a bit about how it's difficult to pin down the parameters of the "core text" when it comes to MCYTRP) and it's definitely a network of little stories coming together to form a cohesive(ish) narrative. But one thing DSMP isn't is nonlinear. It's a very linear story, in the same way that professional wrestling (which is famously fictionalized) is very linear. It's been pointed out by fans that the storylines in pro wrestling pass at the same rate as time passes in the real world - which is pretty unique! You can't say that about most stories, even most forms of serial fiction! But, interestingly, DSMP is the same: time in the story passes at more or less the same rate as time passes IRL, with the exception of periods spent in limbo. This raises some interesting questions about who determines linearity in a prosumptive (co-created by writers and audiences) piece of media. If you're looking at DSMP from the perspective of the CCs, it's a linear narrative in the ways I've just described. But if you look at it from the perspective of the audience (who are given the option to switch between streams, watch live, watch VODs afterwards, watch VODs out-of-order, or refuse to watch some streams/VODs altogether), then it can be - and often is - a very non linear story. In a straightforward narrative where the creators create and the consumers consume, this isn't even a question. But in the case of something like DSMP, which is a collaboration by creators and audiences, those lines of authority blur and we're left wondering whose timeline we're on.

So let's say, for the sake of this argument, that DSMP is a rhizomatic story. It doesn't check off all the boxes, but I would still say it qualifies for reasons I hope I've outlined above in at least a semi-comprehensible way. Well, there's this framework that's been developed for understanding these types of non-linear, decentralized stories: the violence hub.

The violence hub was proposed as a way of furthering our understanding of these participatory “multithreaded” stories that offer many voices at once without giving any particular one of those voices the final word.

Personally, I think DSMP is sort of the perfect example of a violence hub story, obviously because of the way it's constructed (talked about this a lot already here so I won't rehash it rn) but also because, quite frankly, it is a violent story. DSMP is bleak as fuck. Warfare, conflict, and abuse are core motifs. Like, even in a fandom as divided as this one, it's not controversial to say that DSMP is a story that's fixated on suffering, and that fixation is one of its main selling points. Not all fans are interested in those parts of the story, of course, but I think it's safe to say a lot of fans find DSMP's treatment of suffering pretty compelling. This is why people are insane about Exile and Pandora and Pogtopia and, and, and. You get the picture.

The violence hub is also a useful way of looking at not just how the story is structured, but how it is consumed. When fans talk about a violent incident in the story, whether it's Exile or c!Dream's imprisonment or something else, oftentimes we talk about these events in relation to other characters' perspectives and POVs. What's c!Tubbo up to during c!Tommy's exile? Who does or doesn't try to visit Logstedshire, and at what points in the Exile timeline? What's c!Dream doing during the Exile period when he's not at Logstedshire? This interactivity with the incident (Exile) through various other POVs deepens viewers' understandings of that incident, what it means to the characters involved, what it means in the larger narrative, and most importantly - what it means to us, the viewers. The same thing could be said about any period that qualifies as a "violent incident" described in the article screenshotted above. Take Pandora, for instance: how many times have you heard someone say "You really need to watch c!Sapnap's prison visit to get a sense of what it was like," or "c!Techno's prison podcast is vital to understanding what happens in Pandora," or something else to that effect. We all have specific streams we see as crucial puzzle pieces, but we don't all agree on what those streams are. And, depending on which streams you see as vital, your idea of what went down during a particular violence hub incident may be very different from my perception of that event, and vice-versa. Be that as it may, consuming the story this way, rather than in the form of a traditional linear narrative, allows viewers to come to more nuanced understandings of not just the incident in question, but also why the incident happened, what other events led up to it, the later impacts it had on the story, how character relationships and dynamics may have shifted as a result of the incident, etc. The decentralized nature of this structure enables an understanding of the story that appropriately accounts for its complexity.

Now that all that's out of the way, I want to talk about the structure of the violence hub in relation to audience expectations. When the finale aired, I was pretty confused by a lot of folks' reactions, partly because of how I perceived the DSMP and how I see its structure interacting with its themes. To me, DSMP is a story largely about cyclical violence, so an ending where c!Tommy (a main character, driving force for the narrative, and sometimes the protagonist depending on who you ask) chooses to put an end to that cycle made sense to me. I never saw the finale as being about an abuse victim forgiving his abuser, I saw it as being about an abuse victim purposefully stepping back, seeing the cycle of violence for what it is, and choosing to opt out. This is a fairly unpopular interpretation of the finale, but it's one that I stand by because it's firmly grounded in the text: the dialogue, the scenecraft, the structure. Up until the finale, c!Tommy perceives the DSMP as a linear, centralized story - his own! He acts accordingly, rarely stopping to consider consequences or other characters' perspectives. When he's sent to limbo in the finale, c!Tommy is suddenly able to see into c!Dream's past memories from c!Dream's perspective. In this moment, c!Tommy's experience of the narrative ceases to be linear and centralized; in this moment, he is experiencing the story in the same way that we, the audience have been experiencing the story. c!Tommy, placed in the audience's shoes, is presented with what is essentially a "branch" to the violence hub that is Exile, that is Pandora, that is the aftermath of both of those arcs. Upon seeing that "branch" (the memory), c!Tommy is given context for some of the events that have happened on the server. This newfound context allows him to understand his own story as a part of the stories of the people around him. This newfound context enables him to understand the story in a way that accounts for its complexities. He doesn't forgive c!Dream, but he is able to recognize the cycle of violence and choose not to participate anymore.

So, back to the thing I said about structure and audience expectations. As I mentioned, a lot of fans hated the finale for a lot of reasons. It wasn't to everyone's taste, and that's fine. But I would like to posit that one reason people didn't like the finale was because the rhizomatic structure of the story (which c!Tommy becomes aware of) subverted their own expectations about storytelling in general and this story in particular. I'd argue that a lot of people hated the finale because they were still clinging to the possibility of a non-rhizomatic narrative: one that has a traditional beginning/middle/end, one that has clear heroes and villains, one in which unambiguous good vanquishes unambiguous evil. Which isn't a bad thing to want, it's just...not what DSMP is, or ever was.

[bytedykes]

What is ORV actually about? I assumed that it was like... A modern psychological thriller with a bit of queerbait, but now I'm seeing your posts and reblogs tagged ORV that are all kinda surreal and fantasy type stuff, I feel like I saw the word isekai a couple times? So what is ORV actually?

ok i have been sitting on this ask for a few days bc i. have no idea where to even begin trying to explain what orv is about

here's a post by tumblr user ot3 that does a better job of explaining orv than i ever could. below the cut is MY attempt at an orv summary

"what is orv actually about?" this is a wonderful question. i don't know. i did nothing but read this novel for 2 weeks straight and i could not for the life of me tell you what orv is "about"

the thing about this book is that if you're reading it, it makes perfect sense. the events are linear. there is a bunch of mindfucky bullshit BUT it all happens in a relatively straightforward way. i understand orv perfectly. but at gunpoint, could i put the events in chronological order? no. pull the trigger

ok. orv is about a salaryman named kim dokja who has the most uninteresting boring life in the world. this is a lie. he does nothing but go to his job he's about to get fired from, eat convenience store kimbap, and read webnovels. he reads a specific webnovel (twsa) that has been updating daily for 13 years straight. he has been reading it since he was 15 through his entire adult life

twsa is about the apocalypse, starring protagonist yoo joonghyuk. the day kim dokja reads the last chapter and eagerly awaits the epilogue to be published the apocalypse happens. exactly like in the webnovel. now armed with a .txt file of twsa and his autism superpowers he navigates the apocalypse trying to reach his ideal ending

orv, for lack of better term, does not take itself very seriously at times. frequently, even. at least half of the major plot points are comprised of complete bullshit. every few chapters i had to put the book down and go "no fucking WAY is this actually happening" but it was! it was happening every time! its hysterical!

orv is also extremely meta. every time you think "ok it cannot possibly get more meta, this is it, this is the peak" ur wrong. u are wrong every single time until the very end of the epilogue. it can ALWAYS get more meta. orv is 100% the most meta thing i have read in my life

on top of all this, pretty much anything you can think of has happened in orv. "orv is a book about everything" while an exaggeration, this is true. it really fucking is. it has everything in it. you know that poem by shel silverstein, "everything on it"? that's what reading orv is like

it tackles many serious topics (such as: loneliness, the desperate desire to connect with other people combined with the inability to allow yourself to be loved, finding the things that push you to keep surviving) and many topics that are. not that (such as: "what if a dumpling had a face how would that work", "what if gay people were insane and not even friends", "what if a guy was so autistic his brain started eating people", "what if a monkey was actually 4 monkeys" and more such things. wouldnt that be fucked up)

orv definitely. yeah. surreal and fantasy type stuff is a very appropriate descriptor. a modern psychological thriller is... also appropriate i suppose. "a bit of queerbait" is NOT appropriate because orv is built on queerbait but not in the sense of it being baiting. in the sense of it being canon but unsaid. like its not canon. but it is. its canon and it is constant. there is an archangel that ships said queerbait she is a proud yaoi supporter. this is a real thing i am not making up

on top of that insane queerbait. there is insane polycule bait as well. like i need you to understand that while its not "canon" in the traditional sense of the word it IS real and it IS on screen and it IS as explicit as it could actually be without it actually being, you know, explicit. it literally makes me feel insane

ISEKAI. RIGHT. im not really familiar with isekai as a genre so take this paragraph with a grain of salt but orv is more of a reverse isekai? the fantasy world comes TO the "real" world. however there are in fact multiple isekais-within-the-isekai later on. multiple types of them even

anyway orv is also heavily based on the theme of stories and like. god i hope you've read ot3's post because im sure they explained it better. its a very theme-heavy piece of media where the rules of the world aren't based on logic but based on how they can further the themes. its very intricately constructed and like

it will blow your mind. god. i dont even know what im saying anymore. its good is my point it is so fucking good. orv changed me. it is a very hopeful piece of media and i am sure that rereading it will devastate me even harder than it did the first time

TLDR: orv is an insane long book about literally everything and at least half of those things are complete bullshit but are incredibly integral to the plot. somehow. it is very worth reading and will change ur life forever