#like this wont stop me from putting the characters in situations in my mind palace but still

[lelianaslefthand]

as a serial game replayer it does kinda suck that datv has very little replay value to me, personally. and its like well yes a big reason i like replaying games like that is for the romances and its lacking in that department but also there just aren't that many different choices you can make in general. nothing you've done in previous games matters so you don't have that. the "blue/purple/red" dialogue mechanic only exists in icons there's no real impact on rook's personality. then the choices that you can make are few and far between but also just... not that compelling enough to want to play the entire game again. especially when most choices just have 2 options that are both kinda nothingburgers. like i enjoyed the game, i like the characters, i really like the combat and trying out all the different classes was fun, its visually gorgeous but i dont have the urge to Keep playing it like i do with other rpgs in the same vein... idk :/ thinking out loud

oh also want to add that 'Choices' aside there's also only so much you can do in the actual game. i do very much appreciate that they went the mass effect contained explorable areas route and there Are interesting quests. i quite enjoyed all the puzzles too, but it just... it feels hollow. and we know why but it still sucks. and in this context i dont mean sucks as in Bad but as in unfortunate

[graywarren]

dont come at me but tkem had horrible execution .. its no wonder its the only kes drama that flopped the idea, cinematography, world was great but the execution was........ disappointing to say the least they couldve done so much better and honestly very disappointed in kes for the script.. i dont mind the cheesy lines but it all sounds so awkward sometimes it sounds like she put her lines through google translate. nothings wrong with the grammar or anything but the sentence structure is horrible and awkward. she shouldve made the characters say what they're saying a different way.

and the actors were overhyped kge/jec/some other side cast thats been in the industry a while did well but wdh and lmh were adequate at best. esp lmh hes only so popular bc of his early success w bof and bc he rose to stardom so fast hes never been able to improve his craft its always just the same level of delivery and same expressions/gestures. my mom thought he was a bad actor but i wouldnt go so far just that he has much room for improvement but i dont see him improving any time in the future bc hes already recieved success with the skills he has now and if he didnt feel the need to work on it before he definitely wont now or later.

anyway back to execution they just missed out on so many great opportunities esp with the world building and character development, i wish they did more with the politics of kingdom of corea and its history rather than a few lines explaining to tae eul and the scene w the sea battle (which btw was so weird like they just sudden potential war and then gon comes and solves it all and its never mentioned again?????????), speak more of its tensions w japan and how it differs from korea and why royalty is so invloved in politics unlike other monarchies (ie england). and in regards to the royalty's invlovment in politics they make it seem like gon was pretty much in charge but then he spends so little time doing his duties???? like he is just so free all the time? despite ruling a whole kingdom? if they wanted to focus on his romance then they shouldve not made it seem like hes so invloved in politics and just show more of badass pm koo and her struggles as a female in high position which they often hinted at but never fully showed.

i feel like they focused more on the sci fi bit rather than each of their worlds and how they shaped tae eul and gon. how their characters came to become themselves through the world around them and how that differs and how they clash bc of it and how they try to understand each other bc of it. they just placed these characters with complex back stories in life or death situations to create more drama but never properly explain their motives and thoughts.

not to mention it feels like 50% of each episode is just a well made ad. i understand that they probably expected another huge success w this cast and writer and needed to make their bills to support all that cgi and sets/rental for the palace but theres really only so much that the audience can tolerate.

and well none of the tkem stans probably even cared enough to know the reason of its failure in korea. it had a lot of issues that came up in regards to corea's royal symbol (?) being the same as the one japan used during its rule over korea (which is a super sensitive issue in korea, everyone pretty much hates japan for it and the writers and staff should know that as well but still went ahead with it anyway??), jung eunchae's scandal as a mistress, and many others.

also i felt the villains were pretty one dimensional which im sure a lot of people would disagree with but the only reason they felt so good was because they were portrayed well, the actors did a good job of adding depth that the script didnt provide. they should've spoken more of seoryung's troubles as a child due to poverty and how that developed her need for power and wealth, more of lee rim's potential as a ruler and how he fared much better as a ruler than his older brother but was cast aside because he was the second son.

yes, everything i mentioned above would take up a lot of time that they didnt have in a 16 ep series but they would've had enough time to show all of this if they cut back on the ads.

n e way when tkem stans defend it and say it "deserved better" they really need to know that sometimes theres a reason some dramas dont have national sucess. and they should really stop trying to shield it from the criticism it recieves and actually look into its flaws instead of blindly defending it. which is much more beneficial to everyone who worked on it so they know how to improve next time. instead of saying "you're wrong tkem has no flaws its perfect and it deserved better", say "yes you're right about some of this and tkem does have its flaws but i love it nonetheless" which better shows that you're much more intelligent person and care more about this drama.

[the-literary-witch-blog]

Trick fanfic: “Letters”

Ever since reading Dare I’ve been inspired to write something new, with complete respect to the main characters Flare and Jeryn its not about them though they do make a quick appearance lol I love them don’t get me wrong but Poet and Briars extended cameo and peek into their life several years after the events of Trick gave me all the feels! I can never seem to get enough of these two, their love story is just so romantic and inspiring I just can’t let it go! So once again here is a quick one shot from me of their life together in the Autumn kingdom. I’m an amateur writer and I do all my own proof reading and editing so forgive me if its not perfect grammatically. Natalia if you read this thanks again for creating these characters and inspiring people like me with their story, I apologize if i misrepresent them in anyway. 

It all started with the notes, his longing for her made clear with just a few words “I need to see you” or “I can’t stop thinking of you”, followed by a suggested place and time to meet that he scrawled hurriedly on to scraps of paper and then trusted to a faithful little ferret to deliver across the expanse of the spring palace. Her answers returned just as quickly, “I’ll be there” and “I’m counting the hours”.

These days however there was no need for secrets, in their autumn home they could hold hands in the hall without fear of someone seeing, take long walks and picnics in the orchard at sunset, and linger sweetly in a bed they shared. Still the notes never stopped, because life didn’t either, between the hectic routine of royal duties, performance training and parenting there was still so much their hearts wanted to say, and so those notes evolved into whole letters

Sometimes just a page that he had taken the time to write during breaks to catch his breath while practicing his acrobatics, other times whole pages that took a week to compose. Always she would find them hidden in places only she was sure to come across, such as under her pillow, in her desk drawer, or in the pocket of a gown. Poet, always the wordsmith never failed to perfectly express his love for her or to describe in detail his less than innocent fantasies which left Briar breathless and flushed. When she found time to write him in return she never felt like hers quite measured up to the beautiful and lyrical words He gifted her with, that was until one day - just a couple of years in to their life together in Mista - when she secretly watched from behind a corner as he found and read her most recent reply. His neutral expression lighting up instantly at the sight of fresh pages waiting to be devoured, she watched as his eyes roamed over her vows, and endearments, promises, and confessions that were just for him, he sighed almost dreamily and broke out in a boyish grin, not his usual devilish smirk but a genuine love sick smile that threatened to split his face, Briar knew it well for it was a reflection of her own. After that she never questioned the affect her letters had on him or what they meant to him again. 

 Time moved on, changes both happy and sad came to pass, Nicu grew and grew but his heart always remained a size larger than he was, with joy they welcomed children of their own, held each other in grief when their mothers left this world and ruled side by side with compassion and wisdom for many years. Yes, time changed many things, but not the way they felt about each other. Even as the decades passed and wrinkles were etched into their skin and their hair turned grey their passion and devotion only grew stronger.

Then came a change no one could have predicted so suddenly and that no one was ready for. One night In his 85th year Poet fell asleep beside his love and he never woke up again...

People from across the four kingdoms came far and wide to offer their support and condolences to Briar and to witness him laid to rest. The royals and nobels of the past who had scorned them were long gone, those who attended were loyal friends, subjects, and admirers from Poet’s performance days as a Jester. Among them were King Jeryn of Winter and his wife Flare, no two faces were more a welcome sight to Briar. Jeryn had kindly offered to have Poet’s body examined to determine his sudden death, promising he would be treated with the utmost care but Briar had firmly declined, “I don’t want him picked apart like that, knowing the why wont bring him back”. 

When it was all said and done, when the eulogies had all been spoken, when the feasts were over and the guests had all departed and her children and grandchildren had all been kissed and consoled one final time for the night, Briar retired to her chambers where she could no longer maintain the careful composer and strength of a Queen and mother and sank to the bed with sobs wracking her chest. She couldn’t take the damn silence or the emptiness of the room, every where she looked was the evidence of his life and yet they now became the painful reminders of his absence. She had been asking herself the same questions over and over since waking up to his still form days ago, what now? What would the remainder of her days be like without his presence? without his smile and laughter? Without his touch or his kiss? Exhausted, she fell asleep were she lay on his side of the bed inhaling his scent and willing it not to fade.

When morning came she declined her ladies and maids attempts to assist her in dressing for the day, all of her usual royal duties were either on hold or had been given to trusted advisors for the time being. Soon she would need to seek out Nicu and make sure he was well, despite his advanced physical age and the progress he had made over the years with the right care Nicu’s mind remained childlike in many ways as they had known it would, and because of this he was having a difficult time grasping the loss of his father. Briar thanked the seasons for her loving and patient daughters who had been there for their brother now that he needed them most and when Briar herself couldn’t always be at his side these last few days, they had made an impossible situation more bearable. For now she pulled herself from the bed, her tired muscles and aged bones groaning in protest. After shrugging off last nights gown and grabbing a robe to cover her chemise she wandered aimlessly around the large room, glancing from the side table where he had left some of his signature ribbons, to a lonely pair of boots on the floor. Eventually her eye’s could no longer avoid gravitating to the large portrait above the fireplace, a portrait her mother had had commissioned of the two of them shortly after they had moved into the castle as a couple and a family, other portraits had been commissioned over the years, portraits they had miraculously gotten Nicu to sit for and portraits to mark birthdays and anniversaries but this one, the first one, had remained most special. What made it so was the way in which they had chosen to pose for it, instead of facing the artist they faced each other, hands clasped and eyes gazing sweetly. The artist had truly been the best in the Four Kingdoms for In that one shared look he had captured everything they had been saying without words. Briar choked on a sob, they had been so young, where had the years gone? she wondered. How could their life together already be over? Desperate for air and unable to stand the confines of the room a second a longer Briar turned from the the fireplace and opened the doors to the private balcony where she stepped out and clung to the stone railing for support, thankfully the open lawn below was empty. It took her several moments but eventually she was able to wipe her eyes and the ache in her chest subsided.. at least for the time being. How many more moments like this would she have to endure before missing him became any easier? She couldn’t imagine it ever would. Slowly she sought out her usual chair and sank in to it only to be startled by the sound of crinkling paper. Confused, Briar lifted the edge of the cushion and pulled out a wrinkled but otherwise unharmed folded piece of paper toped off with a red satin ribbon. Briar brought her hand to her lips in shock, for she knew instantly what it was and who had put it there. Carefully so as not to untie the ribbon she gently slipped it off, unfolded the pages and began to read...

Sweeting 

As I write this you are currently dozing in the chair beside me, the picture of serenity and beauty. Our grandchildren are playing in the lawn below, their laughter more lovely than any musical composition could ever be. It is in perfect moments like these that I am most compelled to write my feelings down and share them with you my love. In my eighty odd years I have known more joy than I ever believed was possible to experience in one lifetime. It is to you that I have to thank for most of this. When I was young I use to be convinced that if I just trained hard enough and accomplished my dream of becoming a renowned performer and Jester that I would have everything my heart desired. And then Nicu came in to my life and I began to realize that true happiness comes from living for more than just yourself, he was my everything and I didn’t even think to wish for more, as it turned out I am apparently fates favorite fool, for more of course came in the form of you my lovely thorn, You so unexpected so surprising and yet my whole heart made room as if it had been waiting for you all along. I’ll never forget those weeks we spent in the spring castle giving in to our desires, falling in love and then the pain of our falling out, thankfully coming back together in the end. The journey since then hasn’t been without its trials, but I wouldn’t have missed a moment of it. Many (as we knew they would) despised the love we shared and expected us to fail in every way, and in every way we have defied their expectations. What they saw as fleeting infatuation has stood the test of time, our example has given others the courage to fight for love should it be found with someone of a different station. Moreover we’ve been blessed with three spectacular children and then gifted further by the birth of their children, and most importantly through our efforts and the efforts of friends we have witnessed extraordinary change in the treatment of born fools. What more could we possibly achieve out of life? I once told you that we were a tale for campfires, Nay my love we are a tale for the history books, when our lives come to an end and centuries pass they will still be telling the story of how the love between a Princess and a court Jester changed the face of the world, to be able to leave behind such a legacy with you is more than this peasant boy could have ever dreamed of. You are stirring in your sleep now and twill ruin the fun of a new letter if I am caught before I can hide it! 

until next time princess, Poet

Fresh tears fell and stained the bottom of the page, these however were tears not of grief but delight at having been gifted this final message from her love. It was as if Poet were speaking to her from beyond the next life, reminding her of all she had been blessed with and all she still had to live for. Briar reread the letter several times, each time helping to lift a little more of her sadness before clutching it to her chest. For Briar the moment of Poet’s death had eclipsed everything else, instead of reflecting on precious memories and being thankful for the time they’d had she couldn’t help but feel bitter. And while this final letter from him couldn’t magically heal her broken heart his words took root inside of the cracked places and gave her strength. “he wouldn’t like to see me looking so defeated” she thought. “there is still life to live and work to be done”. Briar carefully refolded the pages and replaced the scarlet ribbon before retreating back inside to pull a large dress box from under the bed, the same box she used to hold all his letters, she placed it gently on top of all the others, and tired not to think of it as the last she would ever receive. Instead she began to speak aloud...

“you’re right Poet, true happiness comes from living for more than just yourself, and so I will continue to live for you, our family, and everything we’ve stood for so that when I follow you into the next life I can leave with no regrets just as you did, until next time Jester”