#me playing trove lmao

[freakish-hazzard]

I like my games like i like my characters; complex, niche, and incredibly flawed if not entirely irredeemable

[celaenaeiln]

The Batman/Captain America Crossover is just a treasure trove of goodness

First you have cute little Dick glaring at the Nazi with his arms crossed: >:(

Bucky bragging about having the better mentor 😂

Lmao imagine walking into the bat cave and finding a 100ft tall playing card of Joker - BATMAN WHY?

Bucky calling Dick a shrimp! Ngl I was expecting Dick to beef right back. Bucky reminds me of Roy sm in this comic.

Even the Joker joining into fight the Nazi villain! Best villain vs villain battle!! He’s literally like “I’m crazy and evil but not that crazy and evil”

The crossover teamups!

Bruce bragging to Bucky about being cooler. He totally didn’t forget that comment.

THIS ONE! THE ICONIC “MY LEGS ARE TOO LONG FOR THIS CHAIR IM GONNA SLOUCH” POSE. Batman invented this before it ever came into the 21st century.

And finally, it all begins again!

Dick!Bats and Bruce Wayne Jr!Robin break Cap out of the ice and then the marvel movies begin. Avengers Assemble!

I nearly forgot - Dick and Bucky get stranded in the middle of nowhere farm and have to radio in to get Batman and Cap to pick them up. It was very “when are you coming?” And “oh shit! I knew we forgot something!!”

[vacantgodling]

re. about

REN -> renjamin when you want to scream my name like a disappointed and scandalized parent, rimz for cool kids, R.A.A for formal stuff (OFFICIALLY!!!!!)

26 -> 10.02 i age up

black, transmasc (he/him) & queer (achillean/mlm 🌲🍵☁️🧊🈳)

also been dating the love of my life for 6 years now & we make stories together. check them out here! -> @mothgrudge

neurodivergent, surprising no one

since tumblrs dying find me elsewhere here

also here’s a general psa for youngins that want to follow me. if you’re like 16-19 please read this first. i’m not making a rule or anything that i don’t want youngins following me but like please understand i’m an adult and i’m not tailoring my space to you.

you’ll rarely find me outside of tumblr but i offer art commissions, i have a discord (i don’t really do huge servers they make me anxious but 2-6 people is chill) & i have an art insta. i also have a pinterest for my wips. u can also technically add me on battlenet but i only play overwatch (tis my special interest). i also have a bluesky now if anyone else is on there LMAO

re. wips

i have a LOT of them. but the main one you truly need to know about is:

THE FALL OF GALERÉ BOOK I: PARAMOUR || “saved” from an imminent social death through arranged marriage, HYACINTHUS SHRAPNEL is whisked away to The Chateau aux Aisles D’or, where an unlikely sexual relationship with his butler AMON leads to far more than he bargained for. -> wip intro & powerpoint intro || character intros || gunn sibling kin assigner || s: paramour (main tag) || writing recaps

however i will talk about my other wips at random. you can find a full masterlist of all my wips and ideas HERE!

i also have a wip sampler series where i’m posting passages that encapsulate major vibes or themes of my wips. part one is here!

re. navigation

talking -> musings and personal thoughts

about renjamin -> insight to me / who i am

ren analysis -> when i get meta about my wips

ren mix -> a treasure trove of my music taste

ren polls -> any polls i make

ren reads -> for my ramblings and analysis as i try to get back into books

friends tag -> talking with friends or boosting my friends work

others work -> boosting other writeblrs work

hall of fame -> praise / things that make me happy that i want to keep

ren writing -> all of my writing in one place

ren poems -> all of my poems in one place

ren fic -> all of my fandom related writing in one place

short stories tag -> micro or flash fiction bits and bobs

ren art -> all my art

q eh you eh -> queue

sex mention -> tag for any sexual content.

worldbuilding -> all of my worldbuilding notes across all my wips

find the word tag -> for this game specifically so i can find it

last line tag -> for this game specifically so i can find it

ren hot cakes -> specifically for my overly opinionated opinions

writing recap -> tracking my writing journey so i can hold myself accountable

to read -> others works that i need to get around to reading

rens ocs but sims -> for when i make my ocs in the sims lol

ren plays -> me talking about video games but it’s usually overwatch

[slowd1ving]

HELLOOOOO I'M GONNA SCREAM AGSBSNNS THE COMMENT DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH SPACE SO HERE I AM LOL

Goodness, FIRST OF ALL, I thoroughly enjoyed how you added your own narration to what could've been going in through vil's head leading up to the overblot, the deteriorating thoughts and the desperation,,, so awesome, and how he finally reaches the stage of acceptance both in terms of his rivalry with neige AND the MC?? Ah yes, how bittersweet. And also, I love how the little idea that MC can sort of "read" / look into people's memories post overblot was implemented here, I legit just pointed at the screen and went "AHA. 🫵 GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE"

Aside from that,,, besides The fact that the chapters were appropriately labeled before being posted, I actually kind of predicted what MC might have asked for had they won hehe they're so wicked LMAO (which, speaking of, even if it's not relevant anymore, what would have been their score? I'm quite curious! But it's okay if you didn't think about that particular detail lol, there was a lot more to look toward to hehe)

AND OMG THE PARALLELS BETWEEN VIL'S DREAM AND THE ACTUAL SCENE AAAA I LOVE IT, I LOVE SEEING HIM LOSE HIS MIND LMAOO (also stockings????????? I had to take a walk for a moment 🫠🫠) and rook being an absolute menace when he puts two and two together 😭🙏god bless that freak

Wahhh just a very delightful series overall, your writing is just wonderful and you just earned yourself a new follower HALLO :333

LMAO BRO WENT OVER THE WORD COUNT😭😭

yeah honestly the twst writers missed out on a treasure trove of content when it comes to thoughts pre-ob; like that haze you go through when you're losing it 😔and for the acceptance bit - I feel like Vil's a more dynamic character than one to keep such a grudge without it changing (he's still petty to neige now over MC LMAO). I like how twst did the peek-into-memories bit it makes the ob seem so much more human 😭had to include it ofc

bro MC was DEVIOUS especially with that little flirtatious thing they were doing right after the assessment...in terms of their score they won lmao (like a biological weapon vs a poison comeonnn now) in the original I'd posted on ao3 a while back I did include that they still came out on top with the magical resistivity in play - but only in the notes not the actual work

cuz I felt like not revealing it showed growth for vil since the letter was still unopened by morning which meant he was focusing more on human connection (literally lmao) rather than his 'perfection' for once 😭but yeah revealing it in the fic would've still been brutal for poor vil

YESSS THE PARALLELS WERE MY FAVOURITE PART TO WRITE!! like I needed him to question whether they'd seen his dreams and not just his memories lmao (honestly I'm still not sure if their dreams connected or MC just saw it like they did with the original scenes with the original films - but that would've been a pretty interesting out of body experience)

smth about men in stockings bro.... had the most DEVIOUS smile like hed totally wear them anyway because theyre elegant or whatever bros a little 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂 with it 😭😭

rook was putting two and two together a long time ago 😭nah but writing him being romantic earlier made me tempted to make it about him instead

thank youuu i might write a similar style with alhaitham or smth because GODDDDD academic rivalry is so 🤩

you earned yourself a follow back 😭 these comments made me genuinely so happy to read through

HELLO YA :3

[mothhball]

i have been going FERAL for arkham riddler lately like yes sir please degrade me…. i do love comics (although i havent read many) and dano riddler too though 🙇

I actually have some dano riddler cooking up for kinktober, and I have all of the Arkham games in my steam library to do extensive research (lmao) once I get around to playing them, so it's not unlikely! (btw, thanks for thinking I could write him in the first place!!)

In the meantime, @finniestoncrane has an entire treasure trove of incredible work for Arkham Eddie

Thank you for asking!!

[beevean]

What are things you like and dislike about the ShTH morality system and 10 potential endings that come from them? On the one hand I myself like the fact you at least get to explore the various ways the people around Shadow impact him and his actions, but on the other hand, it feels a bit... cheap(?) that canonically the True Hero ending is canon and that is that. There's far too many interesting things Shadow learns about in other stories that do not get brought up in that specific ending, as far as I am aware, but you know more about the game than I do, so what is your opinion on it?🍀

I like the sheer replay value that ShTH has. You can play the game in 326 different ways, and have slightly different experiences every time! That is a big number - I'm not even up to 140 paths played! It's a very cool idea :D a massive improvement over Heroes.

I also find fun to come up with stories for each plot! Like there are 3 paths where you help all of the Chaotix. There are 3 paths where Black Doom takes Shadow to the Black Comet without Shadow having helped him once, which I find hilarious. You can play a path where you help Eggman as many times as you can. You can write a scenario where Shadow rebels against Black Doom's manipulation (The Doom Neutral) to backstab him in the end out of retailation (GUN Fortress Hero) - I had a WIP based on this concept. You can make Shadamy canon :P

The Dark path is a genuinely good story that shows Shadow's tragic corruption at the hands of the player, in my opinion lost among the general ridiculousness of the writing.

I don't like how you have to start from Westopolis again every time. I wish you could select where to branch off. The paths overall are fairly short, depending on the mission they take me around an hour each, but still.

I also don't like how the game never reflects your choices. When you help Black Doom in Lethal Highway and Death Ruins, and he still sics the Black Bull on you, "immersion killing" doesn't begin to describe it. And need I say anything about Shadow suddenly deciding he's n android after Air Fleet Hero and Space Gadget Dark, where he never learns about Shadow Androids? Imagine if Black Doom lost patience with you ask you keep acting heroic, imagine Sonic or Rouge being wary around you if you keep acting evil. If I could remake this game, this would be one of my priorities, along with fixing the enemies' AI so that they only attack you if you deliberately oppose them.

I'm torn on the canonicity of the True Ending. I see the point that it makes the whole game kind of pointless because it basically means none of what you played actually happened (not unlike '06 erasing its own events lol)... but I kinda like it? It's like. a fanfic simulator lmao 😂 yes, Shadow would never go evil again... but what if he did? What events would lead him to that? What if Shadow exiled himself on the ARK, why would he do that? And then you ask yourself, what then? What would happen if Shadow deluded himself into believing he's an android? Those are prompts! We are sitting on a treasure trove of fanfiction but no one cares because huehuehue stupid game with guns!

Anyway, that's the short of it. It's a flawed execution, for sure, but I find it fascinating and perfect for Shadow in particular :)

[thedorkyidiot]

I 100%-ed Banjo-Kazooie, again. This took me 6 hours and 40 minutes

Thoughts on each world under the cut because why not!

Spiral Mountain has peak music and it’s a great tutorial level.

Gruntilda’s Lair is amazing with how whimsical it is, Grunty having her face plastered in almost every room, each world’s entrance looking like it’s from an indoor play place, the music! It’s great!

Mumbo’s Mountain is definitely a first world, nothing too crazy going on but nothing is truly bad about, comparing it to first world of Tooie tho there’s far less stuff to do, I mean Tooie does start you with all the moves from the previous game so makes sense. A pretty decent first world.

I died multiple times in Treasure Trove Cove for some reason, but it’s a pretty good world as well! I have no strong opinions on it like Mumbo’s Mountain but it’s definitely a step up compared to it.

Clanker’s Cavern is a good water level idc what anyone says, you hardly spend that much time actually under water, even when you are the longest you’ll be in it is when you’re releasing Clanker of his chains. You spend most of it on, in, or around Clanker, ITS A GOOD WATER LEVEL AND A GOOD WORLD!

Bubble Gloop Swamp is definitely another world lmao, nothing bad about it again I just have no strong opinions on it, it definitely exist, I will give it props to having some memorable set pieces like the giant gator head and the huge turtle.

Freezeezy Peak is one of the best snow worlds, one reason is that ice physics don’t suck mainly due to Kazooie, and also CHRISTMAS ITS ALL CHRISTMAS THEMED, gets you into the festive vibe just by listening to the music and looking at all the set pieces! I did lose to Boggy twice someone, my hatred for Boggy has now been established. It’s also the only time you absolutely need to backtrack and I think it’s fine in this game.

Golbi’s Valley sucks mainly because I usually remember what jiggies are where with the set pieces around them, EVERYTHING IS SAND AND PYRAMIDS HERE IT SUCKS! My personal worst world in Banjo-Kazooie but not because it’s actually bad but because of the fact I can’t remember where anything is.

I can’t remember a single thing I did in Mad Monster Mansion, which is weird because I like it but I guess there aren’t any like really memorable set pieces bedsides the main mansion in the center of the level and the maze I guess. It’s still really good and gives off the Halloween vibe!

I actually don’t dislike Rusty Bucket Bay as much as I would’ve thought, especially compared to a certain other world. You only need 3 things in the oily water and it’s not that hard to not fall off into the water so it’s not really an issue, and the Xbox version fixes the music notes issue so the engine room is fine, I mean I never usually die in there anyways but ya know lmao. Only gripe I have with it is there’s no set pieces other than the Boat itself, and I did have to look up where the last empty honey comb was (didn’t have to look up anything else in any other world) but ya know pretty decent world!

Idk if it was because I was really tired and it was late but Click Clock Wood has gone to one of my favorite worlds to one of my least favorites, it’s mainly due to the fact I kept falling down the damn tree and the fucking birds have horrible hit boxes and would knock me down the tree whenever I would try to kill them. Other than those two things the concept of going to through the same level multiple times but the seasons change showing the passage of time really cool! The winter section is probably my favorite but that’s probably because there’s no birds and hardly any enemies. I did have to look up where the last jiggy was for this world, I forgot that there was one in spring all the way at the top you need to get with the bee lmao. Pretty good stage I just hate the birds.

That has been my Ted talk and you’ve been watching a fish, smoking a cigarette (I’m gonna hate Banjo-Tooie)

[subzeroparade]

Creeping into your inbox with the great joy that we have such similar taste in horror! I was wondering what your favourite horror movies/shows/books are? I'm always on the lookout for more stuff :D

Oh! Well. *◡*

Some off the top of my head (shoving this under a cut for the long, rambling opinions in which I hope you find something useful). 

Movies: My current, contemporary favourite is definitely The Witch. It’s peak everything - period-piece, atmosphere, folklore/religious horror - everything I love. Absolute masterwork of minimalist horror.

As for what’s stuck with me, The Mist - took it like a fist to the face and still think about it all the time. There’ve been some other decent religious/folky horror stuff I’ve like over the past few years - Let the Right One In (book and movie both) The Omen (excellent buildup) and more recently Antlers (doubles as a monster movie), because I am obsessed with Wendigo lore. I know they’re kinda spoopy now but when I was a tween I was also a big sucker for The Village and Signs, ha. Again, mostly for the atmospheric buildup of dread, and The Village for its evocation of folksy, Puritanical horror. 

I’m a sucker for some monster movies as well, even semi-trashy ones like Cloverfield. I love the big monster-reveal moment. Prometheus, for the same reason. More interestingly, The Host (which is Korean) but adjacent to that are some of the classic Japanese horrors like Ring and the Grudge, especially The Grudge - both versions - which changed me forever. 

Series: Midnight Mass (just a Bloodborne modern AU honestly) has some interesting ideas on life after death, and Hamish Linklater’s performance is to die for. I’ve watched it twice and loved it both times. Archive 81 for the spooky ancient-god/slow burn dread. Huge fan of The Terror series which I think you know (I love Jared Harris, the best modern-day Cassandra if you take Chernobyl into account, and nice to see Tobias Menzies playing someone way less pathetic than Edmure in Game of Thrones lol). The book is a little more dry but still good, and I just started the series’ second season (Infamy) and love it already.

 Also worth mentioning a French series called Zone blanche (translated as Black Spot of Netflix), a little under the radar, which was great. Very much the subtle “the forest is a dark place beyond human understanding” vibe. I’m actively still going through Del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities but enjoying the variety of episodes so far: "The Outsider" (which frankly I just read as a queer/lesbian awakening story) and "Pickman’s Model" in particular (cannot avoid Lovecraft lmao, I’m so sorry). 

I don’t know if I can add the absolute incontrovertible masterwork that is Dark here, though it has some very, very itty bitty inconsequential minor horror elements. But I will watch it again and again until I die. 

In addition, some looser, genre-defying or multi-genre “horror” works like Get Out, Attack the Block, and the Southern Reach Trilogy (book only, the movie just couldn’t capture the peak high concept eldritch horror).  I would add the recent film The Wonder to that which has very subtle religious horror elements but is not supernatural whatsoever. I adored it. 

For books, any goddamn thing by Joyce Carol Oates but especially "Poe Posthumous; or, the Light-House" as I’ve made abundantly clear already; also I’m currently going through this excellent treasure trove of short horror stories collected in this post here (there is a second list somewhere too, if I recall, and they are even sorted by sub-category!) 

At the top of my must-watch list is Lamb right now, and eventually The Ritual and Midsommar, as well as The Lighthouse for obvious reasons. Any other recs are always welcome! I took two classes in CEGEP on Gothic lit and horror films and learned, fundamentally, that the horror genre is an incredibly useful and dynamic way to chart humanity’s anxieties over the past two centuries or so. (Dr Kris Woofter if you are still out there, you absolute hero, those were the greatest classes of my then-short academic life and I carry them with me always; or tucked neatly under my floorboards, where they writhe and groan ominously.) 

[sophieinwonderland]

"Ghost had a long-time interest in legends and mythology. Was obsessed with with Egyptian mythology as a child, and later Greek." Honestly can't believe he didn't play Age of Mythology. I know his parents are to blame, but that game is a treasure trove for people who love Egyptian and Greek mythology. It's how I was introduced to said mythologies and I have spent gods know how long reading about them in-game lmao.

Ghost: Do you want to know something sad?

I had the game.

Can't remember if I got it for myself or if my family got it for me. I never actually played it though. I was a little guy and we had a PC that was half-a-decade out of date. Simple games on Neopets crawled on our old junker PC. (Which it turns out, made some of them easier.)

I spent so much time using the booklet that came with it that listed all the myth units for inspiration of imaginary games where I was fighting mythological monsters.

I think the game was lost or sold by the time I finally got a PC that could run it. No sense in holding onto something you can't use.

[tenshindon]

I thought you were a bi guy honestly! I also had an assumption you were either really into legos, or a fan of Hello Kitty.

everyone i have ever spoken to with online has assumed i was bisexual and this will always be a topic without fail and i cant even blame people for inquiring and for months i would be pressed about it like 'no SURELY you must be bi and here's why' and i'm saying this shit would be like ten-twenty minute discussions but alas it was not meant to be

also my mom loved hello kitty when i was growing up and i have a fair amount of hello kitty memorabilia laying around the house so not Totally a wrong assumption

[vidalinav]

That anon yesterday made me now really want to write an acosf fix it fic, except every journey that Nesta and Cassian take for the trove and to talk to Eris and what not and discover Nesta’s powers, will be accompanied by Mor and Azriel lmao. And Nesta and Cassian won’t get together fast. They won’t just randomly hookup one day and keep denying feelings. I want real drama and real pining. So Nesta will make it difficult for Cassian and Cassian’s odd relationship with his friends will make it difficult for Nesta, and Azriel and Mor get to watch these two buffoons deny their feelings for each other while playing a more active role in making it harder for Cassian both in a way that’s funny and a way that’s serious. There will be some closure for this set of problems and you know... a lot of softness too. Because those moments of vulnerability where Nesta does something that has Cassian staring in awe, like her first genuine laugh or when her hair is down and messy, or when Cassian does something that has Nesta wanting to grab hold of his hand, those moments will be worth the pain it takes to get them together lol. 

[hexfloog]

Tonight we screm about... LIFELINES

Earlier today, I sent an... admittedly very poorly-phrased question about Gadgetless Conan to a DCMK server - you know, like someone who doesn't proofread.

(I know it was bad because nobody answered me... rightfully so, lmao)

There was a reason for it though!! What I was thinking about was E2, Company President's Daughter Kidnapping Case/The Kidnapped Debutante, and E129, The Girl from the Black Organization.

Rambling below the cut!!

In episode two, it's made horribly clear to us just how harrowing Shinichi's situation has become, even at surface-level. The point is obviously to contrast against the Shinichi we're shown in episode one, who is physically adept, well-liked by authority, and generally comfortable in life. In the span of a single episode, he becomes alienated by symbols of his former self-- his house, which he cannot enter; his clothes, which he cannot fit; his friends, who he cannot confide in; and his own name, which he cannot utter-- and we begin watching him struggle to acclimate to the life of someone who is infantilized at every turn (until he isn't, cough), the degree of which is illustrated most plainly in this first case solved as "Conan."

You only get one shot to establish the floor of a setup like this, and I think they did a pretty good job of it. I'm biased in favor of the Funimation dub, of course:

"You've gotta be kidding me!! I can't even kick a soccer ball anymore!

Aaaaaugh, the panic in his voice.

Anyway, I bring this up in conjunction with The Girl from the Black Organization because, before Shinichi realizes he's being played, Ai taunts him with some dialogue which I found-- among pretty much everything else she says in these two minutes-- pretty chilling:

And she's right - Shinichi flounders so much in episode two because... he really is helpless! He's completely gadgetless for the duration of the case, completely stolen from his former physical prowess (and the familiarity that comes with it), and just to add insult to injury he doesn't even know how to properly masquerade as a child yet, which is arguably the only trick he has when naked (so to speak). As Haibara says... without Agasa, Shinichi has no liberation from the physical weakness of his child body.

So... that got me thinking... Shinichi has a support system that is already loosely established even by this point, composed of people who know his secret, lifelines which bring him back to himself when it seems like there is no escape from his false identity. What are they?

Agasa is, as established above, Shinichi's lifeline to his physical strength and, arguably, his authority. His gadgets allow the young detective to arm himself-- both in the conventional sense, and with a reliable wealth of trickery to skirt the dismissiveness often invited by his child appearance... whether that means simple antics or straight-up mimicking the voices of dead people to scare culprits into confessing WHO IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS--

His parents are, obviously, his connection to family. They are also his general safety net, in the event he chooses to give up... or is forced to.

Heiji is Shinichi's lifeline to companionship. As I mentioned earlier, once he becomes Conan, Shinichi is put in a place where he can no longer confide in his friends (namely, Ran). Heiji, after learning his secret-- and in his ostensibly wholesome habit of seeing right through the veil of Conan every single time-- offers Shinichi a chance to just... be himself without the smoke and mirrors. When the circumstances of his life force him to wear the skin of someone else at every waking moment, I feel Shinichi could very well forget what genuine camaraderie feels like. Also he's the first one to offer Shinichi any semblance of hope for the end of his predicament (albeit unknowingly), how could he not have a place here omg

Haibara is something of an enigma. Admittedly, I have not seen enough of her to be able to say anything (with confidence) on her apparent role in Shinichi's system, but every time she speaks I swear this girl has something PATENTLY 10/10 to contribute asddgfhj. For me, and for all I've seen so far, she represents his value system (and by extension, retribution?) and is the closest I've seen this show come to gray morality. In this very episode Agasa has to hold Shinichi back when their conversation quite clearly turns to challenging who he thinks deserves to be called a victim and I-- mmmmMMMM

More on that in another post about this ep because there's no WAY I'm going to be able to cover everything I wanna say about it in this one aaaaa. Also I do not know at this point whether Vermouth would also fit into this role, I haven't gotten there yet

(Now for this last one... I realize Movie Canon is technically its own thing, but tbh I want the movie and show canon(s) to overlap so much in my mind that I don't even care sorry not sorry--)

...Kaito Kid.* Honestly this boy is such a wildcard, his relationship with Shinichi is so unique and multifaceted that he most definitely plays more than one part in this support system I've interpreted for him in my head. At the very least, being The Foil, it stands to reason he would play a very similar role to Agasa, but rather than bringing him back to the familiarity of his physical body, he keeps him on his toes by pushing his ambition and testing his deductive prowess, which... is especially interesting to me, given that Shinichi never loses that part of him post-transformation. Passion, then, is perhaps his role (or at least one of them): to remind Shinichi of his purpose, of what gives him life... away from the grim backdrop of his circumstance, and removed from the shadow of the Organization... because even in the body of little Conan, that fire could not be stolen from him. Kaito may or may not be doing this consciously (for all intents and purposes, most likely not) but it's still an intriguing thought to entertain, I think...

(*Yusaku could technically overlap with this also, but imo both Shinichi's parents are far too aware of the threat of the Black Organization, I think-- as they should be, being his parents and all.)

(*Heiji could also be the one who stokes this fire, but there's a markedly distinct difference between sharing a passion, and weaponizing it)

Wow uhhHHH idk how to cap off this post uhmm... that's all I've got for now, next time I screm about... YOU CAN'T SAVE EVERYONE (still this ep, bc 129 is SUCH a treasure trove of ideas)

if you've gotten this far tysm for reading much love <333

[kmagsy-moved]

psc secret santa here again! 🎅

thanks for your answer earlier! will duly keep all that in mind...

if you feel up to it, here are some more Qs--no pressure to answer!

why do you like kevin?

any favourite moments in particular?

how would you rate/rank his eras from fav to least fav? (mclaren, renault, haas pre-2022, sportscar, haas 2022?)

when i think of kmag, i think of aus 2014 and other insane drives--are there any #iconique moments you always come back to?

opinion on dts footage?

i tried to not talk to much but like... if im given the chance to talk about kev by god i will. tucking under the cut <3

oh fuck. where do i even begin. i really just feel like- as far as it goes in f1- he's just pretty grounded. like everything u see in his interviews is just 'this guy is here to race'. he is just some guy who wants to go fast !! and that means that he really feels so much more nonchalant and straightforward to me than other drivers. he does not give a shit just give him a car and let him go. also he's just so. ugh loving towards the people in his life. like he's pretty private but when he talks about his family it just is so <3 also just him being a wet cat introvert is so personal. he's just very contained and keeps to himself and idk its very endearing AND it makes the whole narrative of him being misunderstood and portrayed as this extremely aggressive driver compelling to me. do i get he was a little bitchboy yes however the whole people (esp in dts) acting like he's some bad boy is hilarious when hes just some lil guy. on a more shallow note: he is extremely hot and im so obsessed with his smile (the EYE crinkles!)

there are... way too many but i will try to keep it short and specific. i do love his stanley cup kegstand and the bit in truth or lie where a) romain says kev used pick up lines on him and b) kev talks about lying to his teammate all the time lmao. like.... 1:31 into the spanish test vid where romain is peeking at kev's board. suck my balls incident. fred vasseur giving lil laura a flower and kev playing with laura in his car after bahrain are also <33

favorite to least favorite: haas pre 2022 (romain and him <3), haas 2022, renault, sportscar, mclaren (minus his podium)

some obvious picks from this year: brazil pole, his fight with vettel in the usgp, and bahrain. 2017 singapore battle with ocon and massa is also super super sexy and honestly and his races in 2018 are also <3 but i really cant think of anything that matches the same level of Insanity as his pole and podium.

totally fine! its a treasure trove for kev content

sorry that was so rambling LMAO i hope u have a great week <33

[akkivee]

the seasons have changed in arb and autumn has landed!!! 🍂🍁 obviously that means we get new lines for the season!!!!

ichiro: ichiro thinks autumn is a great season to get your body moving in!!!! he’s been really busy with work lately but he tries to make time to exercise outside with his bros. his next line lol, ‘oh are you curious about this light novel i’m reading?? that’s great!!!!!!!! here, i’ll lend you volume 1 of the series for you to read!!!! doesn’t it look like the perfect book for some fall reading???’

jiro: when it comes to autumn, it’s all about sports for jiro!!! but he does sometimes go with saburo to watch a movie. autumn is the season for the arts after all!!! autumn tends to make jiro really hungry faster. he’s wondering what he should do about since it isn’t time for a meal yet

saburo: he says that many board games can be played online nowadays, but since it’s getting cooler, he likes to go out a find a place to play opponents face to face. saburo next mocks jiro for waking up early to go play soccer with his friends. ‘the season for sports? more the season of sports idiots.’ and he then laughs

samatoki: he’s suddenly questioning why there’s this black smoke from the bonfire. ………………oh shit, that’s gotta be rio grilling up something huh??? in his next line, he comments he’s been getting hungry at random times. it’s likely because of ‘autumn appetite.’ as if samatoki would care about something like that tho lol

juto: for him, autumn is the best time to enjoy art. beautiful things heal the mind 😌 and since it’s the season of the arts, it’s a great time to indulge in the calmness of a museum as you enjoy the fine arts the eastern hemisphere has to offer 😌

rio: autumn is a fruitful season but he advises that it’s best you use the time to stockpile for the winter. he then backtracks a little, thinking that statement makes it sounds like autumn is only good for just that. there’s a lot to appreciate in autumnal nature. there’s a lot of good harvests from the mountains at this time of year, so it makes rio especially excited to put his cooking skills to use lol

ramuda: autumn is inspired as a season for designs!!!! ramuda feels that he’s especially inspired in the fall. and because it’s fall, everyone’s style changes pretty drastically so going on strolls through shibuya has been a lot of fun ⭐️

gentaro: autumn can be the season of harvest, reading, sports and the like. gentaro asks the player how do you enjoy autumn? his next line: ‘“on long autumn nights such as this one, i cannot help but think of a love from the past. the moon glimmers, shines bright in the sky and, oh does it make me yearn for you………” hm. perhaps i’ll make my next story one of a love affair.’

dice: the temperature has been falling and dice has been falling low on funds…… well, in time like these he’ll just pay rio a visit and just enjoy a good meal!!! it seems dice also suffers from ‘autumn appetite,’ no matter how much he eats, he’s still hungry!! he’s too poor to be dealing with this!!!

jakurai: autumn is wonderful. it’s great for reading, appreciation the colors of fall in the mountains and fishing in mountain streams……!! there’s so much to do in fall!! ☺️ autumn’s the perfect season to read, that reminds sensei that he has a lot of books still unread. if he can afford to, he’d like to spend the time and read them all in one go

hifumi: host hifumi says that autumn makes him feel a little lonely. but it’ll be alright, if he just takes it slow and relaxes, his temporary melancholy will go away, just like that. malewife hifumi comments that jakurai really likes fall!!! they went to the mountains the the other day and as they walked around jakurai was all, ‘isn’t this nice? 😊’ and then they went fishing in the mountain streams and jakurai was like, ‘isn’t this nice?😊’

doppo: ‘hifumi and sensei went up to the mountains to do some fishing…….. isn’t that nice…… 😞’ he wants be fit enough to walk on the mountain paths with them….. no, what actually comes first is to not be working on his holidays. salmon are very tasty in fall, according to doppo!!!! he’d like to eat salmon with hifumi on their next mutual day off

sasara: “orange you glad the leaves are turning?? i’m so happy i could yellow ‘bout it!!!” ……and that was nurude sasara’s uproariously hilarious joke: fall version!!! how was it??? super amazing right????” he continues to make stupid puns that i’m not going to bother with lol autumn is a treasure trove of jokes tho lmao

rosho: sasara must have sent rosho his joke because rosho is disgusted lmao he got chills and everything. autumn is the perfect season for reading; it’s not to hot and not too cold. he asks if the player if they would like to drop by the bookstore after he’s off work.

rei: it’s starting to get cooler huh? rei’s happy can finally wear his best fur coat out and about now. so apparently sasara also sent rei an email titled, ‘autumn joke,’ but doesn’t want to open it lmao so he wonders if rosho has so rei can ask if he should bother lol

kuukou: sweeping up the fallen leaves is never ending!!!! they just keep falling one after the other!!!!! but looking at all the leaves piled up makes him want to roast up some potatoes

jyushi: autumn is the season of music so this time of the year is actually pretty exciting for jyushi and his band!!! vkei king jyushi: ‘and so with the fallen leaves my master has gathered, i called forth the holy flame and thus!!!! the golden holy grail has been created!!!!! It was sweet. fragrant. truly delicious.’

hitoya: ‘if you’re wondering what ‘the golden holy grail’ is, it’s just a roasted yam………..’ lol and even tho he’s gotten used to the weird way jyushi talks, it’s still pretty difficult to understand him. he next comments that autumn is a great season for tourism. he asks the player if they’re going to check out the mountains

[tearblossom]

Orbital Station Scene Analysis: Part 3

Lmao here we go again. Ready to fall even deeper down the rabbit hole that is this scene with me!? This one scene functions simultaneously as my source of joy and depression and I watch it more than I would care to admit. So, naturally, I have even more to say about it! It’s going to be long. Sorry.

Part 1- https://tearblossom.tumblr.com/post/645095661644251136/scene-analysis-this-is-just-what-i-personally-feel

Part 2- https://tearblossom.tumblr.com/post/645776311115186176/i-was-thinking-some-more-about-the-final-scene

In this one, I’ll be going into more detail explaining the emotional mask that I believe Takemura is trying so desperately to keep on during this scene (and undeniably fails at several times, with it coming off entirely upon the scene reaching a certain pivotal moment) and also pointing out the instances that I feel the mask slips occur. Honestly, it’s pretty easy to tell for reasons that I will explain. I’m going to reiterate the fact that I am not a facial expression/body language expert. This is just one human being looking at another human being and trying to figure them out. This is just my personal interpretation of this scene. Prepare yourself for many, many screenshots and gifs. Also, I will be using the same video sources as the other two posts because I don’t have my own footage. 

https://youtu.be/ra-Ij1KU8r4

https://youtu.be/PUmQqVOq5oY

I failed to mention before the reason that Takemura even had to put up the cruel facade in the first place because I didn’t want to state the obvious and insult everyone’s intelligence. We all know the reason but I’ll just say it here anyway: Arasaka. 

Arasaka is listening to Takemura’s every word so he literally cannot say shit to V that would hint at any sort of affection for him/her and absolutely nothing that would indicate any growing uncertainty in said corporation. Words mean nothing here. He has to speak through his eyes and expressions because that is all he has to offer, the only cards he has to play. That is why the meaning of this scene can be so easily missed and flies over so many people’s heads. I do not fault anyone that may have missed this on a first playthrough or even those that are still unaware of it whatsoever because Takemura is very, very convincing at first (his face becomes an open book once the contract gets brought out but we’ll get into that later) and besides, to truly understand something that involves emotions as complex as these caused by equally as complex reasons or anything involving subtext really, takes multiple viewings to truly appreciate.

In summary, what I believe is happening here is that during the entire scene up until the contract gets brought out, his mental state is constantly teetering on the edge of a cliff so to speak. He is trying so hard to fight his sentimentality and control his emotional responses not only to V’s misery and pain but also his own wavering faith in Arasaka because they are watching, listening, and monitoring. And he succeeds extremely well at first but it gets harder and harder for him to maintain the mask. The closer he physically gets to V, the harder it is to pretend, to hide. His eyes alone betray him on several occasions but eventually the whole facade just crumbles and he falls. And when the contract comes into play is when he truly, honestly looks at V and the communication through his eyes really begins.

Here is the key thing- it is the most important visual clue to understanding when things happen: When Takemura is feeling any doubt or his emotions begin to overwhelm him or he fears that they might, he promptly averts his eyes to get himself under control and readjusts the mask that has slipped. 

He looks away from V during these moments!

(Just to clarify, I don’t think that every single moment in the scene that he looks away from V has this deeper meaning behind it. When people talk it’s completely natural for them to turn their heads, avert their eyes to look at other things, etc. These are just some moments that particularly stood out to me as signs pointing to my little theory.) 

Okay...let’s start deciphering this conflicted, broken mess of a man.

Scene starts. Takemura is fiddling with the Rubik’s Cube. He puts it down. Expression cold as ice.

mask on full display in all of it’s glory

They talk about Saburo being back in the body of his son and have this exchange of words:

V: “Saw Saburo Arasaka’s back. In Yorinobu’s body.”

Goro: “Yes. Justice has been done.”

And then it happens for the first time...

(Could this be...doubt perhaps? Has justice really been done?)

Moving on- he walks over to stand behind the chair across from V, telling them of their imminent death.

Goro: “I will be blunt - the surgery did not help. You will be dead before winter.”

And then he proceeds to make this face immediately after...

(Lovely, isn’t it? Just full of sympathy. His mask game is strong. But don’t worry though because V wins in the end BIG TIME.)

Understandably, V gets very upset upon hearing this news.

V: “How... how’s that possible? Arasaka’s got the best and the brightest.”

And then something happens again. Whatever could it be, I wonder!

But wait, there’s more!

(He couldn’t even wait until he finished talking before looking away! It’s getting more difficult for him to look at V with a straight face every second! Also, his expression here is the most broken looking yet.) :(

He must not reveal what is hidden behind this emotional wall that he’s worked so hard to build up specifically for this meeting because the room they are speaking in may just as well be made of glass with Arasaka’s unrelenting gaze, an ever-present entity, on the other side of it. He will do so soon though, when he offers V salvation. The contract raises the stakes. The rules change. He feels the wall breaking and there isn’t anything he can do about it and he knows it.

IT’S CHAIR TIME, CHOOMS!

He looks away another 6 TIMES! Leaning more and more over that edge. Feast your eyes...

IT’S CONTRACT TIME, BABY!

Oh, shit!

It’s happening!!

He does look away here but there’s no mask on when he looks back...only despair.

It’s gone.

TO SIGN OR NOT TO SIGN

The disguise is off now. From this point onward, Takemura looks at V with his true feelings on display. This is where the ability to read the emotion portrayed solely through one’s eyes really comes into play because even though he’s not trying to hide anything anymore, he still can’t say what he really wants to say. We have to feel it through his expressions. His thoughts are so loud during these final moments of the scene that we don’t even need words to know what he’s saying.  

REFUSE TO SIGN

SIGN

HOLY GRAIL MOMENT!

(I’m literally going to copy and paste what I have in my part 2 analysis about this section because I explained my thoughts on it about as well as I am able to there and have nothing else to add. My apologies for repeating myself but I feel the exact same way about it so it still applies here.) 

These reactions make perfect sense because we’ve always known that he cares deeply for V and never stopped. He just couldn’t hide it! But even with this treasure trove of emotional mask slips and unintentional displays of affection, I still wasn’t sure exactly how deeply he cared for V. In other words- if he was actually in love with V or not.

Is he already in love or is he still in the process of falling in love? Is it just a friendly love? (hell no! I knew that was definitely not the case but I still had to ask just so I could cross it off the list!)

And then the two of them walked to the door and said their parting words.

V: “Gonna see each other again?”

Goro: “I believe we will.”

V: “So… see you.”

Goro: “Visit me in Kagawa - I will show you what is real food.”

And then…

he proceeded to make these faces…

HOLY

SHIT!

(The mask isn’t just gone now- it’s burned, splintered, shattered, exploded in a million pieces, disintegrated!)

This man just had the biggest revelation of his entire life: the realization that he is in love with V. These are looks of love and I will not be convinced otherwise. I’m not a facial expression expert or anything, only stating my humble opinions here, but are you seeing this!?

He realizes the truth and it catches him so off guard that he has to look away. He contemplates these newfound feelings and tries to sort them out in the few seconds that he has left with V. And he does. He accepts them. He welcomes them. The gentle, knowing look he gives V when he looks back at them is saying just this.

He also knows that he is now fucked because his love for V is going to complicate things so much more than they already were. Now that he is fully aware that he is in love, these feelings are going to directly conflict with his duties to Arasaka later if a situation arises that places V and Arasaka on opposing sides and I think we all know that is most definitely going to happen at some point.

And now he has to see the love of his life die and just leave this place and go on with his day. Damn. This is turning into one of the saddest love stories I’ve ever seen. Something major is going to happen in the dlc that is going to force his hand one way or another: V or Arasaka? I hope that Arasaka somehow fucks up so bad that it makes his choice easier but my heart breaks imagining the amount of conflict and torment that await him.

The Beginning and The End

[canmom]

Animation Night 87: Annecycore

Hey, remember the Annecy International Animated Film Festival? That thing whose short films you may have watched earlier this year?

Well, if you want to run a film night and you are a little under the weather, their shortlist backlog is definitely a delightful trove of animated films.

Like all big awards, they tend to come in certain types. You have your big serious drama movies which face up to some big social breaking point or historical atrocity, like Funan (about the Cambodian genocide, which I hope to watch before too long) or Rio 2096 (an excellent and very depressing film about all the unbelievably awful things that happened in Brazil). You’ve got films that take on the same sorts of subjects but in a more oblique stylised way that plays on the strengths of animation for serious emotional impact, like Birdboy: The Forgotten Children (Animation Night 25), Boy and the World (Animation Night 68), or The Wolf House (Animation Night 77) - the kind of thing which is produced only rarely, but tends to be mindblowing when it is.

But there’s another kind of film that tends to do well: a kind of elaborate, character driven European comedy film which tends to get near perfect scores among the critics, who go around saying things like...

"My Life as a Zucchini's silly title and adorable characters belie a sober story whose colorful visuals delight the senses even as it braves dark emotional depths."

Lots of belieing going on!

Anyway, tonight I have a couple of films of this ilk from the library, returning to the earlier days of Animation Night where we’d roam the globe every third week instead of the current unpredictable weeb variable (...how long has it been since we actually did anime? ...ok two weeks ago if you count Final Fantasy Spirits Within lmao... I wouldn’t because it doesn’t use the characteristic anime production system but some people might find that a rather tendentious definition!)

The first is, indeed, My Life as Courgette (Ma vie de Courgette) or if you’re American, My Life as a Zucchini, which won the award back in 2016. This was the first and so far only feature length film of one Claude Barras, a Swiss stop-motion animator about whom very little seems to be available, at least at a glance, in English. It follows a young stop motion boy nicknamed Courgette, who accidentally kills his mother, and is thus thrown into a custody dispute while living in an orphanage, throwing him into contact with various other orphans - among them Camille, whose parents died of murder-suicide.

I honestly don’t know from the plot summary whether this one’s gonna be great or frustrating, but it certainly has a cute approach to claymation and the nigh unanimous acclaim makes me feel it’s probably worth a shot!

Alongside that, I have Wrinkles (Arrugas), a Spanish film which also focuses on a population who is systemically institutionalised and denied autonomy - this time, old people. Wrinkles focuses on ‘the friendship between two elderly men’ who are roommates at a nursing home. (Is that a wikipedia editor being coy? I guess we’ll find out lol.) The home is characterised by various abuses of power; the top floor houses residents deemed unable to care form themselves who end up straitjacketed or medicated into docility. One of the two, Miguel, habitually exploits and steals from the other residents at the home, which leads to a building conflict... but as the story develops, the pair become involved in an escape attempt with another inmate.

We have not had a lot of Spanish animated films on here, but it would be cool if we could find another film as outstanding as Birdboy. The gif searcher fails me this time, so please, enjoy this trailer from youtube...

Wrinkles is directed by Ignacio Ferreras, but as before, the amount of information I can get this evening is very very slim, but he did apparently work under Sylvain Chomet on The Illusionist just prior to this film. The story and character designs, meanwhile, come from a comic book by Paco Roca, and I can at least direct you to his website - hope your Spanish is good!

Anyway, both of these films are pretty much unknown quantities - but that’s led us to some absolute gems in the past so let’s roll the dice and see if the critics know what they’re about this time! Starting very shortly at https://twitch.tv/canmom - and next week I hope I’ll be in a better frame of mind to produce a really in depth writeup about something ><