#obviously alternate is an amazing accomplishment

[fakevariety]

i feel so sorry for lynn. it sucks how much she’s been overlooked when it’s clear how fucking good she is. she must be so frustrated i hope she’s doing ok

[asokkalypsenow]

This isnt making fun of anyone but i love when i see recipes that are advertised as “the best ever!!!” And it boils down to: put a little extra seasonings and fats in that bad boy. Obviously what the specific fats and seasonings are makes a difference to the actual recipe but it’s interesting how like, its treated as some secret unheard of process.

I wonder if like. This is a secondary result of diet culture and the niche for “healthy low calorie” recipes that cut fat or replace ingredients with diet alternatives? Not that its wrong to find lower fat or other diet specific versions of a recipe and want them to taste good but ive seen at least three grilled cheese recipes on here that, while they sounded delicious, were honestly not more complex than “use butter when you grill your cheese, season the butter/cheese/oil, use high quality cheese, and consider additional ingredients to add interesting textures and tastes”.

The process of creating a new version of a dish is interesting and involves trial and errors and i think thats cool!!! Im not sure where im going with this anymore but i guess just that its funny/charming when people can be amazed at the results a little fat and seasoning can accomplish

[blood-orange-juice]

Now that everyone is also in awe of that twitter thread about Childe being Smart I want to rebutt half of it.

Personally, I think he's perfectly average/a bit smarter than average, or rather good at some things and bad at others.

He's a quick thinker, proven by his character stories (people are indeed not assigned into vanguard just for dumb strength) and by how he used Traveler to check whether the forged sigil worked and sow some discord in the process (obviously his own plan and a good one at that. and he came up with it in a matter of minutes). Being able to lie through omission is no easy feat either.

He's quite poetic and it's usually a sign of intelligent person. (modern AU untraumatized Childe would 100% be a literature major, don't @ me. he'd also like Manowar)

However, he is also young, had no proper mentor and no formal education. Also brash and too self-confident at times. You *need* to be comfortable with doubting youself to be smart, it's thinking 101.

*

For starters, not suspecting Zhongli to be Rex Lapis was... an accomplishment in and by itself. The city breathes of this story. There are at least three books on the topic, it's told in every tea house, the traveler learns it through a single conversation with a trader in port. A golden-eyed person with excellent taste is always Rex Lapis or at least should be suspected to be him.

Childe somehow missed it, while being able to analyze intricacies of Qixing politics. This is bizarre and means that either he's extremely narrowinded (he doesn't show signs of that, quite the opposite), or that he was simply repeating someone else's ideas. His subordinates obviously bring him news and reports. So… how do we know his ability for political analysis is his and not someone else's?

He does look like the type who would repeat another person's good idea as his own (I'm imagining that's exactly how Zhongli tricked him into that whole sigil of permission thing).

Having said that, being able to listen to information brought by your subordinates is a rare and precious trait, I wish some of my bosses were more like that, haha.

(alternative option: that is in fact his own skill and one of the few skills where he did get actual mentorship. Pulcinella drilled attention to politics into his brain because otherwise things always got too messy when Childe got involved

it would also mean that nothing can drill attention to cultural stuff into Childe's brain because fuck it we ball)

*

Being able to copy sigils well enough? First, it's the job for the r&d team (can we have some appreciation for the Fatui r&d team, please)? Second, I'm not sure anyone truly copied those. Maybe Zhongli just enchanted every single one.

I they were actually succesfully copied, we have a problem of fatui being able to mass-print them and I don't want to think of the consequences. I hope Zhongli didn't let that happen.

*

Manipulating Traveler to do what he wanted in the Liyue arc? It's not like the Traveler had a lot of options or any personal loyalty to the Qixing. Did anyone really trust him to be our friend? What other choice did we have though but to follow his lead.

That's 10/10 for opportunistic thinking but it's not really a showcase of his manipulation skills (I'll keep thinking his social skills are abysmal until proven otherwise).

*

Being able to tell you just came from the blacksmith? Please, it's not him being observant, he just had you followed.

*

So, yeah... he's smart but he's also, what, 19? 20? (I hc him on the younger side because it helps me overlook his bad traits). It's amazing he got this far and he'll become smart one day but that day hasn't happened yet.

In other words he is far from dumb but the fatui do treat him as dumb muscle because what do you expect.

[dearweirdme]

https://www.tumblr.com/dearweirdme/737790710290546688/hi-rain-merry-christmas-in-arears-and-happy-new

First of all, amazing response. You were way more polite than I would have been, and I think yours is the best answer that could be given because as rude as this anon is, responding with rudeness would accomplish nothing. But I find this message fascinating. I know Jkkers had a rough year. They are clinging for dear life to this fantasy they've created for themselves to live in. And it is pure fantasy. They are not fans of the real Jimin and Jungkook. They do not ship the real Jimin and Jungkook. They don't even hate the real Tae. They have twisted those three into fictional characters because that is what is necessary to maintain this illusion they are desperate not to shatter, and that should tell you everything you need to know. Anon admits to us that what Tae has shown over this last year is enough to make them believe he is in a romantic relationship with Jungkook, because they think they've found a way to twist it into something that reflects negatively on Tae. In their alternate version of reality this starts and ends with Taenn/e. But Tae's affection for Jungkook has been loud and clear a long time before that. They are just now allowing themselves to see it since they've found a way for it to fall in line with Tae being the villain of their story. They're getting so close to a revelation on this. So much of this essay comes from a place of hatred for Tae. I genuinely hope they start working through this in a healthy way. They said they have read through your blog, but that's an obvious lie when they start talking about how we hate Jimin and think he's a homewrecker. Personally, Jimin does not factor into my beliefs about Taekook. At all. I don't need to believe anything negative about him (or anyone else) to make Taekook make sense for me. I see Taekook, I listen to Taekook, and I do the math. Their relationship and interactions are enough. It's very simple actually. Jimin is obviously one of their best friends and cares about them a lot, and they care about him.

Hi anon!

It is a bit fascinating to me too. That anon came back last night and kinda doubled down on their takes. I've decided against posting that ask, since no-one really wants to read all that again, and anon was quite condescending to me, which I don't like. But there's a few things in their ask that stick out which I would like to talk about, so I'll elaborate a bit in my reply to your ask.

We all wonder why anons like that come here, and why they try to change our minds. That anon brought it as "i needed some of you to objectively think about how you view things now and how your views might change if it turns out that y’all were wrong", but I think we make them feel uncomfortable in their own beliefs. We are quite strong in our wordings and convictions about Jkk not being real around here. And seeing that conviction makes them... have a nagging sense of doubt that they wont admit to. BUt it's there in the back of their minds. This anon tries to come off as strong, but just the mere fact that they come here to convince us is the doubt speaking. They call me "the sanest Taekooker they have seen" but what they actually see (or what they think they see) is an opening. They don't actually think I am sane 😂. Anon is very stuck in their Jkk believes, and they need to think like this: I don’t hate Tae. I don’t understand him and i think he is weird and likes to troll or stir chaos (RM himself called Tae the king of trolling) but i don’t hate him. Because they are the ones who don't know how to explain Jkk while also being able to see the good in Tae. They are the ones who have to reconcile Tae using Jk for clout, with Jk also choosing to spend a lot of time with him, with Jk letting Tae hear Seven first. They even throw all members under the bus when thinking like this. They think Jk and Jm allow Tae to do this, to use the people he's close to like this. They think the other members are alright with this. They think Jennie is alright with Tae hinting at a queer relationship, but not acknowledging their own. THey have to think lowly of so many people including the ones they ship together just to maintain their believes. It's despicable really. If they were to hear Jm and JK's actual thoughts on this they would burn in shame.

It has not been a great year for Jkkrs indeed. There were times when some started doubting, narratives of temporarily splitting up, narratives of Jm pushing Jk to the side when he was working on Face, followed up by "they are still the same" when they did get a glimpse of them together. Ofcourse they are still the same, nothing changed between Jk and Jm except the lack of spending time together as much. But their freindship is the same as it ever was. It's only Jkkrs ideas that did not match up, and they had to be creative to explain why things felt different.

Jkkrs are great at finding far fetched explanations. They do it constantly by filling in the voids with fantasies. They also lack a subtlety in understanding how humans actually work. When anon came back their main point was that: I was talking about taekookers in general and i have seen you get some asks from toxic taekookers who believe that Jimin is the villain in Taekook’s love story and to be honest in a way, you all do whether you accept it or not. They then went to explain how Tae at times seems hurt by Jkk interactons, while at other times he doesn't seem to mind. In their head, that means that Tae deliberately chooses times to make us Tkkrs believe in Tkk, because why else would he: If Tae honestly had a problem with those kind of interactions, don’t u think he would have a problem with Jikook being together at all? So according to some tkkrs, tae can get hurt because Jikook are singing to eo, or because Jimin pinches Jk’s thigh or because Jimin goes too close to Jungkook, but he is fine with Jk having Jimin’s sweaty earlobes in his mouth, he is fine with Jikook drinking together late at night and Jk carrying Jimin in his arms which leads to Jimin biting his neck to get him to put him down? He is ok with Jk sitting down for hours watching Jimin centered content while having the most nostalgic look in his eyes even though this is something Jk never bothered to do for Tae?

Anon looks at this situation from a fan perspective and does not allow room for member's own feelings, experiences, knowledge, moods, etc. Anon does not even allow room for Tae's knowledge of his own culture and of his knowledge on Jk and Jm's characters. We just had the Korean-american anon explain how skinship is viewed in SK, and that is exactly what matters here... because Tae (being a very touchy person himself) knows that what Jk and Jm do (and what Jkkrs hugely misinterpret) is skinship and a bit of fanservice. Tae does not worry about them being more. He is not jealous of Jm in the way that he thinks Jm will steel Jk away.. he is jealous of Jm being able to do certain things and for how people receive that. With all their experience, Tae knows which actions of Jk and Jm will get Jkkrs all geared up... and I think that THAT is something he dislikes very much. Not Jm, but how some think Jk is Jm's and not his. Jm and Jk were never held back in their interactions and affections, while Tae and Jk are.. and that hurts. He wasn't even able to show how close they were in a platonic way. He was even made to make it seem as though Jk and him had drifted apart. So yes, Tae has bitterness about the situation, but he knows it's not Jm's fault. And he would never ask Jk and Jm to tone down their genuine friendship just because some misinterpret it. Jk and Jm mean too much to him for that.

Real life is filled with all sorts of different influences, having slept badly can already make someone react differntly to a joke than they normally would. People aren't static beings who always react the same way. People are influenced by lots of things: sleep, stress, hunger, arguments, lots and lots and lots of things.

Well this was long and I think I rambled a lot 🙈

[walpu]

THEY WEREEEE UGHHHHH

im not changing canon but untraumatized calitio is my favorite

i think she deserves to be able to boast about her amazing partners accomplishments ( and her own ) at the table when they visit family

ratio's family gets to meet calico's, and obviously they're so different because they come from different planets but their moms are so close and live to knit together

calicos father sits ratio down and has a ,,, chat with him about breaking his daughters heart.

-kitty anon

When I think about any "what if they were happier" au for my oc I just put it in game but in a twisted way. So many aeons and entities, surely someone may show them an alternative version of themselves :)

So in the end I traumatize them even more by reminding them they could've been happy but alas

So like. NOT TO GIVE YOU IDEAS BUT

[love-karens-style]

School of Style – Classy Camel Coat: 3 Fast Facts

(source: © pinterest.com)

“I think men are starting to understand how eyebrows frame the face. If you take the effort to style your hair, you should also be styling your eyebrows – especially in the era of video conferencing.” –Suman Jalaf

1. Effortless Eyebrows – Gentlemen, I’d like to begin this article, by discussing eyebrows, or in this case, “Guybrows,” a fabulous phrase, coined by marvellous make-up artist, Ramy Gafni. In his book, How to Fake Real Beauty: Tricks of the Trade to Master Your Makeup, Ramy decisively describes “guybrows,” by stating that they “Never look obviously groomed. The brow shaping is far more subtle. While it can greatly improve a man’s appearance, it never looks done.” Gentlemen, I must issue a word of warning, should you decide that you want to go for a subtle shaping for your brows. Please, take extra care, if you opt for the waxing method, and you are using a skincare active, such as a retinoid. Unfortunately, gentlemen, skincare actives and facial waxing do not mix, as waxing can be slightly harsh on skin that has been a little sensitised, by active ingredients, in your skincare, if you use any. This gentleman, is in contrast to eyebrow threading or tweezing, which are safer alternatives. Personally, as I have been prescribed a retinoid by my dear dermatologist, waxing my eyebrows is not the best option, at the moment, so I visit a lovely lady from Bulgaria, near my area, who I have been seeing since 2015, and she makes my brows beautiful by plucking them to perfection. Now about threading gentlemen, I recently attended the Bridal Beauty Festival in London, as I enjoy keeping up with new products and changes in the beauty business and thought it would be a good idea to learn new things. I was very fortunate to have met a gentleman called Jon, a skincare and beauty expert, who delivered a talk about the skincare product line he works for. I sat, listened, learned, and took notes. I then I spoke with Jon after the talk, and noticed his beautiful-looking brows, and he told me, that he gets his brows threaded, because “It’s the best method,” when it comes to eyebrow shaping. Admittedly gentlemen, I tried threading years ago, as a teen, and I did experience some discomfort. I couldn’t handle it, but then again, I am sort of ‘wimpy.’ I just don’t like pain. I strongly dislike blood tests, because they involve needles. But, as they say, “Beauty is pain.” And sometimes, it’s worth it, when you see the results.

2. Scarf Style – Secondly gentlemen, I’m certain that you’ve noticed that the model’s scarf clearly co-ordinates with the rest of his outfit, as well as adding flair and fabulousness, to his elegant ensemble. Not to mention that the model’s sophisticated scarf helps to shield his neck from wintery winds. By the way gentlemen, if any of my carefully selected menswear posts inspire you in any way, please don’t hesitate to download the images that speak to you. This is in accordance with amazing advice, shared by accomplished author, Nancy Butcher, who, in her book, How to Make Your Man Look Good (Without Making Him Feel Bad), who cleverly commented, “Clip out magazine pictures of men’s outfits and share them with your man.” Additionally, the amazing Alan Flusser, who is featured in Nancy’s book, says, “People learn to dress well by looking at other people dressing well.” Gentlemen, I can personally relate to this significant style statement, because, before embarking on my career in fashion, at 18, in the summer of 2006, I had read a lot of magazines, which critiqued or praised celebrity styles on the Red Carpet. I studied those pages and learned plenty of do’s and don’ts about style and fashion. Little did my teenage self know at the time, I was ‘training my fashion eyes’ to spot fabulous fashion, and stunning style.

3. Nimble Neutrals – In summary gentlemen, as you can see, the model’s stylist decided to opt for an outfit, from a neutral palette. It is often said by style ‘experts,’ that neutrals usually ‘look expensive,’ and are totally timeless. Furthermore gentlemen, neutral colours are also seen as ‘safe colours.’ Gentlemen, I must mention that, if a pair of white, or off-white trousers, as seen above on the model, is not quite your thing, then dark denim jeans may serve as a suitable substitute. (Stains are also less likely to show up on dark denim, of course.) Keeping in mind that dark denim will not ‘disrupt’ the neutral palette, as dark denim in fashion, is seen as a neutral. The final observation that I’d like to share with you gentlemen, is the fabulous fact, that the model hardly has any jewellery on. Why? Well, I suspect it’s because the model’s smart stylist really realises that actually, “Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.” -Coco Chanel.

Love, KF X                                                                                            

Happy to help: karensworldofstyle@live.co.uk or karens_style on X (Twitter)

This article was researched, written, edited, produced & published by Karen, on 1st December 2024

[sairenharia]

It is really amazing how much would be more reasonable if Emilie was gone for longer. Even five years would make Adrien young enough where his memories are hazy on what his life was like, but still recent enough for him to have Opinions, like noticing his father got worse and still adore his mother. But making it only a year, all the things Adrien lacked was now wasn't the fault of a man who might be grieving, but the deliberate choice of BOTH his parents. Especially as it was established Emilie isn't a doormat.

Even if it wasn't outright abusive, it was still controlling and toxic isolation. Emilie being gone longer would also even justify Gabriel. As it is right now, Emilie disappeared between January and September, since Christmas was an established date. But she liked vanished in Spring since obviously it wasn't very wintery in Felix. Likely it wasn't even six months before Gabriel turned to supervillainy. Which does point to his impatience, but still.

The DIFFERENCE it makes.

If instead of six months, this man struggled for years to find an alternative that didn't involve terrorism.

How did he even know the Black Cat and Ladybug would show up in Paris? They could have been across the world. He had some information to think they were there. Why didn't he just keep following leads?

YEARS of no results makes his decision, while not reasonable, more understandable. Longterm desperation goes far.

Instead in six months, he jumped to this. In six months, Adrien is also very chipper and upbeat which does seem strange for someone who lost one of the few people he was able to interact with, along with his now distance father and cousin. And in a year, he thought his father was dating Nathalie which is a pretty quick turn over for how much he must have grieved Emilie. Like Adrien, how much are you stepford smiling here.

Making it all just A Year makes what had seemed a boiling pot in the first season into a raging inferno of emotions going hard and fast in various directions.

Like, what was even the POINT of having her only gone a year anyway? What was it even accomplishing? Making it his first Christmas she was gone, I suppose? (But no emphasis on it being his first Birthday without her, or any other time.) It could have even explained Felix's anger better because it is pretty unfair of him to expect Adrien to be his support when he also just recently lost his mother as well on top of Gabriel being controlling.

Time makes a world of difference.

I wonder what change would've you make Gabriel if he was an actual effective sympathetic villain the show seem to think instead of the pathetic display of canon. On the other note, what would've you make to actually have Emilie be this saint like character the show keep saying she is

To start, there'd have to be lines that Gabriel just *wouldn't* cross. No akumas that target his son, for starters, no "Chat Blanc" scenario where he finds out Chat's identity and then beats the shit out of him, and no making ridiculous decisions for Adrien like deciding his girlfriend.

Season 5 Gabriel cannot exist, it was actually inSANE of the writer's to put the worst version of him on display...and then play him off as the hero. Like, wut? WHAT?!

I fully admit that in the earlier seasons, I didn't consider Gabriel an abuser. I considered him a dick, but abuser felt too...top shelf of a word to use, though I also contend that his behavior felt like the starting signs. Mostly I just considered him pathetic and like Kids Tv Exaggerated Version of a Strict Parent.

But Season 5??? Uh, yeah, no discussion, this guy is an abusive dickbag and can burn in hell.

Just make it so the reason Hawkmoth fails as often as he does is because sometimes he holds back. Sometimes he gets close to the line and remembers his wife and just can't make himself do something SO heinous that his wife would be disappointed.

As for ACTUALLY selling the Emilie is a Saint Mom, it's super easy. Just have flashbacks. Where she's interacting with her husband and child and sorta not girlfriend? Like, they revealed these video recordings of Emilie in SEASON 5! It took FIVE SEASONS for us to hear Emilie's voice from Emilie herself! (Amelie doesn't count)

And, uh, maybe as a writer think about what you're implying with the things you include in your story. Like, maybe EITHER have Adrien not ever have a birthday party OR have his mom missing for only a year, so it doesn't seem like Emilie *also* didn't care about his birthday. Just, you know. Little things like that that don't accidentally inform us of her character.

[talkingpointsusa]

Charlie Kirk ventures to the DNC to make an absolute moron out of himself

Charlie Kirk is currently at the DNC...apparently.

He's apparently decided that the best use of his time was traveling to the DNC to make an absolute idiot out of himself, a pursuit which he could and has easily accomplished back home in Arizona. Anyway, he's mostly dedicated his trip so far to interviewing a bunch of liars as well as making really stupid points about the DNC daring to have security measures in place. Still, I think it's worth seeing how the right-wing media is responding to the DNC so lets power through this together.

06:00, Charlie Kirk: "We are here at Bacci's Pizza right outside of the United Centre within the secure perimeter. We have an amazing show in store for you, we have Senator Rick Scott right out of the gate, he's actually right down the street. The security, you wouldn't believe it. They have walls here, they have voter ID here, they have police everywhere. It doesn't feel like a Democrat city, at least today, it does not feel like a Democrat Convention, it's funny how that works."

Alright, some takeaways here.

Apparently Charlie's just hanging out at some random pizza place inside the secure perimeter of the DNC, fun. Charlie should do all of his shows like this. You know, just show up at a random Dominos in Arizona and go "This is the Charlie Kirk Show now bitches".

The more serious point here is that Charlie seems to think that the Democrats having security at their convention is some kind of gotcha, it really isn't. The RNC had the exact same security precautions set up because they're both major political events and they obviously have to have steps in place to protect the high-profile people who are going to be there. Isn't Charlie supposed to be for more security for politicians in the wake of the Trump shooting? This line of attack doesn't make any sense, especially coming from him!

I guess what he's trying to say is that the Democrats are being hypocritical because they have an open border in place. That is completely false and is just overall a ridiculous comparison to make. "They have voter ID here", does Charlie think that you can just randomly stroll into a voting booth and vote in the presidential election? If he truly thinks that he truly inhabits an alternate universe. And voter ID for what?! Is Charlie Kirk a delegate all of a sudden? What is he even talking about?

So, the show cuts to commercial break and then Rick Scott shows up to open the show. For those who don't know, Rick Scott is the current junior senator from Florida and an unrepentant fraudster. I don't really care about what he has to say about anything but there are still some lies that he tells that are worth debunking, such as:

12:28, Charlie Kirk: "Senator, it will be interesting to see how, if at all, they address the illegal immigration problem. I was joking around, I am here on the interior of the Democrat Convention, right here is the United Centre, we're just feet away from where the convention is going to be occurring. In order to get in senator, there is massive walls here. Huge walls, I thought walls do not work. Senator, how do we best put on display the failed immigration policies of Kamala Harris."

Rick Scott: "What you do is talk about how it's impacted families. Talk about somebody that lost their kid to fentanyl, talk about somebody like Lakin Riley that was raped and murdered, talk about just in Florida, just recently we had two women raped and or panhandled by illegal immigrants."

So, what Rick Scott here wants the Republicans to do is exploit tragedies to fearmonger about migrants. Lovely.

Migrants aren't smuggling in the majority of the fentanyl into America. A majority of fentanyl is smuggled in through ports of entry via trucks and tractor trailers. Obviously fentanyl is a huge problem in America which is why falsely blaming the crisis on migrants smuggling it into the border is extremely unhelpful, we need to be addressing the real crisis and not the made up one. Migrants are also statistically less likely to commit crimes than American citizens but Rick's never going to acknowledge that fact and neither is Charlie who's still obsessed with his stupid wall joke.

As for those two women who were allegedly raped by a migrant, I have absolutely zero idea what Rick is talking about! The closest I could find was a story from July where two migrants were arrested for sexually assaulting a teenage girl. Either I'm missing something or this story was made up by Rick because he couldn't think of another example of this supposed immigrant crime epidemic that's not the one that they've been exploiting for months.

13:45, Charlie Kirk: "And senator, in addition to that they say that the border crossings are going down but in reality they're just letting the same amount of people if not more through the CBP One app so it's just different how they're categorizing it."

The CBP One app has actually been a total disaster for the opposite reason that Charlie and Rick think. For those who don't know, CBP One is the app that you have to use if you want to apply for asylum to the United States and so far it's been a humanitarian disaster.

As many human rights organizations like Amnesty International have found, CBP One has imposed extreme restrictions on people applying for asylum. One of the conditions of using the CBP One app is appearing at a port of entry with a prior appointment. This has basically turned seeking asylum into a luck of the draw system and many people are left waiting for months to get an appointment. As a result, many asylum seekers have been beaten and or killed while waiting for an appointment.

So yeah, the CBP One app is bad but for the exact opposite reason. They're not "letting a flood of migrants in" using this app, they're turning the asylum process into a lottery system and people are dying because they're stuck on the waiting list.

14:29, Rick Scott: "There's nothing the Biden administration puts out that is factual but here's what they're doing, they're allowing people to just, in their own country, just apply through an app and we pay to fly them here and then we give them benefits. Think about it, we're giving benefits -- we're giving benefits to people, money benefits, health benefits, all sorts of things to people who are bringing illegal drugs into this country. So, they just changed how they do it. We have names of people coming across the boarder and they're not vetted, we don't know who these people are."

It's amazing how basically everything he said here is a lie.

Rick Scott clearly is smarter than this, he's in government after all. Obviously he knows that this notion that people can just push a button on an app and then hop on a plane to America with zero vetting whatsoever is blatantly absurd, I refuse to believe that he's that stupid. As mentioned previously, the vetting process that asylum seekers have to go through when they apply through CBP One is extremely extensive. Asylum seekers aren't bringing drugs into the country either, as a matter of fact 86.3% of all convicted fentanyl smugglers in 2021 were US Citizens.

Charlie has another really dumb point about the security at the DNC, shocker.

16:06, Charlie Kirk: "Getting into the DNC this morning was a fun challenge, right Andrew? I can say this with complete certainty, it is easier to walk into America as a terrorist than to walk into the DNC Chicago as a journalist."

Charlie seems to have had his mind absolutely blown by the security at the DNC, it's all he seems to be able to talk about. No Charlie, you're not a journalist and it's way harder to get asylum in the United States than enter the DNC. What a ridiculously out of touch assertion to make.

So, they talk about the senate for a bit and then do an ad. Radio break happens, Charlie talks to Ron Johnson for a bit who says basically the same things Rick Scott did, and then there's another ad. Charlie comes back and introduces his next guest.

35:25, Charlie Kirk: "Ok, we are back with Jack Posobiec but first I want to tell you guys about Hillsdale College-"

Kill me now.

So, Jack Posobiec is with Charlie at the DNC to lie a lot and also make a moron out of himself. I'm sure that Jack feels right at home here, after all he's back in a pizza place again. Jack's "role" at the DNC seems to be approaching pro-Palestinian protestors, trying to create "gotcha" moments, and promptly falling flat on his face. Here's a sample of his "work" that one of Jack's accounts posted recently:

Jack's next big scoop: "We've been informed by a DNC attendee that my mom is paying women at the DNC to have abortions on stage".

I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this idiot but here's a little sample of what he was saying on Charlie's show. They basically just talk about "vibes" the entire time.

36:30, Jack Posobiec: "Charlie, this is an incredible place. We're actually seeing -- so, you've been here all day, I just got in off the plane coming through, when you look at the DNC and the RNC and the differences between the two you see the reflection of the differences of the character of the two movements putting these here. And so, I don't know if people can kind of see it, you guys can maybe widen the shot just a little bit, there's nobody on the street behind us here, its completely empty, there's nobody walking around, there's no one playing games-"

Charlie Kirk: "And we're right next to the convention centre"

Jack Posobiec: "That's the United Centre right there. It feels cold, it is sterile, it is lifeless, it is child free."

I love how Jack's best criticism is "BORRRRINGGGGG". It's a political convention, not Six Flags. What was Jack expecting? A roller coaster and some cotton candy? There are going to be entertainment events at the DNC if he's really THAT bored.

This is basically all that he talks about for the entire time that he's on screen. The rest of the show is just Charlie interviewing a guy named William J Kelly about the pro-Palestine protests and it's just idiotic stuff meant to demonize protestors that we've all heard a million times before, nothing new or worth talking about.

Conclusion:

Well, that was Charlie Kirk live at the DNC. Can't say that it was anything too unexpected. I'm shocked he didn't say "Democrats say that they're against walls yet the Vice Presidents last name is Waltz, curious" because that was the level of insight that he brought to the table here.

I look forward to seeing more of Jack Posobiec taking people who are trolling him 100% seriously and I wish them all the worst. Cheers and I'll see you in the next one.

Original Video:

Kirk, Charlie. “The DNC: Day One | Kelly | 8.19.24.” Rumble, 19 Aug. 2024.

Sources Cited:

Miller, Todd. “Biden’s Supposed “Open-Border Policy” Does Not Exist.” Www.thenation.com, 22 Nov. 2023

Sganga, Nicole, and Camilo Montoya-Galvez. “Fentanyl Seizures Rise at U.S.-Mexico Border — Here’s Why.” CBS News, 3 Feb. 2023.

Garsd, Jasmine. “Immigrants Are Less Likely to Commit Crimes than U.S.-Born Americans, Studies Find.” NPR, 8 Mar. 2024.

“CBP One Mobile Application Violates the Rights of People Seeking Asylum in the United States.” Amnesty International, 9 May 2024.

Bier, David. “Fentanyl Is Smuggled for U.S. Citizens by U.S. Citizens, Not Asylum Seekers.” Cato.org, 14 Sept. 2022.

[titanrpg]

how i learned ttrpg design, part 3

you can check out part 1 here and part 2 here

as always, this is about my personal experience learning ttrpg design, and i claim no particular expertise or authority on what constitutes "good" game design

3

so far, i've discussed the games i drew on for the start of my ttrpg education. now let's talk about how to improve (when you need to/if you want to). now, i'll say i don't think "improving" is a great way to think about it. i prefer to think about it as "how to be aware of the tools you need to accomplish your design goals"

for some people, the three games i've discussed are plenty for them to get started. these people tend to like experimenting for themselves and then doing more research when they need help. (i fall in this category.) other people may want to read more before starting in earnest. this is also a smart way to go. (obviously you can go overboard with researching so much that you never actually start, but we are far from that place here.) either way, at some point you'll need more information than you currently have.

how do you find the wisdom you seek? the best answer is simply asking for help from people you look up to/trust. but i've never been good at asking for help, so uhhh this post exists

quick story time. i recently visited maryland to go to my partner's sibling's wedding. in a local comic shop's manga section, i saw this book. i was like, oh fun, it's a manga about kids playing a goblin slayer ttrpg.

but then, when i opened the book...

mechanics!!

it's a TTRPG!! i don't know anything about goblin slayer, but now i'm combing through this book for cool tech. of note so far: at the end of every round of combat, each player has to make an attrition check. fail that, and your fatigue score goes up. at 4 fatigue, you fall unconscious. at 5, you die. punishes long fights and incentivizes players to find alternate solutions. it uses only d6s. and there are sections of fiction illustrated with beautiful manga art. these choices feel old school to me, but it came out in 2019. now i'm really excited. i'll get to see what japanese osr is like!

to me, this pursuit of ttrpg tech feels like discovering an ancient library and searching through old tomes for the power i seek. and there's an online version of this that anyone can dig through for ttrpg tech: osr blogs

old school renaissance/revival, or "osr," as far as i understand it, is a ttrpg genre/design paradigm, typically along the lines of old school d&d. i'm not the best person to explain this, but the way i think about this school of design is it tends to prioritize player skill over character skill. it's the difference between solving a puzzle and rolling to solve a puzzle. because of this, they often make really cool mechanics for challenging players that don't just amount to "roll a 20, do the thing." they also tend to share their thoughts on traditional blogs.

here's an amazing, meticulously catalogued library of keystone OSR posts

by marcia b., @/traversefantasy on twitter, who has an OSR blog of her own using marxist and freudian frameworks for analysis

rise up comus

by josh mcCroo, who's working on a game called his majesty the worm. pretty sure i don't have to say anything else

permanent cranial damage

by ava islam, whose assertion that "Armour Class and Hit Points are the same thing" blew my mind when i was starting out

goblin's henchman

which is where I found the hex flower tech that i adapted for HEXFALL's main mechanic

and one non-OSR blog, that of jay dragon

yes i am a possum creek fangirl. this blog is bananas good. if you haven't read up on playground theory, oh boy you're in for a treat

final takeaway: you never know where you'll find new tools and ideas!

obviously credit people and don't use what's not yours. but have fun and share cool tech with others when you find it!

hope this was helpful <3

p.s. another place that apparently used to have a ton of ttrpg activity was google+. every so often i hear whispers of digital libraries filled with all sorts of salvaged g+ ttrpg treasures. never seen an invite link with my own eyes though. if you hear anything, let me know, will ya?

[alovelyburn]

One of the things I think about a lot with regards to Berserk and specifically Griffith is like... the type of character he is and what that means to say Americans vs Japanese people.

Now, again I’m not going to act like I know everything about media ever because i obviously don’t. But my personal observation from consuming a fair amount of media from both cultures as well as participating in fandom discussions and watching discussion boards (I lurk a lot) is...

A character like him - someone who is ambitious and incredibly talented and attractive, charming and accomplished but not particularly humble, and who ends up emotionally isolated by their duties or bad circumstances or just  by being so damn cool that no one understands them, is....

Okay like if I were watching an American fantasy show/reading an American fantasy comic or novel and a character like that turned up as the leader of a village or country or an army or whatever, my expectation would be one of two things:

1. This character is evil and selfish and will eventually reveal his evil. Then he’ll end up either killed by the hero or humiliated and reduced to a state of helplessness or pathos as they are forced to face the reality that they are no better than anyone else.  So basically his arc would be “seems good but isnt -> reveals his evil -> suffers for his evil” The example that comes to mind here is Viserys Targaryen (in GoT not HotD) or Joffrey Lannister.

OR

2. This character has a good heart but his lack of humility is meant to be seen as a flaw, so he will end up humbled and forced to realize that he's no better than anyone else, at which point his good side will emerge and he will be considered improved by being knocked down a peg.  So his arc would be “jerk with a heart of gold -> learns that he’s not all that -> is able to show his virtuous side because he’s no longer arrogantly considering himself above others.” The example that comes to mind here is like Jaime Lannister.

And like, I feel as though people perceive Griffith as Option 1 - he may have SEEMED cool but he wasn’t really cool and turning evil just revealed who he was the whole time, and now he has to suffer and die or be humiliated and left broken because That’s Justice. Which is how we get like the assumption that of course Guts will become stronger than him and kill him and parade around with his head or alternately, the really uh ablelist and disturbing??? slew of people fantasizing about Griffith being forced into his shattered human body as punishment for his wrongdoing.

And like as an American person I can understand that... outlook (well not the ableist one) because I do think that’s what American stories are like, right? Like again I’m not trying to account for every single American story ever, but I’m just saying those are the patterns I have picked up from this kind of character.

But like, okay in Japanese media this type of character has a completely different... perception and completely different sets of outcomes...

First and foremost because whatever happens to them usually doesn’t involve a “knock them down a peg and make them realize they’re not special after all” aspect because they are special and that doesn’t necessarily need to be challenged or disproven. Even when they fail or die, it’s usually not because as it turns out they weren’t nearly as amazing as they thought they were. It’ll usually be some kind of inner flaw, like:

They’re so isolated or self-hating that they’re secretly self-destructive (Aizen from Bleach or Priscilla from Claymore)

their heart makes them vulnerable and that gets taken advantage of (Teresa of the Faint Smile)

they ultimately valued something else more than they valued their own lives (L from Death Note, who I would say valued solving the puzzle more than surviving, or Gilgamesh from Fate, who says outright that he’d rather lose than debase himself by using his full strength).

And this concept - the person who really is just all that - turns up a lot, like you’ll see them referred to as The Absolute in various stories, for example, as is the case with Griffith.

And the fact that Griffith is treated more along the lines of the Japanese take on this kind of character should be obvious since it’s a Japanese series but also you can kind of tell from things like the guidebook describing him as having an air of isolation around him due to his having no equals.

Now this is just about his personality, I’m not going to get into the different cultural perspectives on fictional rape or how an individualist culture kind of naturally struggles with Griffith and his motivations, but you know. Just an observation. I do have a lot of thoughts about those things too, as well as another major cultural storytelling divide that plays into this stuff.

Anyway one of the reasons I think about this a lot is because of this weird thing that happens in Berserk fandom sometimes where people will talk about how Griffith was spoiled or had everything handed to him on a silver platter or they’ll call him arrogant and it’s interesting because... none of that is... true, right like...

He didn’t have everything handed to him on a silver platter, He was born in poverty, formed his own band of thieves, converted them into a mercenary band, prostituted himself to a predatory pedophile for funds to help  his soldiers, wrangled his way into working for the King of Midland, worked his way up the military hierarchy and ended a 100 year war, all while somehow managing to learn a seemingly endless array of skills that CANNOT have been easy to come by when you grow up as a street urchin.That’s even before thinking about how Miura stated that Griffith may have been abused as a child.

There’s no universe in which he was spoiled, but it’s worth noting that many many many of both type 1 and 2 above... will tend to be from privileged backgrounds and we’re meant to perceive them as taking their advantages for granted.

Similarly, he never actually says he thinks he’s special, right he just says he wants to find out whether or not he is by pushing himself as far as he can go. But there is, I think, a perception that just wanting to rise and see how much he can accomplish is in itself arrogant because if he were a better person he wouldn’t entertain the possibility that he might be Super Cool.

IDK it just brings me back to what I was saying a few weeks ago... that I feel like there’s a specific (western revenge) story that people perceive Berserk to be and when things don’t fit that box they either don’t perceive it or rewrite it in their heads so that it does fit that box.

And if you think about it, most of the weird things people think about Berserk... comes from those western storytelling conventions that people are sort of imposing on Berserk. Right down to the “he lives for Casca” thing that has never ever been true and that lands a bunch of people desperately trying to convince themselves that when Guts mopes about his sword he’s really moping about Casca even though he never thinks about her, she doesn’t appear in the flashbacks, and half of them are to times when he didn’t know her or was nowhere near her.

[science-lings]

So because I like to be really complicated, I've decided to throw my favourite part of pretty much every Link's design (ofc the ones that actually change the design - looking at you Toon Links) at you. Idk, I'm an overachiever and I love gushing about one of the best character designs in video game history.

Obviously with the 8-bit designs, all there really is are artworks and the manuals to go off of because Link is a collection of tiny squares with 4 max colours. TLoZ and AoL are the same character so to be honest, I just love his earthy tones and facial features. Big nose rep. Goes for ALTTP, LA, and OOT as well tbh.

Speaking of ALTTP, that pink hair he has in-game is literally one of the best thing Nintendo has ever done.

A lot of child Links have this, but the baggy boots introduced in OOT are literally everything. I want to wear them every day of the rest of my life. The Oracle games also give him the flared lining and I would die to have them. Peak footwear. And the bracers Adult Link gets add so much to such a simple design, it's literally unreal.

The Four Swords games were cute with the bright colour swaps. I'm so mad they drew the artwork for the game in the Toon Link artstyle. Seeing artwork for it in ALTTP's art would have been so cool like what came on the European box art. The Wind Waker/Phantom Hourglass came and introduced the most adorable Zelda artstyle. Like he's just a cylinder and I love him so much. It's a bit like FS(A) where he just got so much more colourful too. Spirit Tracks gave Link this cute engineer uniform that I cannot get over. Ever.

Twilight Princess. I'm sorry but he's just a whole hunk of man right there. The darker graphics went so far for him, his outfit was so detailed at the time and he's got such a masculine presence if you know what I mean. Oddly enough, there's so much I like about the design, it's so hard to put what I like into words other than 'a lot'. Sorry, I know it's not very helpful ^^;

Skyward Sword Link had such an amazing emotional range. He said absolutely nothing, but you could tell exactly how he felt, but unlike WW/PH/ST etc Link, his facial expression were really toned down and gentle. The most intense emotion he's ever had was fighting a god. Love that about him.

So I know ALBW technically shares ALTTP/OOA(/S) design, so I want to highlight the one thing that's different which is the giant, chunky bracelet he wears. Something about that makes me so happy for some reason.

Triforce Heroes' biggest accomplishment was the alternate outfits. Those boys literally strutting around in a forest in full gowns and costumes like it's nothing is literally peak fashion. Style over practicality any day.

BotW was literally a game-changer for Link's design in almost every way. I have no idea how Nintendo managed to completely change the design down to the fundamental GREEN of the Links before him to this cerulean blue and still keep the essence of what made Link a Link. And although Nintendo loves to go back on it in other material, I absolutely ADORE that they made his features so round and softly shaped, especially his eyes, compared to other Links. Nintendo will never take away how absolutely gorgeous that man is now they've achieved it. So we don't know much about TotK yet for obvious reasons, but he now sports literally the most revealing outfit in the franchise (other than him literally being half naked in BotW) and the fact it's paired with long hair is literally what I've been waiting my entire life for.

So yeah, I've probably made this so much more complicated, but there is literally so much I love about each Link, it's hard to choose my favourite overall features (except the boots, I love the baggy boots).

This is actually incredibly helpful thank you! I think one of the things I'm struggling most with the design is his hair, like he goes from a medium dark brown to pink to platinum blonde to bright yellow to almost orange and like... it's hard to make a decision lol. I do want to include bits of every game, whether that be with little accessories (like kinstones or belt buckles or jewelry) or more major features.

I am absolutely convinced on his schnoz though, he deserves a big pointy nose. It's going to be fun to try to balance some of his more harsh features with a lot of the softness we see in many other games, like he always has intense eyebrows (even in toon mode), but he also tends to have a baby face.

[interact-if]

Day 4 of A/PI Heritage Month featured authors interview! Give it up for the amazing Salty!

Salty, author of Love & Friendship

A/PI Heritage Month Featured Author

Do contracted nuptial arrangements fire up your loins? Have you ever wanted to experience the high-highs and low-lows of a lady in the prime of her marriage market days? Have you ever lain awake at night lamenting your birth in a time where divorce is readily available and women no longer need to marry as their only economic means of survival?

Why not come find your happiness in the Regency world of balls, debauchery, and a surprising amount of paperwork. Become an accomplished lady of many talents and impress gentle society or use your feminine wiles and wicked wit to flirt your way into scandal and, perhaps even, ruin. Play matchmaker and decide the fate of the ladies in your acquaintance. Pursue your choice of suitor; a dear childhood friend, a lord of dubious reputation, a wealthy widow with a heart of stone, or even, the coveted gentleman with 15,000 pound a year. After all, if you can’t find love, you may as well marry rich.

Author's Ko-fi

(INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT UNDER THE CUT!)

Q1: First of all, introduce us to your project! What is it about?

Love and Friendship is a regency rom-com, a mostly light-hearted romp through the regency with plenty of opportunities for fun, friendship, and of course, love <3

Q2: If it’s not too spoilery, what are you most excited about your project?

I'm excited to introduce more of Miss Merritt's London friend circle and write more group settings. I've focused on one-on-one scenes with the ROs but I think my favorite kinds of scenes to write are ones with group dynamics, which is something this update will be bringing to the table!

Q3: What inspired the current project you’re working on?

Honestly, I just wanted more interactive regency content. When I started drafting LaF, I think I could count the if set in the regency on one hand lol. There's a bunch of new stuff out now and I'm eating it up!

Q4: Do you pull from your own identity for inspiration? How has that been reflected in your work?

Yes and no? I do put a lot of myself into the characters and world I write but I think that comes with the territory of writing. We can't help but inject bits of ourselves into our work.

I will say that I really craved queer relationships set in the regency and decided to include more female romantic options than males ones. I, also, really wanted to explore male and female platonic friendships, which is why Hugh is a platonic relationship option. I don't know if that's my identity influencing my writing or just me creating the stuff I wanted to read lmao

On the topic of identity and race, I have run into the issue of the actual regency's influence on the slightly fantastical version I'm using as a base of LaF. The British Regency was at the height of colonialism and the wealth that allowed for much of the fashion, leisure, and society in the period were the direct result of enslavement across the globe, including the country I come from. There's some irony in my obsession with the period and the oppression of my homeland. This sucks. Obviously, I don't want to excuse the horrible practices that made such a lifestyle for the British aristocracy possible. But also the fun dresses, dances, and interesting(if overly-complicated/sexist) gender politics are appealing.

I'm still parsing that one out and using a fantastical layer to reduce any trauma on my end. But writing in this time period, doing the research, and using elements in hopefully fresh fun, has been very rewarding and a small way of reclaiming that history of harm and exploitation that usually goes unmentioned in regency media.

Q5: What’s been your experience so far? With writing, with the if community...

It's been amazing! I've been so lucky to meet incredible folks and find such a welcoming community of IF writers and readers.

Q6: Do you have any future projects in the works?

I do! Just one, an Eldritch slice-of-life, partly to spite the memory of HP Lovecraft, also because I just really wanted to play something like that and couldn't find it. It's called Stygian: The Abyssal Lighthouse and the demo is currently on the back-burner while I work on LaF's update.

Here's the pitch: You just landed a sweet job as a lighthouse keeper–no rent, no utility bills, no food costs. Sounds too good to be true, yes? Perhaps the only slightly homicidal eldritch roommate might change your tune. Oh! and if keeping the emotions of alternate dimensional being isn’t time-consuming enough, strange happenings–missing townies, creeping shadows, & b҈҇͜l̸͜͡o̷͢͡o̵̡͝d̴͢͡y̸̢͝ t҉̨͡r҈̨͠a̸̢͝ç̴҇k̶̡͝s̵̨̕-you know your average Tuesday–seem to assail your new home.

Anyways, have fun fetching groceries, tinkering with the beacon, hanging with the locals, & fighting for your life :)

Q7: Finally, what piece of advice would you give to fellow authors?

Just do the thing! If you're even slightly thinking about writing if, writing just in general, go for it! Write the thing! Jump into learning twine or choicescript or whatever! I promise you there's someone out there who will see your wip and go, "YES, finally!"

[suituuup]

On this first day of 2021, I wanted to round up my favorite fics/art works of 2020 in a masterlist! I wish I had the time to read every single fic out there but unfortunately there are only so many days in a year. There are obviously many more amazing creators than the ones mentioned here! Thank you to every single one, for all that you bring to this fandom!

favorite holiday fic

Christmas Eve with the Bellas

by @snowflake19-things​

Beca is roped into spending Christmas Eve with a redhead she doesn't know, and her group of friends, whom she also doesn't know. Sounds like a recipe for disaster. It turns out, however, they're pretty okay. Weird, but okay. 

favorite fluff fic

it's 3 AM (I must be lonely)   

by @becasbelt

It really is getting late, and Beca knows that she really should be getting to bed, but Chloe really is cute and her essay isn’t done anyways.

Or, a gradual love story told over math problems and note cards.

a fun one

Dammit, Zsa Zsa!

by @scylla-ramshorn

Sheila’s naughty poodle sneaks something valuable from Beca’s suitcase during an important family affair. Chaos ensues.

my favorite series

Walk Along Side of Me by boatstoesta 

Teacher AU - Beca Mitchell starts her teaching career at a new school in the middle of a semester. There's one teacher that rubs her the wrong way- Miss Chloe Beale.

a fic i’m excited about

I have several!

'cause you weren't mine to lose   

by @chloebeale

Back in college, Beca was so in love with Chloe Beale. She never told her, though. She never told anyone. So, when Chloe shows up, years later, on Beca’s doorstep, drunk out of her mind after a bad breakup, Beca is not going to turn her away. She does the decent thing and invites her in to get sobered up…

The next morning, she realizes she maybe should’ve just heard her out last night.

Broken Clocks by @anastasia-93-daybidaylove

Beca lives in LA; she's a music producer, about to release her first solo album, succesful and accomplished. The life she'd always wanted. Chloe lives back where they used to; she has a completely different life than Beca's, quiet and peaceful. The life she'd always wanted. It's been a long time since the were Beca and Chloe; whatever that means anymore. But life has decided to bring them together once more. How much will it succeed?

With Storm and Fury by @scylla-ramshorn

In an alternate America where witches ended their persecution by cutting a deal with the U.S. government to fight for their country, 19-year-old Fixer witch Beca Mitchell reports to Fort Salem for basic training in magical combat.

Presque Vu by thetoneofsurprise

Suffering from severe career burnout, Beca’s Mom convinces her to journey back home to Portland for some overdue recovery time. Reluctant but obliging, Beca stays home for the holidays. But going back to where you grew up means going back to all the things you left behind, no matter how much things have changed… or how much might have been forgotten.

other faves in no particular category:

just a legacy to protect by @chlobeales

darling, so it goes (some things are meant to be) by boatstoesta

Cheeseheads by @notsoawesomenerd

your heart is glowing (and i’m crashing into you) by @snowonebutyou

everyone loves a brat by @ aca_bhlo_me

You're My Favorite by sunshine_and_raincloud

The Photographer and the Bridesmaid by @anotherbechloeshipper  

Chick Magnet by @green-eyed-weirdo  

Counting Cards by @redlance

Love at First Flight  by @ear-monstrosities

life's too short to even care at all  by @snowonebutyou

resisting my own defense by @chloebeale

as soon as she leaves I say I love you (under my breath)  by @becasbelt

how far do i have to go? (to get to you) by @bechloehuh

To Get Over You  by @ aca_bechloe47

Somewhere Beyond by @snowydot​

i’m only me because of you (you know me better than i do) by @mcrololo​

No Matter The Timeline by @massivedrickhead​

favorite artworks:

this hot piece by @thehorriblyslowmurderer

this adorable one by @golden-goldfish

this also hot one by @redpadawanjedi

family fluff by @ninth-on-eight

and the kiss!! by @sketchywave

another take on the kiss that i love by @shikariix​

And:

and this amazing poem by @ridiculously-over-obsessed​

can’t forget the amazing @pitchslapped​ for creating a really cool Bechloe podcast!

[tinyboxxtink]

"Not My Yacht" *Chapter 4*

Part 3

Part 5

Mwahahahahaha!

Okay so-- obviously, this story is taking place in an alternate universe. Clearly. I need you all to follow me along on this journey, suspend your disbelief, yeah? I did my best at a backstory, I went over it for a long time. I'm pretty sure every detail is covered. If not, I apologize, let me know and I'll fix it.

I think this is gonna be one hell of a ride, people. I'm super excited, are you?!

Tag List

@madamsnape921

@lolliepopsicle

@chasingeverybreakingwave

@milkshqke

@wanniiieeee

@word-scribbless

@gibbs274

@sassyada

@aprildecker-blog

@bookishfanfic

@stars-in-the-skies-world

@stars-trash-18

@omgsuperstarg

@objection-argumentative

(should I keep tagging @storiesofsvu ? I'm gonna do it until she says for the love of god STOP. 😂)

--------------------------

There was a very long, awkward pause before Rafael finally spoke:

“....What did you just say?”

“Please don’t make me repeat it,” You bit your lip as you looked at him with very sad, still very frightened eyes.

“I...I don’t…how...why...HOW is this man your husband?!”

“I...Well, he--” You muttered.

“He’s a PSYCHOPATH, Y/N!”

“Well he wasn’t when I met him!” You screamed unintentionally. You hadn’t meant to be that aggressive, but your instincts kicked in whenever a man yelled at you now.

“...I mean, I guess he was but you just said it yourself: He’s smart. He’s slick. He was sweet and charming and handsome, and I just-- we just-- “

“He seduced you,"

"I fell in love with him, Rafael! Jesus, it wasn't a one night stand. We were in love," You took a shaky breath. "Look I was a young, naïve, impressionable broke college student, okay? And he-- he was kind, and generous, and--”

“I don’t, I can’t have this conversation with you,” He started to walk into his secret room to get your clothes so that you could leave.

“No, please Rafael,” You grabbed his arm. “Please, let me explain? Please,” You pleaded with him.

“....Fine,” He sighed, unable to ignore your whimpers and tears.

“He wooed me, he gave me everything and anything I asked for. He lived in this giant loft uptown, I thought he was amazing. Looking back on it now, the loft was probably owned by people that he murdered and he’d kill people to get things I wanted, but I didn’t know that at the time!” You paced the floor while thinking out loud.

“And then when he asked me to marry him, I was ecstatic! I thought it was going to be my fairy tale ending before I was even 25, I didn’t know--” You suddenly stopped pacing and stopped talking, the memories of that period in your life coming back to you in disturbing waves.

Rafael saw how much you were in distress telling your story. Even though he was disgusted that you were ever intimate with this lunatic, he couldn’t help but feel for you. He stood up and took your hand, leading you to the leather couch in the corner of the room. He sat you down and motioned for you to continue if you could, while still holding your hand.

“I didn’t know that he was just trying to get me to be-- ‘his’, so that he could do whatever he wanted to me,” You barely got the words out while you still burned holes into the carpet with your eyes.

“Oh God, Oh-- Y/N,” He took your other hand but didn’t force you to look up; he wanted you to tell the rest on your own time.

“After we got married he started hitting me for stupid stuff like putting the dishes in the dishwasher wrong, or folding the towels the wrong way. And then he’d--” You felt tears catch in your throat. “He’d make me have sex with him whenever he wanted,”

“Carino,” Rafael instinctively put his arms around your shoulders, pulling you closer towards him. He just wanted to comfort you, he didn’t want to think about what else that monster did to you.

“I--- I didn’t know what to do. I had just graduated, he was paying for my law school, he was paying for everything I had in my life. I felt like I was trapped, so I just-- I put up with it,” You tried not to cry, you swore a long time ago you wouldn’t waste any more tears on him. But right now you couldn’t help it.

“But then it started getting worse,” You finally raised your head to look at him. “He started beating me when he was angry over other things, sometimes within an inch of my life,”

Rafael didn’t know what to say, he knew you weren’t finished so he just kept rubbing the back of your palms with his thumb comfortingly.

“I finally knew either I had to leave, or die,” You got your tears under control as you remembered how strong you had to be back then. And ever since. “So one day when he was on one of his ‘business trips’-- which now I know were probably killings or heists or worse, I packed everything I could fit into two suitcases and I just-- I left,” You sighed.

“I didn’t have anywhere to go. My parents live in Florida, I didn’t really have friends at school, which wouldn’t have mattered anyway because without him paying for it I had to drop out. I slept on the streets for months!” You unconsciously moved closer into Rafael’s chest as you relived the horror.

“Finally I-- I did something that I never thought I would do in a million years, but I was desperate Rafael. You have to understand that,” You looked at him with a terrified look, like he was about to kick you out of his office for real after what you were about to say.

“I do,” He put a hand to your face. “Whatever you’re going to say, I understand,”

“Okay,” You nodded softly. “I...I became an escort,” You turned away from him and his soft hand on your cheek. Even though he just assured you he understood, you could feel the judgement.

“Not a hooker,” You quickly added, like that made it any better. “An escort-- for older, wealthy gentlemen callers,”

“Ah,” He nodded. “I see,”

“...I changed my name, cancelled all my credit cards and got new ones in my new name. And I started making pretty good money. Enough for a small apartment and food anyway,” You continued. “I had accepted the fact that my life was going to be just what it was at that time-- living my life out as a whore,”

“You’re not, and never were and never will be, a whore Y/N,”

“Rafael, please,” You shook your head with a sarcastic laugh. “Maybe I was a fancy whore, but still one nonetheless,”

“No you--” He didn’t want to get into female derogatory slurs with you right now, so he just let it go. “...Okay, continue,”

“So then I just-- got lucky,” You played with the buttons on his shirt once again nervously. “I shouldn’t say lucky, that’s awful to say about a person’s death,”

“...Death?”

“Yeah um,” You picked harder at the buttons. “A regular of mine, Bartholomew Ridgewood. He was a very wealthy stockbroker who had no family or friends, just-- me, apparently,” You shrugged. “He had a heart attack and died, and then his estate contacted me to let me know that he had left his entire fortune and penthouse to me,”

“Seriously?” Rafael almost laughed at the crazy notion.

“I know right?!” You suddenly exclaimed. It really sounded like something out of a soap opera. “So, I used the money to immediately enroll back in law school, and got a job with Rita, and-- here I am,” You motioned towards yourself, in a ‘ta da’ fashion.

“So, let me get this straight,” Rafael began going over detail of your story in his head. “You actually have a huge fortune, but you’re still going to law school, AND holding down a job?”

“...Yeah,” You pushed a strand of hair behind your ear.

“Why?” He narrowed his eyes.

“Why?” You half laughed. “Well for one, because I don’t ever want to have to depend on a man’s wealth to survive ever again,”

“How would that even happen? Did you blow through it that fast?”

“No!” You suddenly stood up in anger, not believing he was questioning you now. “But it still scares me that something will happen to it, and I’ll be helpless again,” You crossed your arms. “And two, I want to help people like me, without a voice. And three, a recommendation from the District Attorney to any law firm is a very highly coveted accomplishment, Rafael,”

“Right,” He nodded. “So much more coveted than a lowly DA’s recommendation,”

“Are you-- Are you serious?” You laughed in disbelief. “Wha--How, HOW did you get to that from any point in my horror story?”

“I don’t-- I don’t know, maybe if I had known you sooner I could have protected you,” He rubbed the back of his neck. Why DID he say that? Why was he suddenly jealous that you had consciously chosen to work for Rita over him? Why did that even matter at this point?

“No, you couldn’t have,” You shook your head as you sat back down next to him. “I got away from-- By the way he went by Tommy Richmond back then, if you want to add that to your case file,” You pointed to the folder on the desk.

He stood up and walked over to it, pulling papers out of the folder and examining each identity he had found so far. Tommy was on the list from a few years ago. Eric Braverman was next on the list, then Eddie Warshack and then Billy Forsythe, before William Lewis. Eric’s ID was from Connecticut, Eddie from Pennsylvania, and Billy from Ohio.

“....So this shows that once he left New York he went south, but then came back up? That doesn’t make any sense,” He flipped through the papers as thoughts ran through his brain.

“Doesn’t it though?” You stood up and walked over to the desk. “He came back for me. He’s probably looking for me. Maybe he thought I fled the state and he went looking and came back,” Your face turned paler the more you thought out loud.

“I have to get out of here,” You suddenly decided out loud. You briskly walked to the secret room and pulled your clothes out with one minute left on the dryer, but you didn’t care. You were quickly putting them on when Rafael ran in after you.

“What? No, no you don’t,” He tried to stop you from unbuttoning his shirt. “Not now that I know he’s looking for you, you’re not going anywhere,”

“Look Rafael,” You stopped undressing and looked at him very seriously. “He’s smart, and he’s fast. I’ll bet you right now that he is doing some very specific research on anyone that was in that station the day you picked him up. And that includes you,”

“And why would he waste time on that if he’s looking for you?” Rafael raised a curious eyebrow.

“Well obviously if he thinks he’s at risk of being caught I’m the furthest thing from his mind right now! And he’ll study you all like lab rats, trying to figure out your fears and weaknesses, and prey on them. That’s exactly how he manipulated me,”

“So he researched you?”

“No, I don’t think he needed to back then! I just fell into his arms, no hard work on his end required,” You scoffed at your naivete as a young girl.

“....So why do you need to leave?” He crossed his arms.

“Because he’ll figure out we’re....involved,” You gestured between the two of you.

“Involved?” He half laughed. “Y/N we haven’t even-- we haven’t done anything but talk!”

“And yet I’m standing here in your office in only my underwear and your shirt like you said, a sex fantasy!” You gestured to your still scantily clad body.

That gave Rafael an idea.

Without warning his arms were suddenly around your waist, pulling you roughly into his awaiting mouth. You were shocked at first, but soon welcomed his tongue into yours as it began exploring your mouth. His hands slowly moved up your waist through his shirt, approaching your bare breasts. Before he could reach them, you pushed him away.

“What the FUCK are you doing?!” You yelled angrily. “Do you really think now is the appropriate time to do this?”

“Well, if Lewis thinks we’re ‘fraternizing’, shouldn’t we actually ‘fraternize’?” He gave you a smirk.

“He doesn’t think anything yet! I have no idea where he is, you have no idea where he is,” You sighed in frustration.

“I do know where he is,” He traced your palms with his finger sensually. “He’s locked in the tank at the station,”

“...Really?” You were suddenly feeling much safer, and arousal quickly came along with it.

“Really,” He nodded, cupping your head in his hands by your jawline so his thumbs ran against the side of your temples. He gently massaged them, making you relax even more.

“...And you’re not just trying to have sex with me so I won’t run off on you?” You did your best to keep your wits about you, but it was growing increasingly difficult with the smell of his cologne wafting from his hands into your nose. It was intoxicating.

“Maybe I am,” He chuckled, “Or maybe, I’m just acting on things I know we’ve both felt since yesterday on that boat,”

“That’s assuming a lot, counselor,” You bit your lip as you tried desperately not to look down at his mouth while he moved his face closer.

“Is it, though?” His smirk grew more devilish as he continued to close the gap between your lips.

“I…” You tried thinking of anything but his tongue inside you, but it was a losing battle. “....Screw it,”

You grabbed his head and thrusted it against your burning lips as your tongues once again began to do a tango in between your mouths. His hands moved upwards quicker this time, and this time you let them. You jumped onto him, wrapping your legs around his waist as he fell against the desk to support your weight. He picked you up and carried you to the leather couch, laying you down and crawling on top of you while never removing his mouth from yours.

You were both so happy and so enthralled with each other you didn’t notice the door was cracked open, and two dark eyes peering behind it.

[phoenixtakaramono]

Hi! :) I was reading your post about SQH in TUT and it got me thinking. Since this version also wrote SVSSS, when he transmigrates does he realize his "dream" was real? Also, you hinted that he recognizes SY as the same person who transmigrated into SQQ, so now I'm wondering if he tells SY that, and how SY would react to learning he's the protagonist of SVSSS in another universe. I just love thinking about how meta this could potentially get, haha.

Can't wait to find out more! Keep up the good work!

(Follow-Up Post to: Part I, Part II)

@the-legend-of-chel 👏👏👏 Luv, good to see you in my Asks! I’m glad to hear that you’re looking forward to finding out more in The Untold Tale! And thanks for your support and encouragement. 💖

(TUT ch1 - Excerpt)

You’re right. There is a lot of meta potential with older!Airplane Shooting Towards the Sky being the MXTX equivalent in this AU—or, rather, I like to imagine him growing up to be the Stephen King equivalent of modern day China with a prolific portfolio of written works (novels and short stories, and extras). In canon, he churned out a great number of words per chapter and in a speedy amount of time! Do you guys know how miraculous that is, as a writer? I envy him so much! To be able to churn out that much content in a short amount of time, and in a scheduled regimen, is amazing! That’s basically my angle having written this into the prologue of TUT. That’s partially the reason why I wrote ch1. I liked the idea of paying homage to SVSSS and saying that it’s an actual book series in TUT universe that Airplane wrote (as funny as the idea would be, I wasn’t about to let SY be the one to write it, lol, for intellectual property reasons since the PIDW characters belong to Airplane, which would necessitate SY changing names and character appearances if he published what we know as irl SVSSS, so the best I can give SY is saying he wrote his own PIDW fanfic which basically launched his novelist career because he’d realized, hey, I actually have a knack for writing and the ever so spiteful I feel like practically every writer has had this thought before: fine, if I don’t see what I want to read, then I’ll write it myself!)

(TUT ch1 - Excerpt)

We’re approaching TUT spoiler territory so skip below if you don’t wish to be spoiled.

TUT (Meta) Spoilers

I personally love meta. If I’m to be writing a lovestory to SVSSS, there will be attempts at meta thrown into TUT. And this is one of them:

Airplane did “dream” about canon SVSSS. He basically “dreamt” about his favorite black powder fan, Peerless Cucumber

changing events of Airplane’s biggest regret Proud Immortal Demon Way. (As a writer, it embarrasses me to read my old writing. So I imagine it could be the same for Airplane.) As an author, Airplane recognized what he dreamt had potential to be a commercial success as a danmei transmigration story so basically every time he woke up, he would write pieces of what he remembers in a dream journal when the memory was fresh in his brain. It also allowed Airplane the opportunity to show his readers through the perspective of SY! Shen Qingqiu what Airplane had originally wanted to write, but integrated in a way that blends seamlessly into the reading experience. He would’ve thought it was a bit weird and strange that his brain dreamt about his past critic—whom he’d considered a small celebrity in the PIDW forums back then—aka his anti-fan-turned-accomplished-novelist in the writing industry, so he felt embarrassed that his unconscious brain must have thought very highly of the man.

So Airplane omitted any mention of Peerless Cucumber from the final draft of SVSSS (if he mentioned both “Shen Yuan” and “Peerless Cucumber,” then even SY would be like, Hey, wait one moment....). This detail will be included in a later chapter, but did you know the name “Shen Yuan” has come up in other works? Let’s ignore the variations on the Chinese written characters for the name “Shen Yuan.” There was the evil older brother character Shen Yuan from The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage, a side character named Shen Yuan from a C-drama (I think he was an old minister?), and there’s even an irl visual artist named Shen Yuan. Shen Yuan (Shen Garden) is also a famous romantic garden in Shaoxing, known for the love story between Lu You and Tang Wan.

(Shen Yuan Garden - Trip Advisor Review)

Basically “Shen Yuan” in itself is not a particularly uncommon name in China (imo I would not say it’s super popular either). So when SY saw his name mentioned once or twice in Airplane’s SVSSS—aka rebooted PIDW—during his read-through, he was like, Huh, what a strange coincidence. And then dismissed it as circumstantial and thought nothing of seeing his name come up in a cutsleeve novel as the new protagonist, haha. It’s like a book written by Anne Rice; one of the titles coincidentally has the same name as mine. Now, obviously the book and main character is not based or inspired by me; I just coincidentally share the same name. If I see books which have characters with my same first name, generally I like to read them and sometimes even collect them for my bookshelves. Because there’s something just so fun and interesting about seeing your own name in a fictional piece of work.

There’s also meta joke potential about Airplane dreaming of himself being transmigrated into the cannon fodder Shang Qinghua and seeing the romantic miscommunications between the younger version of himself (his self-insert essentially) and the fictional Mobei jūn character. I can certainly say seeing such dreams would make Airplane question his sexuality and awaken something dormant in him, haha. He’d realize he might not be not as straight as he thought he was, if his brain was capable of dreaming of SY!SQQ being crushed on by LBH, and SQH being crushed on by MBJ and essentially following MBJ around calling him “my king” this and “my king” that. He’ll be sweating bullets when he meets this world’s version of MBJ, because Airplane will definitely remember how the younger Self-Insert version of himself acted toward MBJ in the SVSSS world. (It’s the classic “Just because I dreamed about it happening doesn’t mean it’ll happen here, right? ...Right? Cucumber brother, you’re a fortuneteller! Please check our eight characters for me! I have to know my marriage compatibility with Mobei jūn!”)

In a later chapter, there will be the reveal where Airplane tells Shen Yuan that he “dreamt” of a universe where a younger version of Shen Yuan—having choked on mantou (馒头) (paying homage to the donghua) or just being transmigrated in general after raging at a younger ASTTS’s writing (paying homage to the books)—transmigrated into the Shen Qingqiu we know from SVSSS who married Bing mèi. Because I think it will be hilarious when TUT’s SY finds out about the true source of Airplane’s inspiration, and he’ll naturally freak out over the fact that this is the very same Bing gē from Airplane’s Bing-gē vs Bing-mèi extra and that he’s essentially somehow stumbled on the same path as the alternative younger SY!SQQ “from Airplane’s imagination.” I will leave this open to interpretation if this does show up (it’s just an idea I’m playing with) but I might hint that there might be a higher power at play which allowed Airplane a peek into another universe—which manifested as his dreams.

I very much like this dynamic (we might see this exchange, verbatim, in a future chapter in TUT):

SY/ LBH —> He gave him a disdainful gaze.

Airplane cried inwardly at the oppression and the feeling of being wronged.

Haha, none of this is really Airplane’s fault^ though. It’s a fun parallel and if I’m still motivated when we get to the wedding and consummation chapter, we might see an epilogue where SY and Bing gē from TUT meets SY!SQQ and Bing mèi maybe. Because I think it’ll be funny with the two LBHs getting into a shouting/ fighting match about who has the “superior Shen Yuan” while the two SYs just shake their heads at their silly husbands (and potentially TUT’s SY, as the older party, can impart his fortunetelling wisdom and advice to SY!SQQ).

Personally I can’t wait when we get to those chapters, because I know it’ll be entertaining to write, haha. Personally TUT is a fun project because there’s just so much meta potential that can be incorporated and I have a lot of fun imagining the scenarios.

*Note: like always, keep in mind that these are just my current thoughts. Details are subject to change; things aren’t considered official until they show up in the final draft on AO3. :)

The Novelists’ First Impressions

The first impression SY and Airplane will have of each other will be fun. Because in their perspective, written in my notes it’s essentially like:

(Airplane seeing SY):

His first reaction was shock. Shock because the mere mortal he used to be could not conceive so much charisma being emitted by this guy.

This is definitely a man who had put all of his stats into CHARISMA.

(SY seeing Airplane):

He's suspiciously good looking in ways that normal people are not.

Ah, the Cucumberplane friendship in TUT is going to be so much fun. Not only are these two older souls who transmigrated (both are mid-aged in this universe), they’re both accomplished novelists in their own right in the writing industry. Which means with these two being celestial beings, there’s so many clichés we can playfully poke fun at.

It also makes me laugh because imagine being SY, and seeing a guy (mortal!Airplane) who exudes the same energy as these two imperial princes GIFs:

[yurimother]

LGBTQ Visual Novel Review - OshiRabu: Waifus Over Husbandos

If you are at all interested in Yuri or visual novels, you will have undoubtedly heard of OshiRabu: Waifus Over Husbandos. The Yuri rom-com was one of Steam’s top 20 February releases, and it hit the trending page on the platform. These accomplishments are incredible, and it is lovely to see both a visual novel and a Yuri game get so much love and recognition. However, whenever a title succeeds and manages to make an impact outside of the Yuri community, it always brings up a few questions. Mainly, does it deserve to be one of the few Yuri titles to obtain “mainstream success” and is it a positive ambassador for the genre, one which can further Yuri’s popularity and pull new consumers into it? These concerns boil down to one question, is it good? Usually, this inquiry is pretty quickly answered, with most elements of a product either being positive or negative. However, OshiRabu delivers more of a challenge. There are some fantastic parts to this game which I applaud and gush over, yet there are also several problems, both major and minor. The dichotomy between OshiRabu’s highs and lows is possibly the strongest I have ever seen in a Yuri title.

OshiRabu: Waifus Over Husbandos is the debut game of SukeraSomero, the new sister brand of the excellent Yuri studio, SukeraSparo. The plot follows Akuru Hayahoshi, an otaku with an obsession with her “husbandos” from gacha games and seriously bad luck. One day she bumps into a cute and bubbly student, Ren Furutachi. After Ren shows off her uncanny good luck to Akuru, a miscommunication sees Ren believing that Akuru confesses to her. For Ren, it is love at first sight, and she persistently negotiates her way into living with the older woman.

The rest of the game flits between comedic moments as Akuru and Ren live together. Examples include the girls shopping for a new bed, since Ren insists on sleeping next to Akuru, and Akuru creating boys’ love doujinshi with her friend Shino. There is, of course, a climax, which will not be spoiled in this review, and three possible endings, depending on two-player choices. An optional 18+ DLC expands on one of the endings and offers several explicit scenes.

There are some enjoyable aspects of this plot. For one, it is light and pleasant, never letting itself settle too much or grow stale. The situations are not hilarious but enjoyable and well suited to the with the characters’ personalities, and establishing several recurring themes and jokes, such as Shino teasing Ren and Ren accusing Akuru of cheating. There is an excessive amount of adorable fluff, which matches well with the overall tone of the game. These delightful moments cater to a variety of interests and fixations, so every reader is likely to find something they like. My personal favorite was a brief imagination sequence where Ren and Akuru have a child together, cute Yuri stories about women raising a kid are one of my weaknesses, and the reason Voltage’s Lovestruck has stolen hundreds of dollars from me.

The writing is also fantastic. The descriptive prose makes me laugh at the poor quality English translations we had a decade ago, and sometimes still unfortunately get. SukeraSomero deserves a great deal of praise for the simultaneous English, Japanese, and Chinese release. It is amazing that everyone got to experience this game together all over the world, without having to wait years for a possible license and translation. English translator Meru is one of the best in the business, and her work shines here. Her adaptation is amazing and fits the games’ modern setting and feel. I personally do not care for the amount of internet culture language included, such as Ren calling Akuru a “thot,” simply because such terminology tends to become dated quickly. However, I will defend the creative choices as accurate to Oguri Aya’s original story.

There is one more major compliment I have to give this game, and it is a big one. OshiRabu is extremely queer. While most Yuri titles exist as lesbian or lesbian adjacent content with little construction of LGBTQ identity, for example naming, displaying meaningful sexual and romantic relationships, or showing any aspect of queer culture, OshiRabu does all of these. I was floored when, early on in the story, Ren confesses to Akuru that she is a “lesbian.” The word lesbian is actually used directly in the visual novel, an unfortunate rarity for the Yuri genre. I even swapped the game into the original Japanese to confirm, and there again was the coming-out moment; the word “lesbian,” in all its glory, was planted right on the screen. This fantastic scene was not a one-off occurrence either.

Throughout OshiRabu, Ren continuously mentioned her homosexuality, which is usually juxtaposed by Akuru pondering her own sexuality, which she defines as an attraction to 2D men and nothing else. Although, her identity obviously changes because you know the women must end up together by the end. Some other excellent scenes feature queer representation. For example, at one point in the game, Akuru goes to a gay bookstore where another woman approaches her. When trying to explain that she is not interested, Akuru almost exclaims, “I’m normal,” a sentiment which she quickly realizes is hurtful and prejudice with some spectacular self-reflected narration. Moments like these offer nuanced and thoughtful presentations of LGBT culture and are the definite highlight of the game.

Sadly, not every aspect of the visual novel is as fantastic as these. In fact, many parts of it range from unfortunate to downright atrocious. First, the characters, while not awful or unlikeable, have some harmful qualities to them. Akuru is distant and introverted, which often leads to her being cold or even rude to Ren, which is never confronted or resolved. On her part, Ren is sadly the stereotypical aggressive lesbian, and frequently invades Akuru’s personal space, a topic which is again never reconciled. It is fine to have a character make problematic choices, but when their actions do not have consequences and conflicts have no resolution, it is a significant issue. The only character I unequivocally enjoyed was Shino, as she spends the whole game humorously teasing the two.

Speaking of conflicts, the final dramatic twist comes about as a result of Ren running away and refusing to communicate with Akuru. It turns out, minor spoilers, that she was testing her, which is a pathetic and ridiculous action which in real life can and should have serious repercussions or even end the partnership. Additionally, the topic of Akuru’s shared affection for Ren and her virtual husbandos, which is an immense source of stress for Ren, is not addressed in the base game, only the DLC. The extra content has its own set of problems too.

It is not uncommon for visual novels to include adult content in a separate patch so they can sell the base game on Steam. However, such adult patches are usually free, and OshiRabu’s is not, instead it sells for $4.99. This price is on top of the $24.99 base game, which means you are shelling out 30 dollars for the complete experience. An experience which, mind you. only clocks in at about 3 hours, hardly what I would call a value. It is an additional shame because the adult content is really well done. All the 18+ scenes, except for maybe the brief first one, showcase a tender loving relationship and skillfully written erotic content, although one or two metaphors did not land very well. However, not every player will want the 18+ content, and OshiRabu essentially forces them to play through it if they are going to see all the base game’s conflicts resolved.

There is also an unfortunate amount of service. While most of OshiRabu’s service is just sweet and cute moments between the characters, there is plenty of exploitative artwork designed to cater to specific players of a more perverted persuasion. Ren is usually the subject of such content, with shots featuring her panties and one extremely revealing cosplay outfit consisting of little more than two strips of cloth. Obviously, some players will enjoy these aspects of the game, but they did not work well for me, especially when I compared such clumsy service with the robust adult content.

However, this exploitative artwork, along with the rest of the game’s art, is phenomenally well crafted. Artist and character designer DSmile creates detailed and colorful illustrations that match the light comedic tone of the game. The adorable and vibrant artwork, drawn in a light watercolor style, makes my heart sing! There are also plenty of CG pieces, over 20, including the DLC, which adds six more. Given the games short length, this means you will see a new CG every ten minutes or so. The UI is also incredibly clean, easy to navigate, and blends well with the aesthetics of the art. My only complaint visually is that the sprites are entirely static. Except for different facial expressions and a few outfit changes, they are always the exact same, standing like flat mannequins against a backdrop. There is no animation or even alternative poses for them.

The voice acting is similarly high quality. Voice actors Nekomura Yuki, Kitaooji Yuki, and Waou Kirika all give fantastic performances in Japanese, and the quality of the recordings is consistently amazing. Even the adult scenes are voiced and showcase the range of talent present. The music is not nearly as good, but it does not intrude either. There are enough tracks to prevent the music from getting too dull, although the central theme and one of the tracks, “Let’s Go Out!” push this boundary a little far. Unfortunately, none of them are too memorable either, and I can guarantee that I will never be touching the BGM tab of the extras menu.

OshiRabu: Waifus Over Husbandos is a highly polished and visually impressive experience. The visual novel contains incredible artwork and is well constructed, showing the promise and talent of SukeraSparo. The stellar, although unfortunately necessary, adult DLC, and inclusion of LGBT themes are superb aspects that could have made playing this game a blast. However, a poorly constructed story, weak characters, and a high price tag compared to the amount of content offered severely detract from the game’s success. If you do not mind excessive service or are interested in lots of cute Yuri moments, pick this one up when it goes on sale.

Ratings: Story – 5 (6 with DLC) Characters – 4 Art – 9 Voice – 10 Music – 5 LGBTQ – 10 Sexual Content – 5 (9 with DLC) Final – 5

The visual novel is available on Steam and MangaGamer