#once upon a gamer's journal

[rosecoloredknight]

so I want to get back into gaming that way I can switch from library visits, group activities, social gatherings, walks in the park, reading, binge watching, arts & crafts, and gaming.

Plus, I kind of miss being able to switch to gaming whenever I just want to stay inside and grounded.

That being said, if there's anyone out there who considers themselves a gamer and wouldn't mind adding me in any of these gaming platforms listed down below, please feel free to do so!! I'm looking for more gamer friends so yeah.

I'm a huge rpg a story gamer, but I'm open to playing any type of game genres!! However, please don't expect me to be a try hard in every game or ever. I'm just looking to have a fun and chill time 😊😊😊

I'm going to save up for a ps5 and a Xbox series X so I will boost this again once I do.

Okay, thank you for your time, happy gaming y'all.

—

Xbox gamertag: Alfonzone

(there's a link attached that supposedly sends you to my profile but I don't know if it works so I'm also including my actual gamertag name.)

Discord: rosecoloredknight

(discord seems pretty useful for chatting via different consoles right? Cross play ? like from PC to Xbox or PlayStation, etc?)

PSN: rosecoloreddork

[holymusicalmothman]

Daughter of Courage - Chapter One

You are here! >>> Chapter 02

Been a hardcore Legend of Zelda fan (cosplay, collector, gamer, reader, whole shabang) for 20 of my own 27 years. I wrote this a long while ago in a journal back before any news of TOTK or the LoZ Movie. I like it, and if you guys like it, I'll keep going.

The pre-calamity timeline has been stretched out so that they're 22 instead of 17 when the Calamity. I wanna say Hyrule has a legal age of 17 like in Harry Potter, but for the sake of me being able to make this work in my head they're 22.

Daughter of Courage Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Read it on AO3! I tend to update non-reader insert content here first!

Pairing: Link x OFC/ Original Female Character

Word Count: 3.2k

Prologue

There was once a legend retold time and time again throughout the span of Hyrule's years.

A legend of a chosen here, a young man chosen by the goddess Hylia herself. A legend of a brave princess, blessed with power and ability. And a legend of the plague of darkness that sought to consume the land. 

That was how the story went. A knight, a princess, four Champions, a kingdom. All fell before the Calamity's thirst for destruction. Some people endured it with the hope that the hero would one day return to save them from the darkness.

Yet, for one of the races of Hyrule, there was another. The Gerudo never failed to remember the girl who had been alongside the heroes. No other legend spoke of her, and there were no songs sung. 

Yet had it not been for the selfless sacrifice of the young woman, the four champions, along with the knight and the princess, would have perished long before they could have even attempted to stop the Calamity. 

But those who have been chosen by fate are not easily erased. Especially one who had been watched over so keenly by the eyes of Courage herself.

Chapter One - Daughter, Remember

She was a wanderer. Or at least that's what she thought. She had awoken on the ground in Faron woods, unable to remember a thing, including her own name. As she traveled through the Faron region, stopping at stables and sheltering from rain under abandoned ruins with other travelers, she noticed that none ever looked at her with a spark of familiarity. They didn't recognize her. It was discouraging, but she persisted. She was on her own, a feeling that, deep down, left her off balanced, like something was missing. 

Places tugged at her mind as she traveled, the siren song of a memory that was now out of reach. Some places jumped out at her more than others, but alas. It only left her mind feeling muddled and wrong. As if everything she saw wasn't how it was supposed to be. She found it left a sour taste in her mouth. 

But she continued on. 

Her feet continuously, almost unconsciously, carried her back to Faron Woods. She never could venture far from it, as if something within was calling to her, begging her to find it. The woods held a missing part of her and she would continue to search for it. And, each time she did, she found herself deeper and deeper in the forest. 

It was on one of these adventures that she found Kass, a Rito bard. He was kind, shared some food with her, and watched her with a twinkling eye as she delved deeper into the woods. He had told her a tale passed through history over their shared meal. It had been taught to him by his own teacher: A tale that spoke of a great dragon hidden in the deepest part of the wood.

And so, off she went.

She reckoned the statue did indeed exist, and must've had something to do with the great dragon Farosh, whom she had come to enjoy watching as they journeyed across the sky. 

The sun had just begun its descent when her gray eyes found the first two pillars.

Almost overgrown and hidden away, two large pillars marked the entrance to a canyon of sorts; dragon heads resting at the top of each, decorated with moss and an age granted upon them only by the years of elements.

The sight of the dragon heads spurred her onwards, determined to reach the end despite the encroaching nightfall.

The path opened up right as the world was bathed in moonlight. The ground bore the evidence of recent moblin and lizalfos camping, and yet there wasn't a beast in sight.

She crept forward carefully, just because she couldn't see anything did not mean that there was nothing. 

At the far end of the area was a large stone dragon head, mouth gaping open, a paved pathway cracked with age lead into its gaping jaws. The sides around it were set with deep pools of water.

The Spring of Courage.

She knew it. She had been here. Once. Long ago? In another lifetime? The answers were currently lost as she gazed at the dragon. And yet, after a moment, the young Hylian gave into the unexplainable tugging she felt as she took into the scenery. She moved forward.

The call she had been feeling multiplied tenfold as she walked further into the dragon's maw, watching as a faint light steadily grew brighter ahead of her. Another stone pathway led her into a smaller area with a pool of water and a statue of the goddess Hylia.

Still trusting her intuition, the young woman outstretched a hand, placing it on the statue.

The stone was cool to the touch under her hand and she briefly wondered what she was doing there. 

A woman's voice, warm and powerful, echoed through her.

Hero of the land, friend of Hyrule's Golden Daughter, closest of the Champion of the Kingdom...For days you have traveled both paths known and unknown, some even traveled unknowingly...Your courage and perseverance have not wavered...You have passed the trials set before you by Farore and you have proven your worth...Now, remember...

Hateno Stables - 16 Years Before the Calamity

"HEY! THAT'S MY APPLE TREE! GET DOWN!" A young girl of just six summers stood at the foot of an apple tree with her hands on her hips. Her gray eyes glinted as she stared at the object of her ire.

A boy, close to her own age if not the same, simply glanced down at her, his own blue eyes regarding her in momentary annoyance. Despite her angry stance, he deigned that she posed no threat to him and resumed his quest for an apple.

The now flabbergasted young girl thought quickly, beginning to fling pebbles at his hand with frightening accuracy. 

The yellow haired boy cried out and quickly drew his hand back as he glared at her fiercely. 

"You can't do that to me! I'm a knight of Hyrule!" He said angrily.

At this, the girl only began to laugh. "No you aren't! You're too small!"

The boy tried to retort, to gain back the upper hand in the conversation, however, he was unable to make himself heard over the other's giggles and he clambered down from the tree. He stood in front of her, bright blue eyes gleaming.

"I am too a knight!"

The brown haired girl was unimpressed and the pair began to bicker back and forth until she called for a duel.

"A duel?" 

She nodded. "I challenge you, Apple Thief, to a duel."

Before he could even argue that that wasn't even his name, she had scurried away into the stable for a moment before returning with two wooden swords.

"Come on, we can use these! My big brothers use them for duels all the time," she began leading him away from the farmhouse and stable, towards the main road leading to Hateno. "We have to go closer to the road, though. My brothers don't like me playing with their things and they won't see us over here!"

The now bewildered young boy could only follow. 

They stopped just barely out of sight of her home. "Alright, this should be far enough." She handed him one of the wooden swords. "Ummmmm...Oh! Rules! The rules are...."

She thought for a moment. Rules had to be sensible. Her mother had told her that most rules would keep her safe, and every duel had rules according to her brothers. "The rules are...oh! We can't go in the road. We can't hit each other on the head because it hurts, and the first person to get knocked down loses. Ready? GO!"

And with that, she flew at him, barely giving the boy a moment to defend himself. 

The Stable Daughter of Hateno fought with all the ferocity of a Lynel. Having grown up with two older brothers who did not share easily, she had learned nothing of surrender.

The boy soon fought back just as equally, if only to prevent the childlike shame of being bested by a girl. 

Travelers passed by the pair, watching with amusement as they journeyed to either the village on top of the hill or the stables at its base.

A pair of Gerudo women were the first to actually stop and watch the young children's 'duel'. Their leader had sent them on an assignment and had sought to rest at the inn before the long return to the desert.  They watched the pair, impressed by the tenacity of the young girl. 

The battle came to a close as she thrusted the wooden sword forward, catching her opponent with a harsh jab to the stomach. The air left him and he landed on his rear, the wind having been knocked out of him.

"I win!" She danced in a circle, triumph etched upon her face. 

"That's not fair!" The boy protested. "I've never been in a duel before!"

The girl stopped and pondered it for a moment. "Then we'll simply have to duel with each other until you can win." She held out a hand to help him up. "I'm Kaileigh."

"I'm Link."

Hateno Stables - Nine Years before the Calamity.

Seven years had passed since that fateful day and the summer sun still found the pair immersed in a furious duel. 

Link had bested her years prior, yet by that time they simply viewed it as training. So it continued. 

Now, both were at thirteen summers of age and on the brink of new chapters of life.

Link would leave the next morning for Castle Town to begin as a Squire and, eventually, become a knight. 

For Kai, she too would leave the home she had always known. The two Gerudo women who had watched their first duel had carried word of the fierce child back to their chief and, once a year, there would be another Gerudo visiting Hateno, stopping to see if the young girl still fought with such fire. If anything, those flames had only grown, 

The previous year, the right hand of the Gerudo Chief had stopped at the stable and spoken with her and her parents. It had been shocking to say the least, as the Gerudo were not a people who were in the habit of training many outsiders, especially ones so far from the desert. But they had seen something in Kai, and Urbosa herself wanted to train the young girl. It was an offer that had, until now, been unheard of. It had been an honor impossible to turn down and now the next morning would find Kai on her way to the desert to be trained as a Warrior. 

So the pair fought as they had for years, the knowledge that they would not see each other for an undetermined amount of time resting heavily in their young minds. They had become inseparable over the years, the closest of friends, and the knowledge that they had to part was better off ignored on their final day at home.

Castle Town - Five Years Before the Calamity

Urbosa, Chief of the Gerudo, had included Kai in her entourage for a visit to Castle Town. And, while it was an honor to have the Chief include her, Kai couldn’t help but wonder why. There had been plenty of visits to the heart of the Kingdom before, each taken without her. The young Hylian’s sudden inclusion confused her.

The confusion turned to shock when the newly-eighteen year old was informed that she was to accompany the Princess for the day.

Princess Zelda had seemed surprised as well, but recovered quickly and led the other girl off to her study.

The Princess had been reading over what appeared to be ancient manuscripts, written in strange scribbles, for a while before setting them down with a sigh. She turned to Kai, who was admiring the view of Hyrule offered by the large window.

“How is it that you came to be among the Gerudo?” Zelda asked.

Kai turned, startled. She had thought Urbosa had wanted her to keep an eye on the princess, to make sure she was safe. She had not been prepared for a conversation.

“I don’t mean to pry, I’m simply curious. I’ve never heard of the Gerudo accepting someone who is not of their race among their warriors?”

Kai was used to the question, as many travelers had asked her the same. She told the princess how she had met her best friend when she was a young girl and also managed to catch the attention of the Gerudo simply by dueling.

“He and I left Hateno when we were three and ten, he came here to be a knight actually. We’ve kept contact the best we can with letters.” Kai explained.

A flicker of mild recognition passed across the young Princess’ face. She stood from her desk and gestured for Kai to follow her. “Come, maybe we can find this friend of yours.”

The girls walked through the castle halls side by side–at the princess’ insistence–and they found in each other similar spirits. The young princess was happy to share her studies with someone and Kai found her theories genuinely interesting. As the pair made their way to the training yard, they passed by the open doors of one of the vast rooms used for more private meetings. The king and chief watched the young girls pass by, talking animatedly as if they had known each other for years.

“A friend would do the Little Bird some good, Rhoam.” Urbosa stated. “Kaileigh is a capable warrior.” 

At the last addition, the King simply nodded. 

Kai and Zelda did indeed manage to find Link. They had observed the soldiers training for a short while before training had finished. The moment the soldiers were released for the day, a headful of blonde hair had made a beeline for the pair, Link bowed respectfully to the princess before tossing all proprietary out the window and catching Kai in a bone crushing hug.

It wasn’t far too much longer that Kai would be assigned as Zelda’s Lady’s Companion: A friend to the young woman, yes, but also a sworn shield maiden set to defend the Golden Princess should the need arise. After a while, the two were as close as sisters, they trusted the other with everything. 

As for Link and Kai, once again spending every day around the other again, their own relationship seemed to blossom, moments spent whispering in castle alcoves, timid words and small smiles in passing through the halls, nights spent on rooftops talking about anything and everything while the constellations twinkled overhead. 

The Lost Woods - Two Years Before the Calamity

So this was how it was going to be.

Kai had watched from beside Zelda as Link drew the Master Sword from its pedestal, the blade not resisting in the slightest. Nausea rolled through her as she watched in silence, anxiety and worry forming a ball in the pit of her stomach as horror and fear made itself at home in her bones. 

Link fought through the others congratulating him to her side, grabbing her hand and thus breaking her reverie. 

Gray and blue eyes met, both sad and fearful.

This was the end of the world they knew. Calamity was coming.

Kakariko Village - The Night Before the Calamity

The inn in Kakariko Village was nice. The villagers used fallen Cucco feathers to stuff pillows and mattresses and it was supposed to be very comfortable.

But the night sky found them both on the roof, Kai staring absentmindedly into nothing as Link sat close beside her. The Calamity was going to come any day now, they were doing everything they could to save Hyrule, but the drowning anxiety within her said it would all be for naught.

Calloused fingers threaded through her own and she blinked, shoving her worries to the side as she looked at Link. 

“You okay?” he asked quietly, the hour far into the night. 

“What if we fail? What if all of this has been for nothing?”

He sighed, scooting closer so that their shoulders were touching. “Then we fail. But at least we tried. It’ll be okay in the end, Kai.”

She laughed softly, “Us against the world? Betcha didn’t think we’d end up here when you decided to steal apples.”

Link smiled at her. “I’d do it again if it meant doing everything over again with you.” He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles.

East Lanayru Gate - The Next Day

The ground rumbled beneath their feet. Time was up. Calamity was upon them.

Zelda, Kai, Link, Urbosa, Mipha, Daruk, and Revali all shared knowing looks as they quickly went over the plan when a roar suddenly split the air just past the opening of the canyon. A lynel. The forces of Ganon were upon them.

Kai drew her spear from its holster upon her back.

“Go!” She yelled. “Champions to your Divine Beasts! Link, get Zelda out of here!”

His eyes had been wild and distraught. He stepped towards her as if to stop her and she only moved out of his reach with a sad smile. They needed time to escape, and she would have to get it. 

“I love you, I’ll meet you in Kakariko when this is all over.” Her voice was quiet and a look of panicked anguish escaped his soldier’s grasp of emotions as she backed away.

“Kai–”

“Take Zelda and go.” She ordered before racing towards the oncoming enemy.

Lynel’s were easily her least favorite of the monsters that spread their filth like a disease across the face of Hyrule. Large beasts, somewhere between a lion and a horse, known to decimate anything in their path.

It wasn’t unheard of for a single person to take one down, just extremely difficult.

Kai sent a quick prayer to Hylia as she took a fighting stance, aware that her friends were still watching her with fear. 

She turned to them, avoiding Link’s eyes this time. “I said go! Stop Ganon!”

They jumped into action and Kai turned back to the fight, focusing on the oncoming threat.

As the beast approached, she sighed. Most lynels had red manes, this was no ordinary lynel. The silver sheen of its hide was unmistakable. 

The fight began and she dodged the heavy blows, her spear aiming for the beast’s ankles and, when she had an opening, it’s chest. She focused on trying to immobilize it.

As the fight continued, her fear only grew as she noticed none of her attacks seemed to be doing much. She wasn’t going to win, there was no way she could outlast this enemy. In the back of her mind she knew she was distracted and desperate and scared. Her movements become sloppy and slow.

She managed to land a few direct hits to the beast, bringing it to its knees, a flicker of hope shot through her and Kai turned to gain enough momentum for a heavy strike, 

Only to catch a charged arrow in her back.

As the electric current sent her body seizing she briefly wondered if it had been enough.

For her, the fight was over.

She only hoped they could still win. 

Next Chapter!

I would love to keep going and write more and share more of this story, but only if someone else is gonna read it, I'm totally down to keep building into TOTK!

[another-rpg-sideblog]

What is an Adventure Journal?

An Adventure Journal is a dynamic blend of storytelling and task management, designed to transform everyday routines into thrilling quests. Unlike traditional journals, an Adventure Journal invites you to become the hero of your own story, where daily activities are reframed as challenges that earn you experience points, similar to a role-playing game. By documenting your journey, setting goals, and conquering daily tasks, you not only keep track of your progress but also engage in an ongoing adventure that makes productivity exciting and rewarding. This innovative approach turns mundane to-do lists into a narrative of personal achievement and growth, set against the backdrop of a vividly imagined world.

What is Thaloria?

Thaloria is our meticulously crafted fantasy world, a rich backdrop for the characters you create and the adventures you undertake. This world is populated with diverse monsters and mystical landscapes. 

Extending beyond journaling into RPG's and 5E content

But that's not all—our vision extends into the realm of role-playing games. We are developing a series of 5e-compatible content, including detailed monster manuals, one-shot scenarios, and extensive lore that fits seamlessly within our journals. Whether you’re a veteran gamer or new to the world of RPGs, our content is designed to enhance your gaming sessions and bring the world of Thaloria to life at your table.

Join us on this extraordinary journey to redefine journaling and gaming. With the Thaloria Adventure Journal and our RPG content, every day is an adventure, and every task is a step towards epic achievements.

As you journal, you’re not just planning your day—you’re exploring Thaloria, engaging with its inhabitants, and overcoming challenges that are both fantastical and all too real.

Once upon a time, in the not-so-far-off land of everyday Stress and Anxiety, there lived a designer who battled the dragons of PTSD, stress, and trauma. Armed with nothing but a pen and paper, our hero set out on a quest to conquer these beasts through the ancient art of journaling. But alas, while the simple act of writing wielded power, the quest was fraught with the peril of monotony, making it a challenge to stay the course.

In a stroke of genius fuelled by the desire for a more captivating way to slay his demons, Jason conjured the Thaloria Quest Adventure Journal. Designed not just to engage the mind but to enchant it. This wasn't your grandma's journaling routine; it was journaling with a side of battling minions, forging alliances, and uncovering treasures, all while stealthily deploying scientific principles of mindfulness, habit-building, and routines.

And they journaled happily ever after...or at least until the next epic boss battle.

What's included?

Premium Faux Leather Deluxe Journal 

Versatile loose-leaf style: Durable 6-ring metal binder—perfect for endless customization and endless adventures!" The binder is A5 in size

91 Days of Immersive Journaling: Dive into three months of guided adventures, with daily entries that bring your character and story to life.

Over 250 Pages of Rich Content: Packed with lore, quests, and exercises, each page is a new discovery in the vast world of Thaloria.

Daily Mindful Writing Exercises: Start each day with thoughtful prompts designed to enhance mindfulness and creativity, fostering a deeper connection to your adventure and personal growth.

Weekly Combat Encounters: Test your might and strategy with weekly battles against minions and formidable bosses, designed to challenge and thrill.

Loot Tables for Adventure Gear: Discover treasure and gear to equip your character.

Detailed Character Sheets: Track your progress, stats, and achievements with comprehensive character sheets that grow as you do.

Magical Spells and Abilities Guide: Unlock the secrets of Thaloria's magic with a guide to spells and abilities that your character can learn and master.

Quest Log: Keep track of your quests, goals, and achievements.

Exquisite Faux Leather: The journal is encased in high-quality faux leather that not only gives it a sleek, sophisticated look but also provides durability. Its smooth texture offers a comfortable, tactile experience that appeals to both visual and practical sensibilities.

Premium Quality Stitching: Every edge and join is meticulously stitched, ensuring the journal withstands the rigors of daily use while maintaining a flawless appearance. The stitching also adds an element of artisanal charm, highlighting the care and precision invested in its creation.

Flexible Loose Leaf Style: At the heart of its design, the journal features a loose leaf system held together by six robust metal ring bindings. This not only adds a striking visual contrast with its metallic sheen but also provides unparalleled flexibility. Easily add or remove pages to customize the journal to your evolving adventures.

Convenient Interior Pockets: Integrated within the journal are thoughtfully designed pockets. These compartments are perfect for storing important cards, notes, and even small trinkets and tools, ensuring you have everything you need at your fingertips.

Secure Magnetic Clasp: A strong magnetic clasp keeps the journal securely closed, protecting your notes, drawings, and reflections. This feature ensures that your ideas stay safe and private, ready for when you next wish to ponder them or carry on with your quests.

Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Layouts

Organize your life like never before. From daily tasks to long-term goals,  Thaloria Quest has got you covered.

Start as a novice and grow into a legendary hero, all within the pages of your journal.

With the Thaloria Quest Adventure Journal, where your character's progression is a mirror of your own achievements. As you level up by completing quests and challenges, your journey will be marked by the acquisition of new equipment and skills, enhancing your capabilities and opening up new avenues of adventure. 

Character Levelling: Advance your character by completing tasks, simulating a true RPG progression system.

New Equipment and Skills: Unlock new abilities and gear to aid your quest as you level up.

Achievements with Stickers: Mark significant milestones and achievements with unique stickers in your journal.

Bonus Rewards: Earn special rewards upon completing achievements, adding value and excitement to your journey.

Level up by completing challenges, and earn experience points to unlock new abilities, weapons, and treasures.

Face off against menacing bosses who test your commitment and consistency.

Using a simple D20 combat mechanic. (D20 = Dice with 20 sides)

Thaloria Quest Cards, are exclusively designed to bring excitement and challenge to your routine. Each card draws you into a unique quest that, when completed within the week, rewards you with bonus experience points; accelerating your journey through the Thaloria Quest Adventure Journal.

Deck includes 52 Quest cards made out of 300gsm high-quality satin-finished card

How It Works:

Draw Your Quest: Each week, draw a card from your Thaloria Quest deck and secure it in your journal.

Embark on Adventures: These quests range from simple tasks to stretch your daily habits to complex challenges that test your limits and expand your capabilities.

Earn Rewards: Successfully completing your quest by the week’s end not only brings a sense of achievement but also grants you bonus experience points. The more challenging the quest, the greater the rewards.

Whether you’re tackling a straightforward task or navigating a demanding challenge, these quest cards are designed to keep your weekly planning dynamic and engaging. Perfect for anyone looking to infuse a sense of adventure into their everyday life, the Thaloria Quest Cards turn every week into an opportunity for growth and excitement.

Kickstarter campaign ends: Fri, June 14 2024 10:00 PM BST

Website: [Ocular Oddities] [facebook] [instagram] [TikTok]

[meeowdiastudies]

Play to Profit

The Monetization of the Gaming Community

Gaming communities have long been on the same page with shared joy, camaraderie, and the love of gameplay. However, as the gaming industry evolves, substantial transformation is noticeable. The question arises: Are gaming communities gradually pivoting from being about play to becoming driven by money? In this blog, we delve into the changing dynamics within gaming communities, exploring how the desire for profit reshapes the nature of gaming.

The Emergence of Monetization Platforms

The rise of streaming platforms like Twitch has undeniably altered the landscape of gaming communities (Nucciarelli et al. 2017). Initially conceived as a platform for gamers to share their experiences, Twitch has evolved into a cash cow for many. The introduction of features like channel subscriptions, donations, and ad revenue has spawned a new breed of content creators—entrepreneurial gamers seeking financial gains. While these platforms provide opportunities for streamers to monetize their passion, some streamers like CDawgVA host Charity Streams where all proceeds of the stream go to charity (Shrivastava 2023).

E-Sports and the Commercialization Wave

E-sports, once shunned upon, has now exploded onto the mainstream scene, bringing both recognition and commercialization (Hou, Yang & Panek 2020). The mass marketing of e-sports events has transformed competitive gaming into a multi-billion-dollar industry where sponsorships, advertising deals, and massive prize pools have become the norm (Abanazir 2021). With the increase in momentum of internet usage, evolution of technology backed by the increase in viewership of Esports online due to the pandemic, this has led to its rise in growth (Yue, Rui & Chiang 2020).

The Gamification of Monetization within Games

In-game purchases, microtransactions, and virtual currencies have become common features in gaming today. While these elements contribute to the revenue stream for game developers, they have also reshaped the dynamics of gaming communities (Anderson, 2018). The gamification of monetization introduces a commercial nature into the gaming experience, blurring the lines between play and profit. In this case, players are not just participants; they are consumers in a virtual marketplace. This shift challenges the traditional idea of gaming as a leisure activity driven by a love for play.

Conclusion

Overall, it can be seen that the nature of gaming has gradually been commercialized. While economic opportunities are prevalent, it is important to preserve the core values that define gaming cultures: fun, joy, and good gameplay (Jones, 2020). Striking a balance between play and profit is crucial to ensure that gaming communities remain vibrant and true to their roots. As monetization continues to weave its way into the gaming scene, maintaining the essence of shared joy, enthusiasm, and genuine connection is key to preserving the unique and cherished spirit of gaming communities.

Reference List

Ekeroth, F & Sandoff, V 2023, ‘Social elements of gaming and microtransaction purchases’, Jonkoping International Business School, viewed 20 November 2023, <https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1761960/FULLTEXT01.pdf>.

Shrivastava, A 2023, Twitch streamer CDawgVA in tears after raising over $329,000 for IDF on his Charity Auction livestream, Sportskeeda, viewed 16 November 2023, <https://www.sportskeeda.com/esports/news-twitch-streamer-cdawgva-tears-raising-329-000-idf-charity-auction-livestream>.

Hou, J, Yang, X & Panek, E 2020, ‘How About Playing Games as a Career? The Evolution of E-Sports in the Eyes of Mainstream Media and Public Relations’, International Journal of Sport Communication, vol. 13, no. 1, pp. 1–21, viewed 22 November 2023, <https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/ijsc/13/1/article-p1.xml>.

Abanazir, C 2021, ‘Of Values and Commercialisation: An Exploration of Esports’ Place within the Olympic Movement, Sport, Ethics and Philosophy, vol. 16, no. 4, pp. 397-412.

Nucciarelli, A, Feng, L, Fernandes, K, Νικόλαος Γουμάγιας, Ignazio Cabras, Devlin, S, Kudenko, D & Cowling, PI 2017, ‘From value chains to technological platforms: The effects of crowdfunding in the digital game industry’, Journal of Business Research, vol. 78, pp. 341–352.

Yue, Y, Rui, W & Chiang, S 2020, ‘Development of E-sports industry in China: Current situation, Trend and research hotspot’, International Journal of Esports, vol. 1, no. 1.

[ts2aridia]

Aridia BACC Rules

Hi! I'm Alex, a long-time TS2 player who recently found out about the Build a City Challenge after I stumbled across @ts2windyvalley's blog. I highly recommend checking her out!!

Anyways, that being said, I'm drawing upon her ruleset, only deviating to fit my own personal playstyle.

These will likely be tweaked as I continue to play with Aridia, finding out what works best and what doesn't as well as letting the sims' stories guide the way. Essentially, these will be updated as time goes on.

Rules lie beneath the cut.

The Beginning

I will be starting out with 12 sims all of which will be played rotationally. Side note: townies and service sims are allowed in the hood but will not be allowed to become playable through marriage or moving in. All households start with the original 20,000 and upon moving in, I will roll a 10-sided die to determine how many additional simoleons will be added to their funds (1,000-10,000). With this new balance to work with, I will then build the initial houses and include the following in their homes:

a phone

a refrigerator, stove, and necessary countertops

a toilet, sink, and shower/bathtub

bed(s)

a couch, bookcase, and 1-2 hobby items

The build/buy catalog will then be closed until further progress has been made in the challenge (as described below).

Careers

The number of positions within a given career will be maxed out at 7.

Adventure: An initial position opens up once a sim-owned museum is established. Every 2 treasure chests discovered, a new position is unlocked. Architecture: A new position opens up every 5 established business lots. Artist: A position opens up every time a sim maxes the creativity skill or maxes enthusiasm in arts & crafts. Athletic: An initial position opens up after a sports-themed community lot is built. A new position opens up every time the body skill is maxed by a sim. Business: A new position opens up every time a sim-owned business reaches rank 5. Criminal: A new position opens up every 3rd burglary or 3rd charlatan pickpocket. Culinary: A position opens up for every sim-owned food-related business lot in the 'hood. Dance: A position opens up once a sim-owned dance studio or nightclub reaches rank 5. Subsequent positions open up every time a sim maxes enthusiasm in music & dance. Education: A position opens up every 6th child born in the 'hood. Entertainment: A position is unlocked every time a sim maxes the charisma skill. Gamer: A position is unlocked every time a sim maxes enthusiasm in games. Intelligence: A position opens up every time a sim reaches level 7+ in the Military, Criminal, or Science career. Journalism: A new position opens up every time a sim maxes enthusiasm in film & literature. Law: A new position opens up for every even numbered position opened up in the Law Enforcement career. Law Enforcement: A position opens up with every even number of Criminal positions open. Medicine: A position opens up once 5 sims have gotten an illness, subsequent positions open for every increment of 10 within the population. Military: The initial position opens up once a sim maxes enthusiasm in both fitness and science--a new position opens every time a sim reaches level 5 in the career. Music: The initial position opens up once a sim-owned music store has been established in the 'hood--a new position opens every time a sim maxes enthusiasm in music & dance. Natural Science: A position opens every time a sim earns a gold gardening badge. Oceanography: A position opens up every time a sim earns a gold fishing badge. Paranormal: The initial position opens once there is a community cemetery lot with at least two graves--a new position opens every 5 graves. Politics: The initial position is available at the start of the 'hood, this is the mayor. Once the mayor dies, a new sim is able to take over the position. Science: The initial position is unlocked after a sim maxes out both the logic skill and enthusiasm in science. A new position is unlocked after a sim maxes out the logic skill. Slacker: A position opens for every 3 sim-owned businesses in the 'hood. Show Business: A position unlocks after a sim has reached level 7+ in the slacker or entertainment career.

Services

Adoption: 6 babies must be born in the 'hood. Butler: A fortune sim must complete their lifetime want. Exterminator: 2+ sims must get the flu from cockroaches. Gardener: A sim must achieve a gold gardening talent badge. Grocery Delivery: A grocery store must be established in the 'hood. Maid: A sim must max the cleaning skill. Matchmaking Service: A romance sim must complete their lifetime want. Nanny/Babysitter: The Education career must be unlocked. Obedience Trainer: A pet store must be established in the 'hood. Pet Adoption: A pet store must be established in the 'hood. Food Delivery: A restaurant must be established in the 'hood. Repairman: A sim must max enthusiasm in tinkering or max the mechanical skill.

Businesses and Community Lots

In the beginning, the 'hood will be empty save for the initial houses and a free park community lot. Businesses and lots will not be built prior to the first rotation.

As stated previously, the build/buy catalog will not be available on residential lots, but can be used on business/community lots. Build mode will be unlocked after the Architecture career has been unlocked and a sim has filled the position.

A sim can own as many businesses as they want provided they have the simoleons to run them.

Community lots can be built once enough tax money has been raised to fund the construction-- the creation of a single community lot per rotation is allowed. *An entire rotation will be 5 days--the length of an in-game season.

Simoleons & Taxes

Sims pay taxes starting with the first rotation--taxes are taken out at the very beginning of each rotation.

Taxes:

- 10% of household funds. - 12% of household funds if they are business owners. - 7% of household funds if they are strictly retired sims. - no taxes if the household has below 500 simoleons.

Aid:

- 100 simoleons/day for pregnant sims if it is tax day. - Unemployed sims recieve 100 simoleons on tax day if there are no other employed sims in the household.

Computers

Computers will become available to purchase once an electronics store opens up within the 'hood. After a household has purchased a computer, they will gain access to the buy catalog, however, a sim must pay an additional cost (0.5x the cost of the item purchased, e.g. if an item originally cost 300, the sim will have to pay an additional 150 for a total of 450). In addition, a type of item from the buy catalogue will have to be sold elsewhere in the 'hood before a sim can purchase it from the catalog.

Sub-Hoods

A new sub-hood will cost 350,000 simoleons in tax revenue from the 'hood. Before a sub-hood can be added, the Adventure career must be unlocked.

A university sub-hood becomes available to add once a sim maxes the education career and 350,000 simoleons from the 'hood's tax revenue is used to fund its establishment.

Other

Fire Alarms and burglar alarms are unlocked after 3 fires and 3 burglaries respectively and must be sold on a business lot.

Only two households can attempt to dig for treasure every rotation.

Money trees are only allowed for fortune sims or sims with nature as their one true hobby. There is no limit to how many can be owned.

Smart milk is available to unlock after both the science and education career have been unlocked.

[ausetkmt]

The non-profit Internet Archive has been in the news a good bit in recent weeks, after losing a high-profile legal challenge from four major U.S. book publishers over the digital archive’s National Emergency Library that launched in 2020 during the pandemic to lend e-books for users stuck at home during lockdowns and self-quarantines.

Put simply, the publishers — HarperCollins, Hachette Book Group, John Wiley & Sons and Penguin Random House — challenged the Internet Archive’s practice of lending multiple copies of some of their digital books at the same time. The Internet Archive has lent digital copies of books for well over a decade, but only the number of books the library physically had on hand (basically, the same way a brick and mortal library can only lend the amount of book copies it physically has in house). The Internet Archive argued the expanded lending library fell under fair use, while the publishers characterized the practice as “mass copyright infringement.”

The publishers won the case, which looks to put a stop to the expanded digital lending practice. The Internet Archive isn’t giving up the fight, planning to appeal the ruling.

But even without that emergency library, the Internet Archive still has a whole lot to offer. From concert archives, classic films, TV shows, software and the internet itself via the Wayback Machine web page archive.

Thousands of old concerts

If you’re reading Paste, there’s a decent chance you’re a music junkie. To that end, you could spend weeks getting lost in the internet Archive’s massive Live Music Archive. The collection includes more than 200,000 concerts from artists as varied as The Grateful Dead, My Morning Jacket, Blues Traveler, Elliot Smith, Guster and hundreds more. If you love live music and are looking for a new spot to find some performances, it’s one of the biggest archives out there. And, of course, it’s all free.

The Internet Arcade & Console Living Room

Want to revisit some of the classic arcade and console games from the 16-bit era (and before, and a bit after)? The Internet Archive is home to a massive catalog of classic video games, one of the few places where these works are being preserved and made available for fans to discover and revisit. Visitors can emulate thousands of games straight from your web browser, including arcade classics like NBA Jam, Pac-Man, Defender and more. The Console Living Room project is much the same, featuring classic video game console games available to play thanks to emulation from a web browser.

The Magazine Rack

Print might not be the mainstay it once was as many publications have gone digital-only. But there are still decades upon decades of old print magazines, which represent a snapshot of the world as it was at that moment in time. The Internet Archive’s Magazine Rack project features more than 300,000 digitized magazines, ranging from mainstream publications like Cosmopolitan, Sports Illustrated and Esquire; to video game and tech mags like GamePro, Retro Gamer; and even classic issues of TV Guide. It’s useful for research, and a great way to revisit some print journalism and reporting that would otherwise be lost to history.

Vast films and TV libraries

The Internet Archive is also loaded with films and TV shows, especially a lot of older and obscure titles that can prove hard to find on modern streaming services. Want to revisit Disney’s Song of the South (a racist piece of period cinema that has largely been erased from the Mouse House’s repertoire) for some reason? It’s there. Looking for classic black and white films and westerns? You’ll find plenty. On the TV side, you can find archived newscasts for posterity, along with seasons of television shows ranging from Farscape to Kojak, 1990s-era TV movies and hours upon hours of old children’s shows. It’s a big mishmash, but there are plenty of gems hidden in the stacks.

The Wayback Machine

Trying to track down an old article from 10 or 20 years ago? Want to relive the Yahoo! homepage as it looked a decade (or two) ago? The Wayback Machine is an invaluable resource for internet historians, archiving more than 800 billion web pages and counting from across the internet. It’s an amazing resource, as easily the biggest and most expansive archive of the internet available to the average person.

Still a whole lot of books

This is still a library we’re talking about, and yeah, there are thousands upon thousands of books. From the classics, newer releases and public domain materials. If you’re just wanting some fresh books to read, the Internet Archive can keep you in books until the end of the world. Then probably a little longer than that, considering they never stop adding new books to the archive.

[jayisgay]

Camp Here and There finale time!!! Wooo!!!

mmm don't like this. Does Elijah just have Sydney like. Tied to the top of the tower

Jedediah knows Elijah??? I mean we knew that Elijah knew Sydney, but ????

"architect" hmmm

ok i hate Elijah with every cell in my body but like. i understand the simps in this moment. "Fighting words. Let's check your claims against those of the gospel, hmmm?" "And what constitutes the gospel?" "My word." like ok sir 0///0

"in that moment he was perfect, our muse. Prone as he was upon the forest floor" ok thats fucking creepy

What's Elijah talking about?? Is the 'Sydney dies and it's a time loop' theory correct???

"You MOTHERFUCKER!" *gasp* "Language!" fjksdlfjlsfjs

That's right Elijah go fuck yourself

Enjoying Angry Jedediah quite a bit this time. Love it when his anger is directed at the right people :)

Oh crap. The journals

Elijah was Sydney's nurse? Or was it another tall thin blond man

Ok nope that's def Elijah

So Elijah was a fucking creep even back then. wonderful -_-

COMA???

The journals are having an Effect I do not like this

Assuming the limn happens after the events in these first few journal entries, Sydney was engaging in magic even before the world ended. Huh.

So Jedediah was trying to cure Sydney's illness hmm

YOU TURN IT OFF AND BACK ON AGAIN??? I'M SORRY SIR COULD YOU RUN THAT BY ME ONE MORE TIME

Sydney!! Yes beat his ass

ominous clock chiming 0.o

Hell yes!!! Elijah get got

So uh. To the first music break. Jamming out and. Thank God but What The Fuck Just Happened

Oh my fucking god Lucille she couldn't even do this one thing??? god fucking dammit

well at LEAst Elijah doesn't have the journals

HMmm time loop theory real? Sydney IS dead? or wait no??? ???? WHat

He died and then Jedediah brought him back ok ok

holy shit 0.o

Jedidah actually communicating? Holy shit wow

Ough my heart. This isn't entirely healthy but GOD is it tender

the pyre was LIT??? okay did NOT realize that holy crap

I'm sorry SEXY??? SIR??? FJFSLKDJLFJSLDKFSJL BAHAHDAHAHHAHAHHA

talking about their feelings for once. ough <3333

FJSKDFJLDJLKSLDKJF after all that's happened i think Jedediah deserves to be made fun of. and its funny so

"I have to work on my... project. I have to cry over a picture of you in my office, alone. My- my sobs are synced up with the ticking of my... many beautiful clocks." I am LOSING MY MIND BAHAHAHAHH

HONEY <333333 in TEARS

I wish I was able to keep the other counselor's names straight because I have no idea who these people are. I know there's a british dude, a gamer person, and someone who Sydney hates for no discernable reason. And an alpha male guy, but that might be the same as the previous dude idk. Anyway I wish i could keep the side characters straight

soop <33333

uGH Lucille. hhhhhhhhh. just get to the POINT

He's still working on shit hmmm. It's not over

this is a FAST game of chess holy shit wow

what kind of chess board is this??? X? Q? this is not how chess notation works as far as I remember

Lucille that's really rude to say about how Sydney talks. :(

"Adrenaline Wizard" lmaooo

Wait crap. Lucille... what's going on

shit what hold on what's going on crap crap crap

DID she let him know??? ok good. she didn't do that at least.

"he was a blonde with a big knife" lol

What could you have done, Lucille? You could have TRIED. You could have TRIED to help. god

Ok final thoughts:

- Elijah knew Sydney as his nurse, but how did he become so obsessed with him? I think there's more there.

- This proves the Sydney Died theory but I still think the Time Loop theory holds some weight. Jedediah obviously COULDN'T tell Sydney the full truth, and he has all those clocks and shit; we definitely don't know the full story so at the very least that theory isn't DISproven.

Uh, yeah I don't have many other thoughts. I'm not good at piecing shit together. Anyway that was amazing!!!

[gallavichthings]

We’re back! After a short break, we’re back in full force with this series! Please enjoy our interview with the lovely @wehangout​, an unique writer in the fandom, author of stories such as Coming Undone, One by One, Help Me (Tear down My Reason) and the Our Souls series. Oh, there are two surprises this time...

GT: What can you tell us about yourself?

J: A bit about me ... I'm in my thirties, married with two kids and two cats, and I desperately want a dog. Life has yet to give me one, though I continue to wait ever impatiently. I live in New Zealand which legit might be the best place to be as of the last eighteen months or so, just sayin'. I love to read and write, I love all animals but have a weird phobia of sharks, and I'm currently bingeing Lucifer, so tag your spoilers, friends!

GT: Yes, from what I've heard from a friend in New Zealand, things are as controlled as possible there, which is great!

How old are your kids? Is it hard to find time to write with them around?

J: They're 9 and 5, so with them both at school that does give me my days to write, but I tend to have more motivation at night, haha. Once my youngest is in bed for the night I'm good to go. My oldest is a bit of a "gamer" so she does her thing and I do mine.

GT: Oh good, they're somewhat independent enough then.

I love cats, so I must ask you to please tell me more about yours. 

J: My babies 😻 They're getting to an age where I don't know how long they have left and I want to talk about them all the time, haha.

This is Chiko. She was found tiny and cold on the side of the road. The vet first thought she was about 6 weeks old, but after a check up realized she was about 6 months! She was so tiny she was only allowed half a cup of cat food a day. Now she's a queen.

And this is my Moe, Moses, Malloy-loy. He's a fighter and has cost us so much in vet bills, but he's a big baby, the best napping companion, and the most handsome.

GT: They're amazing, I love them. 

You said you like reading and writing. Is that books too or mainly fanfiction?

J: Oh, for sure books, too. My first fandom I wrote seriously for was The Outsiders, I'm a huge HP fan (Death of the Author very much applies to both here), and I have a giant pile of to-read books, haha. I've written original stuff, too ...

I think fanfic is just easier, though? For both reading and writing. With writing, fanfic gives that instant gratification, whether from readers or beta readers - there's always someone willing to give it a go, unlike with original writing. They don't need to be introduced to new characters, new situations, etc. I think the same goes for why I read for fanfic, too. It's easier and quicker for me to submerge myself into a good Ian and Mickey fic than it is to pick up an unread novel. I'm part of my own problem lmao.

Plus, to be fair, there are so many fics and writers in this fandom that wow me more than a lot of books do.

GT: Do you aspire to publish your own original stories one day?

J: I mean, that's the dream. I just find it so difficult, and not just the lack of instant gratification. Even finding someone invested enough to beta or bounce ideas around with is hard. I feel like, until you've made a name for yourself, not many people are interested in your original writing.

Technically (lol) I am published. I've placed in a couple of writing comps and one of them published my short story in a journal along with a bunch of others and some poetry. That was cool.

Plus my best writing is usually in second person, and that's hella frowned upon in original fiction lmao

GT: Why do you choose to write in second person?

J: It's not really a choice, to be honest. I struggled so hard with the constant he/him pronouns the first time I tried to write M/M romance that I followed in the footsteps of a friend and gave second person a go. Trying to do the whole "he went over to him, cupped his face in his hands, and a sigh fell from his lips" thing messes with my head. Like, who is who? I can't do it without constant proper nouns and that just gets messy, haha.

I have huge respect for literally every other writer in the fandom for being able to write Ian and Mickey's love story in third person pov, but even when I try I slip into second without realising it half the time. I mean, the first time I wrote in second person was a good eleven years ago and now it just feels ... right. You know?

GT: It's certainly unusual! Not a lot of people doing that.

How did you get into Shameless?

J: Through tumblr. I was fading from SPN and Destiel, and I guess a few of my mutuals were, too, because my dash was full of Don't and Together and epic club kisses. Ian and Mickey ruined me before I saw a single episode lmao.

GT: Same thing happened to me. When did you start watching it?

J: Right between season four and five.

GT: So you also suffered the 5x12 heartbreak.

J: I did! And then, like many, I stopped watching unless Mickey was there, haha.

GT: Yeah, I think many of us did that

What did you think of the last two seasons?

J: I mean, they got married and lived happily ever after, so I can't complain. I think, for me at least, after the shit-show of s5 it was all very whatever. The worst of the worst had already happened, so if we got great stuff (and we did, for sure) then yay ... if we got not great stuff (and again, we did), then it wasn't a surprise, you know?

I wasn't terribly invested in anyone else's storyline, to be honest, so as long as Ian and Mickey were good, I was good.

GT: What's your favorite season?

J: Four. I mean, they still had their issues, but every scene between them in that season is iconic. Many were problematic, but the change in their relationship from the second they saw each other again was just beautiful.

GT: Do you have a favorite episode?

J: Those s4 episodes kill me for the Ian and Mickey stuff, but for an episode as a whole, I'd go with 10x12 Gallavich! To be honest, I'm an Ian and Mickey fan, not a Shameless fan.

GT: I can relate.

What made you want to write for them?

J: Ooh, that feels like so long ago that I have no idea! I think it was probably just my love for writing and love for their relationship combining.

GT: What do you like best about writing Gallavich?

J: I love the endless possibilities of them. No matter what kind of AU we stick them in, their characterisation still works and they always end up madly in love! It could be the 1800s, or Mickey might be a witch, maybe one of them is a serial killer. It doesn't matter because they fit in everywhere and they always end up together.

GT: He could be a witch and a serial killer. ;)

And what's difficult about writing them?

J: Ooh, Ian's POV lmao

Witch and a serial killer - love that idea 😂

GT: Where do you find inspiration for your fics?

J: Usually other fics/books/writers. Sometimes a line in one fic or book will make me think of something else entirely and then a whole fic idea will come about.

Or even someone's AU will make me think of another completely different AU that doesn't relate at all, haha.

And then other writers. They just inspire me in general. I want to be able to write like them and tell stories like they do and that makes me want to try, you know?

And often a fic will give me such intense feelings that I want to evoke that kind of feeling through my own writing and for people who read my writing.

GT: Which Gallavich writers or fics are your favorite?

J: My favourite writer is pink_ink (@palepinkgoat​). I'd follow her anywhere. Literally. Her last fic was ABO, which I don't like and refuse to read, but someone talked me into giving hers a go, and ... phew, it was so good. I also love devovitsuasartes (their originality is mind-blowing), @loftec​, J_Q, @romanticalgirl​ (though they don't write for Shameless anymore), and Shamelessquestions [@goodkwuestion​].

My fave fics ... yikes. My all-time favourite is Our Freedom in My Sight by lilbatfacedgirl. Ugh, it's so good and I'm working myself up for a reread. Also, Lost in Translation is a go-to, the Four Eight series inspired me to start writing Ian and Mickey, and the little things give you away by kissteethstainred simply kills me.

GT: Lost in Translation is one of my all-time favourites

What about your own fics? Do you have a soft spot for any of them?

J: Ooh, maybe my most recent fic, Thicker than Forget, but maybe because it's my most recent? But also maybe because it's somewhat cheerful and has lots of banter and it's so different to things I've written in the past. It all came surprisingly easy and it just feels super chill and makes me happy to think about. It didn't feel like work at all. It was so fun and easy to write - the banter is chill, the attraction is obvious, and the love is real. The hardest part of writing that fic was getting the ice-cream flavour names because the American Baksin Robbins website wouldn't let me on lmao.

I also wrote a Band of Brothers/WW2 AU for GW a few years back that I've since taken down. It might be my fave thing that I've written, but I took it down, made it original, and used it for a writing competition. It's one of the ones that came third, so worth it, I guess, haha.

GT: What are some of your favorite tropes?

J: Oooh, yes, I love that. Enemies to friends to lovers, mutual pining, and fake dating would be my faves.

GT: Do you have any pet peeves when it comes to reading Gallavich fics?

J: Okay, I totally have pet peeves. I could make a list. First-person pov, not using paragraphs, not using an oxford comma (though I can look past that one), draggy beginnings where it takes forever for the story to really begin, lyrics littered throughout the fics ... there are more, but I'll hold back lmao

GT: Tell us a bit about your writing process. How do you start a fic?

J: My process is a mess. Sometimes I plot/bullet point the entire fic, other times I just write and see what happens lmao. The only constants I have are that I need to know how the fic ends before I can get fully invested (even if I'm not sure how I reach that ending!), and I need a solid first line. I can't write anything until I have a first line that I love.

GT: How do you choose your titles?

J: Usually from songs, occasionally from a phrase in the fic, once or twice from poems. The amount of time I spend going through song lyrics is ridiculous, tbh.

GT: What kind of comments do you just love to get?

J: I mean, I for sure love all comments obviously, but the ones that quote bits of my fic back to me absolutely make me warm inside. When they comment on what line or what scene they loved, and I can compare that to how I felt writing it - it's just such a good feeling. I also still love the i-don't-usually-read-second-person-but comment. I've had a bunch of those and I get a little thrill every time I convert someone 😂

GT: I can totally see why that would make you happy!

Alright, what's next then? What have you got planned?

J: I was planning something for all 7 days of GW, but real life got in the way lmao. I do have one WIP I want to get back to, but I don't want to give too much away about that. Other than that I need @shamelessbigbang to do another round this year, because that seems to be what inspires me most 😂

GT: Whatever you make for GW I'm sure will be great! And since I'm the one who runs it, let me assure you if you finish your things at a later date lots of people will be equally happy. Content is content. The idea of GW is to give everyone who needs a bit of a boost, so we all win at the end.

Ok, that was my last question. Thank you so much for doing this. Any final words?

J: Just thank you! I love, love, love reading these, so to be included in one is amazing! It was a lot of fun, and I'm sorry I took forever to get back to you after each question lmao. And for anyone who reads my writing - 💜💜💜 it's so very appreciated!

GT: It was my pleasure! Happy writing!

[inkofamethyst]

May 9, 2022

I wasn’t planning on journaling today at all (what’s there to say on the second to last day of school anyway like,,,,) but I went on another... date... with saxophone-guy this afternoon and it went really really well and like I feel like this was the date that’s done it for me, I think.  He said a while ago that he’d teach me to play Smash and I took him up on it today and !!!  !!!!!!!!!  See, the thing is that I’m at risk of falling for any guy who can teach me something bc I’m attracted to knowledge/passion or whatever but god he was so encouraging and I mean I didn’t win once nor did I expect to (he won the Smash tournament for the orchestra this semester which like,,, considering the people who comprise this orchestra, is a pretty bit deal, and he was also voted biggest gamer as a superlative, so (and I actually really appreciate him not taking it easy on me because I feel like I learned a lot and it’s a shame I don’t have a Switch (they’re like $300 and I’m not planning on making any money this summer so...))) but it was so so so so much more fun this time than any other time I’d played Smash because I had an idea of what I was doing but also I really really just enjoyed hanging out with him and I think this was the first time that it was like... like maybe I... like I felt that maybe there’s something here that could be more than just “friendly,” if that makes sense.

Earlier today I wrote the following: It’s been really really really really weird for me to think of myself as “dating someone”, if I’m being entirely honest.

I was planning on expounding upon that later and then putting it in the next entry but after we played Smash (for like two and a half hours y’all) he joined me for dinner and I just straight up told him.  I didn’t go very deep into the “why” of it (because frankly!! I don’t know the “why”!!!), but I just felt the need to let him know.

You know, he doesn’t drain me.  Four hours or so of hanging out and I didn’t come out drained.  That means something, doesn’t it?

Every single time we hang out, I feel more and more relaxed.  I’m honestly a little worried about how the summer’s going to go.

“Honored” is such a weird way to put this, but he’s so extraverted and loves people so much that I feel “honored” in a way that he seems to care so much about me of all the people he knows.

Today I’m thankful that the date went well.

I... think I might’ve just gotten my first ever boyfriend.

[edit: oh also at the dining hall today we were sitting at a table in such a way that Star Trek TOS was on behind him and Moana was on behind me (but I didn’t know that) so I told him at the start that I promised I wouldn’t watch ST and that I’d pay full attention to him come to find out he was sneaking glances at Moana behind me (which he’s never seen btw) and then TNG comes on and it took every ounce of my willpower to not get sucked into an episode that I’d most certainly seen at least once before... I really am my mother’s child because my mom would make my dad wait while she watched TNG when they were first going on dates which is the funniest thing to me (my dad’s the bigger ST fan these days and was introduced to it through her)]

[mysticmeadowscamp]

what's up with this campfire thing? what are the roles? virgil is babey? what IS a campfire AU?

Okay so Dee and Remus are cool ass seniors in highschool but theyre also dumbasses who run away from cops and literally everyone thinks they are dating but they are not and will never be

Virgil is a WEIRD ass kid, fuckin obsessed with cryptids, have a shit ton of nightmares but most of them dont scare them anyways, they do NOT have regards for their own safety. Stoopid. No gender only chaos. Never grew out of their creepy child phase. Keeps a journal in which they draw and write about the monsters in their nightmare and everyone has thought they need a therapist at least once upon finding out about the journal

Logan is still book smart but with the power of friendship he learned to be feral and is chaotic gremlin number 2. He also plays guitar and thats super epic awesum. Loves music festivals. Insults everyone but in a v loving way. Hes also a fukin gamer bro fuck yeah. Probably plays Friday the 13th with Patton at ungodly hours of the night

Patton is a cheerleader and thats epic cool but he also has anger issues (this kid has both mommy and daddy issues dear god please help him), he usually puts on this happy-go-lucky facade at school and his round glasses and colorful clothes are literally only to appear friendly. But when hes with ppl he trusts he tries to be more open abt his feelings. His favorite sport is smacking Logan and Virgil on the head

Roman is an ABSOLUTE sweetheart. Babey. Pure boy. Loves everyone. He greets you like he hasnt seen you in like 10 years even though it has only been like an hour. Hes very selfless and a little bit of an introvert. At this point hes just Virgil, Patton, and Logan's babysitter but you'll never hear a complain from him because he loves them sm

[rosecoloredknight]

still one of my proudest online gaming moments was when I was being called a "beaner", "frijoleto", and "spick" by some guy talking trash and all I responded was with "I'm sorry, I can't hear you cause you're all the way down there and I'm up here" because I was the scoreboard lobby leader and he was somewhere bottom 3. Everybody laughed. I WAS SO PROUD OF MYSELF.

[penig]

Alexandra Teatherton died in a kitchen fire almost at once, and it was impossible to get Gabe and Patricia together sexually, though they refuse to stop loving each other. Gabe lives alone with a couple of small dogs now that Jules is at LGU. He’s Principal of Riverblossom High, with a job stoppinator in place, and is perfectly content if a bit overworked. He doesn’t get to see his friend Leod as often as he’d like, for reasons I’ll go into in due course - they are both very busy men.

Patricia, not being asexual like Gabe, dated around a bit and finally settled on a townie named Warren Watson, who moved in with his daughter Francess and begat another daughter, Myra, upon her. Patricia lost her journalism job when the Depression started (only Peter Ottomas kept it), but she has done very well for herself writing three or four books per week, which Warren sells at the Wan Newsstand, where many of his customers are children. Warren is a bit of a gold digger and does not understand the Gabe situation at all, but hasn’t so far done anything to jeopardize what he recognizes as a sweet setup for him and Francess - Patricia is one of the wealthiest, and is absolutely the most famous, person in town.

Gamer jobs not being a thing in the Depression, Andrew Martin moved in with Catherine and Betty in order to manage their farm for them, and inherited it when they died. Cleo is surprisingly happy being a farm wife, as long as she gets to throw parties and play piano. (There are no music jobs in Depression-era Riverblossom Hills.) Though Jacob hasn’t been able to get the job in the sheriff’s department he wants yet, he’s working steadily tending bar for his friend David Ottomas and is trying to save enough to get a place of his own, so he can ask Jules’s sorority sister, Helen Wheels, to marry him. Cleo and Andrew’s son Andy is on track to inherit the farm eventually. They’ve finished out the attic and hope to rent a room to a recent graduate soon.

[sjrresearch]

‘Soviet Airborne Forces 1930-91′ Review and Wargaming Tips

While a lot of ink has been spilled on the subject of Soviet airborne forces - especially studies written during the Cold War - most expound on their capabilities vis as vis a potential assault on NATO. However, Mr. Campbell does a very credible job in 64 pages of “de-mythifying” the Soviet Vozsushno-desantnye voyska or VDV. He goes from their origins in the 1930s in pre-war exercises that stunned the West but began to show the problems that would plague the VDV once war came, namely poor parachute equipment, aircraft not suited to the purpose, and airborne techniques that did not keep up with either the Germans or Anglo-Americans. 

He then devotes attention to Soviet theory crashing into horrific practice, demonstrating the disaster most Soviet airborne landings descended into during the war, and how by 1943, the Soviet airborne units had been absorbed into the greater mass of Soviet Rifle divisions. Again, he states that all of the technical and tactical factors, along with an inability of most Soviet commanders to understand how to use airborne troops on an operational or strategic level doomed these landings to failure. 

Campbell then writes about how the VDV was reformed post-war, and was given new missions in the light of the Cold War, with nuclear weapons making the strategic mobility of airborne forces an asset. The VDV was made a strategic asset that the Soviet Union made heavy use of in the brushfires to come: Hungary in 1956, and Czechoslovokia in 1968, and Afghanistan in 1979. All of these conflicts made the VDV the Soviet fire brigade that the regime called upon to act when the Soviets needed boots on the ground quickly. 

Campbell also discusses the Soviet embrace of the helicopter as a means to deliver specialized air assault brigades. Soviet Airborne Forces touches on how the VDV was distributed to individual Soviet Armies and Fronts in East Germany and Czechoslovakia as a means to give all arms of the Soviet Army a measure of vertical envelopment capability. 

The book concludes with a discussion of the fate of the VDV as the Soviet Union collapsed, and how it has carried on in much the same format under the Russian Federation. It discusses how the VDV was very well suited to the post-Soviet world of murky conflicts in places on the Russian periphery.

Soviet Airborne Forces, like most Osprey Publishing’s releases, is a solid work, very readable, with a defined bibliography. You know what you’re getting when you buy one of his or Gordon Rottmann’s books. They’ve done some of the best entries for Osprey, and I think the level of research shows well here,

The illustrations are the usual Osprey high standard, and the uniform palettes are very well carried off, but honestly? I am not nuts about the new Osprey idea of scattering them throughout the book. This is not the author or illustrator’s fault, and doesn’t detract from the work. It’s more a message from this reviewer to Osprey - Please stop doing this? 

So, What’s in it For Wargamers?

Most Ospreys have a lot to offer wargamers as a whole, and their books at worst are a great launchpad for wargamers to read about all sorts of subjects. They’re affordable and you get a lot in less than 100 pages.

For miniatures gamers, the uniform palettes are invaluable, but the newer Ospreys are really tightening up the standard of color shades and the like, which has been a real help to wargamers and modelers trying to match a color shade on a uniform.

As for this book specifically, there’s a lot to wargame here. The WWII actions might make for one-sided games at a glance, but a good tactical or operational game in miniatures could be made out of any of the actions described within. For the hex and counter crowd, the Avalon Hill game Cross of Iron (a gamette for the Squad Leader series) had a scenario about the Soviet airborne in it. There’s also the Avalanche Press game Red Parachutes, which is about the Soviet attempt to use airborne forces to force the Dniper river in 1943. Sadly, the game is out of print, but one can find it on ebay for less than $20. 

The Soviet VDV figures work in a lot of games about Cold War “what-ifs” (namely Soviet invasions of West Germany, which was the fear that kept a lot of folks up in the Pentagon at night). Name a cold war era game like NATO, The Third World War, Iron Curtain, or The Next War and I’ve seen them in quite a few tactical and operational games as well (the author of this review has an entire 1980s Soviet VDV regiment in 6mm scale for Fistful of TOWs)

In short, if you’re interested in little-known Soviet WWII formations, or the VDV in the Cold War,   I would get this book. It’s a great jumping-off point for further reading and research, and will spark more than a few games, and lively discussion.

Written by David Campbell

Illustrations by Johnny Shumate

Part of the Osprey Elite Series (No 231)

Osprey Publishing

First Published in 2020

64pp

$17.95 retail

5 of 5 Stars

--

At SJR Research, we specialize in creating compelling narratives and provide research to give your game the kind of details that engage your players and create a resonant world they want to spend time in. If you are interested in learning more about our gaming research services, you can browse SJR Research’s service on our site at SJR Research.

--

(This article is credited to Jason Weiser. Jason is a long-time wargamer with published works in the Journal of the Society of Twentieth Century Wargamers; Miniature Wargames Magazine; and Wargames, Strategy, and Soldier.)

[leina-reads-homestuck]

In a parallel universe...

...Beforus has never ceased to exist. :v

Welcome to my Alternate Universe #2, the session in which the Beforan trolls discovered what was awaiting them in the game, and managed to get rid of Sgrub, rewind time, and come back to their reality. How ? I have no idea 

Now they’re adults, living in a world that’s strongly inspired from the cyberpunk/vaporwave aesthetics because that’s what I’m into right now.

This story focuses on Aranea and Cronus, but all the other trolls are there :U

-Porrim is the owner of a burlesque-style strip club and gambling club combo (which is where Aranea spends her nights)

-Latula is a g4m3r g1rl and makes tons of money with her streams (she doesn’t sell her bath water though). Sometimes she’s seen playing with Mituna (also a gamer)

-Meenah is... busy being a punk. 

Actually, she's starting to think about taking upon the role of heiress, since that the Empress’s health is declining, but she isn’t happy about it. She wants to open a bakery. A bakery owned by a punk fish troll in a studded jacket. 

-Rufioh is rufioh-ing around, as in, making videos about the troll anime and games he prefers (and why he thinks some of it sucks).

-Damara is a dancer (employed by Porrim)

-Kankri owns a social justice blog, of course, and is probably giving conferences

-Horuss is studying mechanics and is promised a bright future in both robotic engineering and surgery. He accidentally let one of his mechanical ponies run in the city once.

-Cronus... uh... has a motorcycle. 

I’m not sure about what he does, probably something related to the equivalent of the Orphaner role on Beforus. Except it doesn’t involve orphaning anyone. His relationship with Aranea is stuck somewhere between flushed and pale (they’re close to each other, that’s all I can say.) He played a big role in the discovery of the way to escape Sgrub and had a hard time convincing Aranea to join.

-Aranea earns a living thanks to gam8ling (she rarely loses). She also helps Porrim with the club’s organization and watches her and her girls dance. 

She’s also often feeling conflicted, melancholic, and vaguely guilty. In order to be able to live her life to the fullest instead of remaining trapped in the dream bubbles, she accepted to live in an universe where Mindfang doesn’t exist. Despite being told that Mindfang and her descendance do exist in countless other sessions, she still wonders, at times, if she has made the right choice, and if it wouldn’t have been better for her to remain in the obscurity and allow her beloved alternate self to have everything. 

She still owns a copy of her journal, that she treasures dearly.

-As for Kurloz and Meulin...Kurloz is still as sinister and Meulin still cute. She is thinking about writing a book based on her post-scratch self’s adventures. 

I have a design in mind for Aranea already...

[i-made-this-for-my-uni-class]

Gamer Sub-Communities: MMO Guilds, Steam, and GamerGate

With the digital presence many videogames require, it is only natural to hold such a strong online social media presence and community as a result. 

As videogames grew more multiplayer based and encouraged social interaction with others online, many communities developed. MMORPGs (or MMOs - not MM lol) were renowned for the guilds, servers, and GM events that were structured to make the game environment feel more like a town-square than simply an arena. Thus, MMORPGs and their playability are purely incentivised by social interactivity and the community a player will find themselves in. Games like World of Warcraft, Guild Wars 2, TERA, and more recently Black Desert Online have been fundamentally designed to prioritise community. Though this can motivate and cultivate long friendships, it means the games tend to have a quick expiry. (Duchenaut et al, 2007). User inactivity of someone important to another user (whether that user is a guild leader, or game moderator, or someone dear to them), tends to be contagious. TERA, for instance, reduced the importance of grinding, or repetitive gameplay, significantly (compared to other MMORPGS) to level up to the max level (level 60 upon release). This allowed players to focus on PvP (person vs person) instead of PvE (person vs enemy/mob), thus inciting mass player participation with one another. It also allowed them to focus on guild raids (massive groups of guilds colliding with one another). However, this produced a game that was extremely dependent on social activity: if many people play the same MMO, it thrives, but if no one is playing it, the game dies off (Duchenaut et al, 2007). The game quickly died off as social incentive reduced almost immediately. 

Source: google.com 

MMOs are a genre that do not last due to the social unity it requires compared to other game genre. 

Many videogame applications evolved to becoming a “gamer” social media platform. Steam, originally a Valve video game launcher, slowly improved their mechanics to introduce forums, groups, galleries, reviews, and voice/message chats. Steam reviews of videogames tend to be purely public opinion and available for anyone to read and to write. As a result, many popular reviews do not have to be well-written and detailed, but could hold more value as a community inside joke, or even a meme. Funny reviews, however, have been argued to be more like a culture to Steam reviews, and are there for the sake of community rather than for games and the average man’s critique (Ebelhard et al, 2018) . 

“Commander Shepard”, a Steam User, is entirely dedicated to recommending Steam Games with “this is my favorite game on Steam”. It has become its own internet/Steam sensation and is found on many well-known games (not necessarily good). This is a reference to Commander Shepard in Mass Effect 2 when asked to promote several shops with “I’m Commander Shepard, and this is my favourite store in the Citadel.”

Source: https://imgur.com/gallery/yG7Ux 

With many gaming subcommunities and its growing ubiquity, gaming communities have been known to face conflict. #GamerGate was a hashtag acitivism with no real leader or manifesto, though it is described as a culture war regarding the social values videogames represent (Ip, 2014). The vocal majority in videogame communities are seen as male, and thus, much of the GamerGate controversies have been summarised as conservative backlash against female progressivism in the gaming community (Kidd, 2016). On the other hand, many also believed that the misogyny angle was generally pandering and oversimplifying an issue regarding journalistic integrity. Women on both sides were also frustrated that the spotlighted vocal minority of females: Anita Sarkeesian and the like who are caricatured “raging-feminists” which did not accurately represent the women in the videogame community, but worsened the image of women in the community. 

The current like/dislike ratio of a Late Night Show interview with Anita Sarkeesian. She is seen as a hyper-feminist amongst gaming communities. The biased angle of the infamously “out-of-touch” Late Night Talk Show (in terms of internet culture) on a sensitive topic like GamerGate resulted in extreme backlash and further worsened the situation (especially in regards to broadcast/journalistic integrity). The video is unavailable in many countries and comments have been turned off. 

The backlash very quickly turned to threats, doxing, and humiliation upon certain women in question, and then eventually evolved into any woman speaking out about the controversy, or in the videogame community in general. However, many argue that the issue was rejecting valid criticism as misogyny, rather than misogyny itself. Since there are so many accounts and experiences regarding GamerGate as it is such a vague and vast hastag and movement, it can not be easily explained as to what the movement fundamentally believed in. The result however, is well-known as a “misogynistic mess”, and “the perfect shitstorm” as a result of the largely male voice in the videogame community (Dean, 2014). Once GamerGate subsided, many men and women exclaimed the broadness, sensitivity, and bias of the controversy to have negative repercussions and skewed narratives on both sides: there are no winners with GamerGate. 

References:

Dean, T. 2014. A balanced view of GamerGate. ABC News: https://www.abc.net.au/technology/articles/2014/10/28/4116140.htm

Ducheneaut, N., Yee, N., Nickell, E., & Moore, R. 2007. The life and death of online gaming communities: a look at guilds in world of warcraft. In Proceedings of the SIGCHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI ’07). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 839–848. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1145/1240624.1240750

Eberhard L., Kasper P.,Koncar P. and Gütl C., "Investigating Helpfulness of Video Game Reviews on the Steam Platform," 2018 Fifth International Conference on Social Networks Analysis, Management and Security (SNAMS), Valencia, 2018, pp. 43-50, doi: 10.1109/SNAMS.2018.8554542.

Kidd, D.; Turner, Amanda J. (2016). "The #GamerGate Files: Misogyny in the Media". In Novak, Alison; El-Burki, Imaani J. (eds.). Defining Identity and the Changing Scope of Culture in the Digital Age. Hershey, Penn.: IGI Global. p. 122. ISBN 978-1-52-250212-8.

Ip, C. 2014. "How do we know what we know about #Gamergate?". Columbia Journalism Review. 

[letstalksymphogear]

Symphogear, EP.7 (Cont.)

“i have not now, nor ever, liked this creepy ass church elevator.”

“kanade please get out of my head, just because im hungry doesnt mean you have to tell me every time i am”

Hibiki finishes getting a full body X-ray. She’s fine.

“that anime protagonist immunity is really kicking in well!”

“by the way, your wife is here! and she’s looking mighty miffed., as opposed to me, mighty milfed.”

“you dont strike me as a mother figure but ill play along for now”

“i just hope miku’s okay...”

“oh, she’ll be fine! see, i’ve seen these kinds of plots before. big secret revealed, another lover is shown, the victim watches as they’re thoroughly cheated on, and they get to lik-”

“please stop breathing”

Genjuro’s wasting away again in Margaritaville. Looking for some daughter to adopt. SOME PEOPLE SAY THAT THERE’S A, WOOOOMAAAAAN TO BLAAAAAAAAAAME, BUT HE KNOWS

XYLOPHONE RIFF

THAT’S IT’S ALL HIS FAULT

XYLOPHONE RIFF

“i hate it when he gets like this. jimmy buffets not a good look for him.”

“for once you and i agree. seeing the commander sulk like this like a middle aged perma-tourist is genuinely miserable”

“hey homies! im back and i brought some bitches! oh, jesus, why does this place smell like mistakes in miami?”

“its me. im sorry. every time i feel like i failed as a dad, my anti-dad energies manifest. imagine every midlife crisis rolled up into a single ball, smacked into the face for eternity. thats the depth of my pain for failing this girl.”

In a moment of positivity, the friendship between Tsubasa and Hibiki is cemented.

> Tsubasa has joined the party.

“FRIENDSHIP!”

“fweindship.”

“uuuuhhhhh... dadship? yeah thats close enough.”

“WE’RE ALL GOOD FRIENDS!”

“ya tiddies are ringing again, better go get it”

Ryoko also points out that Hibiki’s relic is fusing with herself at an alarming rate. This is important to keep in mind.

Meanwhile, at night.

Miku is posing in the motherly “you done fucked up, where have you been young lady” position. A cold scolding is coming.

“.........................hey miku......”

“you can come in. are you worried im gonna bite? you suplexed a car. that shouldn’t be an issue anymore.”

“miku, i.... i wanted to tell you.... but.... the plot wouldn’t let me, miku....”

“should’ve told the plot to fuck off anyway. now you’re gonna live with that. you’re sleeping... on the bottom bunk.”

“b.... b..... b...... b.... b...... bottom bunk...?”

They slept separately that night. God, this is so stupid. All of this is so goddamned stupid. “I’m so mad at you even though you saved my life.” This is just so. AUGH. THIS IS DUMB. KANEKO WRITE BETTER ANGST THAT MAKES SENSE THAT ISN’T THIS.

Meanwhile, far away from this garbage...

Chris, having been evicted from Fine’s McMansion, wanders the streets of mumblemumble aimlessly. Don’t be fooled by her new fancy dress. Basically, she’s a combat-competent hobo.

“no food. no home. no victories. this sucks. whyd you do it, fine? we coulda been great together. but no. ya fired me. now i look like im prancing the red light district with a highly advanced superweapon around my neck.”

“no... hibiki’s to blame. ever since that genderbent little mac showed up to fight me, it’s been all downhill. fine thought me a laughstock because i couldnt take out her oversized boxing gloves, and now she beat me while i had nehushtan. god... i wish i never met that damn hamster faced chubby cheeked nerd.”

“wait, whats that crying”

Chris spies two kids talking to each other, one of them crying. Chris immediately makes an assumption, believing the big bro is bullying his sis.

“hey! stop nicking her lunch money, twerp”

Chris currently is a firm believer of corporeal punishment.

But the sister deflects the blow. Chris can’t even defeat children right now. Truly, this is a record low for her. You know you blew it when even kids are schooling you on basic morality. She then tells the little girl to stop crying, ironically mirroring her brother.

The infamous double T-Pose maneuver. Chris, you might as well get a shovel and start digging your own grave.

“i keep doing bad things badly, and now im doing good things badly... when fine said i was bad... did she just mean im not talented?”

Chris, finally, does a good thing and helps these kids find their parents.

“yeah. hibiki saved a kid when she got her gear. guess what? bam! im saving two! that’s fifty percent more kid per kid saved. take that, weirdo.”

The kids call her out on Chris singing unconsciously, and Chris gets flustered over it. Dawwwwww.

Chris manages to get them to safety to their Dad...

...while brutally lying about it, making Chris look like a predator. There’s a very crushing irony at play here, given who Chris used to serve.

“ugggggggggggggggghhhhhh hes not even gonna payyyyy meeeeeee why the fuck did i dooooo thiiiiiiissssss”

“hey, you know. you kids have a really nice relationship with one another. care to give me tips on how to be an empathetic human being capable of making friends?”

“maybe we’re born with it”

“maybe its maybeline”

“maybeline...”

Meanwhile...

A cold wind blows through Lydian Apartment 69-L. (I don’t actually know if that’s their room number, I just made it up.)

“jesus take the wheel, because i’m jumping out the passenger seat to save this current wreck of a relationship”

“miku please i saved your life, doesnt that count for anything”

“you already killed me the moment you lied. also im taking the bottom bunk so i dont have to see your face coming down the ladder.”

“miku you cant hide in this depression den forever. i know i hurt you and im sorry for it, but please understand i literally couldnt do it. you saw there were punches and violence and stuff... i didnt want you tied to that...”

“what was that? i cant hear your apologies over my incredibly loud snoring. SNOOOOOOORE. SNOOOOOOOORE. SNOOO- fuck, i just swallowed my spit, fuck”

“i hope this cocoon of displeasure you’ve made for yourself lets you erupt into a butterfly of acceptance so i can fly with you again.”

“......thats not fair. you cant say those beautiful metaphors and get away with it. let me be mad... sniff... let me be mad...”

Sadness wafts in the den of lies Hibiki has been forced into.

No music plays. There is only heartbreak, and woe.

In the midst of this pain...

Ryoko loredumps about how the Symphogears work and are immune to the noise on her blog, ‘hornyonmainforscience.org’, her hybrid science journal slash kink zone. It’s mostly a recap with some pretty good soft techno beats in it.

“i made a custom brew of red bull, five hour energy drink, coffee, and cream. i call it gamer girl piss.”

“damn. that’s some good piss.”

She muses about how Hibiki has managed to break the limitations of her Symphogear, making her a totally unique specimen. Wait, where have we heard this before...?

Hey... Ryoko... let’s just... cool it a bit with the Hibiki pictures... come on...

Ryoko touches upon the Custodians and the Curse of Babel. We ain’t touching that shit until later, because that’s another shitfuck box of crazy just ready to jump us in a dark alleyway to rob us of our wits.

Back to Lydian:

“miku whats the answer to the first three multiple choice questions”

“B. A. D.”

“oh, thanks. huh, BAD.”

“yeah. you are.”

“mmm. taste likes dissapointment. just like my life.”

“hey table for two haha get it cause there’s two chairs and miku for the love of god, please, forgive me”

“ive surgically removed my eyes and drew eyelashes over them with sharpie so i dont have to see your bird bangs.”

“thats very rude to both me and my hair. also, wig.”

Even Hibiki’s meal is judging her. Mainly for not eating it. Fucking look at this. God, that looks amazing. Fuck, why did I write this while I was hungry.

“miku you cant do this forever. i might die and youll end up crying on my tombstone going ‘oh god, why, oh god’, and really, i cant live with myself if that happens. mainly because id already be dead by then”

The Anime Janai crew show up to break some icebergs with a goddamn sledgehammer. As the self-aware Gods of this realm, they got very tired of this poor display of angst, and have decided to directly intervene.

Nevermind. They came for her kneecaps, and they most certainly got them.

PLEASE. I’M BEGGING YOU. END THIS GARBAGE PLOT THREAD.

“look. imma lay down the facts. yall are gay. yall are in love. yall are angry for the wrong reasons. its nobody’s fault here but the writer. so please kiss and make up. pretty please.”

“kaneko... you fool... we all know what the original sin is. its your hack writing making this stupidity in the first place. let the pencil go, asshole!”

They bring up the fact that Hibiki isn’t doing her work and wonder if she has a job on the side, which isn’t allowed by the school. Miku gets annoyed and bails, with Hibiki running after her. Unfortunately, Miku runs faster...

“oh god miku not the rooftop whatever you’re thinking just dont do it! please!”

“no. i came here to angst, since this is the Maximum Angst Zone.”

“i..... okay! okay, that’s fair! rooftops are the perfect place to look sad while getting proper air ventilation, thats fine”

It really would have been better played if it was played off that she felt hurt not because of the lie, but because she felt like she could have helped her better having known the truth, and it being a self-loathing sort of scenario for not being there better for her and not fully understanding the risk at play.

But no, instead, we get this.

Absolutely obliterated. A heart ripped, shredded, and sent to the Shadow Realm.

The episode ends on that note, but has a post credit scene.

Naked. On an old timey telephone. On a computer. Wearing stockings and long gloves.

The main antagonist of the series, everybody.

She’s talking the best English possible to some random-ass American when suddenly bursting through the scene is none other than:

“I WANT WORKERS COMPENSATION YOU BITCH, BEFORE I UNIONIZE YOUR NAKED ASS”

“AND I WANT A GOOD REFERNECE FOR MY FUTURE EMPLOYER, AND ALSO A SEVERANCE PACKAGE SINCE I’M FUCKING HOMELESS”

“i paint my eyelashes with mascara made from the tar of freshly carbonated corpses manufactured through noise, what on gods green earth compels you to think id give a rats ass about you?”

“so you never cared, huh! you’re just a nasty naked hedonist trying to- trying to- what the fuck are you even trying to do?!”

“i want to live the dream every spicy little fossil like me yearns for.”

“I WANNA FUCK GOD!”

“how- what? what? how do you even- what? are you- do you want to be the pope? is that it? does the pope get to fuck god? are you- is this a larping thing? you’ve really been into larping lately! i don’t like this!”

“youve never read the old testament, have you. ass out, pussy bare, hips up and barefoot. that’s how god’s always liked it.”

“now get lost, punk. you tipped off my hand to genjuro and now you being here is going to ruin everything. if you still feel any semblance of devotion, eat one of your own bullets and call it a day.”

“it’s 2012 bitch, if the mayans dont get you, I WILL”

“what god gives, He takes away, and so do i. i built you from the ground up. your relic, which was good for jack shit on you. the nehushtan, which you failed to do anything with except zap a couple hundred people. stop wars? you’re a walking war, waged by me, for me. and your cartridge has just run out of bullets.”

“uh oh! hand’s acting up again! better bail before i send you back to smacktown where all the bitter little shittalkers like you strut around spending their lives being useless as hell.”

“ah fuck, im not dealing with no manos: the hands of fate bullshit again”

“and guess what else i got on motherfucker”

“i see the union efforts have officially been busted. understandable, have a nice day ma’am”

“LEAVE.”

“I’M GOING, I’M GOING”