#she deserves to look like a mysterious badass

[rakumel]

First of all, I would love some asks, any asks, even the freaky ones. How dare you. Just send them over here and I'll roast, befriend, or ignore as necessary.

Second of all, uh-oh. You asked for it. I don't just have one favorite game, y'see. Having said that, I actually haven't played a wide range of them, for cost reasons, time reasons, and brain reasons - I tend to latch onto a game and play the shit out of it before moving on.

I guess you could say any game that I like enough to actually buy or download is my favorite game. I don't really waste time with games I don't click with. Occasionally it's pretty obvious why I like a game (I bought Xenoverse 1 and 2 because watching DBZ Abridged relit a nostalgia pilot light in me that hadn't been touched in literal decades and boy howdy, did it ever fuckin' BURN after that). But most of the time, why I like a game is just as much a mystery to me as it is to you. Although I have noticed that a lot of my favorites have female leads, or give you the option to make one.

I already did a series of posts on the Pocky and Rocky SNES games, but in short I like them because they were unique (at the time and place where I lived, anyway) - charming graphics, lovely music, and yes - a protagonist who was a girl. A shrine maiden, to be exact. No love interest, just fun adventures with a bunch of monsters. And that meant a lot to a young girl who didn't have a whole lot of video game lady heroines to choose from.

Never in a million years dreamed they'd remake the first one, but they did, and it made me so happy!

Threads of Fate/Dewprism on the PS1 is another favorite. Outstanding soundtrack; I can still listen to Rasdan on a loop without getting sick of it. The game itself has the same low-polygon look as most PS1 games do, but please look up the artwork because it's awesome - or at least, I love the style.

I love the main characters: Rue (dude on the left) is a bit of a sap but not too much, and while I do like his story arc, it does get kind of overshadowed by Mint's. Mint is just badass. She's an absolute brat who - with a straight face - says she's going to take over the world, and at no point does she apologize or feel silly about it, and it's GREAT. Plus she can shoot magic and kick the shit out of people, so she can actually kind of back up her tough talk.

The supporting characters are fun, too. There just isn't enough love in the world for Belle and Duke ("Milady's only 30...if you round down!"), or Rod and his Pinto.

Shadow of the Colossus. I was so, so, so, SO thrilled when I first heard it was getting a remake because it abso-fucking-lutely deserved one. There was nothing like it then, I think there's still nothing like it even now. In a time when almost every game wants to add on, add on, here's more characters to unlock, here's more DLC to pay for, and so on - Shadow of the Colossus is an excellent example of just how much a bare-bones game can still do. There's not much told in the way of story, but in this case they don't really need to. There's a lot of showing and atmosphere over explaining; I like that the game assumes we're smart enough and/or creative enough to fill in the details ourselves.

Much of the game is silent and calm aside from ambient sounds and occasionally calling your horse. But when you enter a battle, then the music and the action ramp up, and suddenly you're trying to find the glowing weak spot on a massive behemoth before it smashes you to death. (And don't think Wander will get up super fast if he narrowly avoids getting smashed to death, either. He'll clumsily stand up, which is a nice realistic touch but kind of rage-inducing if you're trying to keep him from getting hit again.)

The contrast works: the calm makes you appreciate the battles, and the battles can often be so nerve-wracking you appreciate a break.

The world isn't super huge, but it's enough for me. All ruined and abandoned and desolate and slightly melancholy, yet calm and beautiful (especially with the remake).

Skyrim. Ah yes, let's be vanilla as hell, shall we Raku? Let's like that one game that everyone else and their brother and their cousin and their dog likes. This one probably does deserve its own post, though, because there's a lot to unpack. Are there problems surrounding it and Bethesda? Oh hell yes. Was it also a game that provided comfort and humor during a time when I desperately needed it? As well as fertile ground for characters I made and still love? Also yes. Sorrrr-y.

I'll be honest; I have no idea why Dark Cloud 2 is one of my favorites. I don't even remember how I heard of it or why I bought it. There's legit criticism to be had - a few of the voiced lines were clearly mismatched, the weapon upgrading system is fun at first but turns into an utter slog by the endgame, and in general the game tried to do way too much and got in over its head.

But Max and Monica here have good chemistry, the music's pretty good, you get to build your own towns and move people in them, the art style has its charm, and for a time travel plot it's not terrible. Overall the game mostly works, is pretty fun, and the story has its moments.

Okami!! The style, the music, the everything. Just...everything.

Heard there's a sequel in the works, but nothing else about it. But something I want to keep an eye on.

Ys 8. Dana, my beloved. Actually everything here is solid - some time in the future I should scrap the review I did and do another now that tumblr allows better quality pictures. (Plus my tone was...kind of weird in it, honestly. All over the place.)

I love her and the supporting characters - Sahad is best fisherman Dad ever, Ricotta's adorable without being annoying. I thought at first I'd hate Laxia, but she redeems herself pretty quickly, and Hummel's...well, okay, he's basically fine. Even the minor characters are interesting and endearing to me. Lady blacksmith! Gladiator grandma! And of course, as always, best buddy Dogi.

The twists and turns in the story, the graphics are gorgeous, the controls are smooth and feel great, Ys games almost always have excellent music and this one's no exception. Honestly I can't think of anything I dislike about it off the top of my-

Oh right, the fucking wasps in that one dungeon. Those sucked. But everything else? Amazing. 9.99/10.

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Picking a favorite Pokemon game is like asking me to pick a favorite child. Nope, I refuse.

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I'm going to force myself to stop here. Otherwise I'm pretty sure I'd hit the word limit halfway through talking about Death Road to Canada. (I'm assuming there IS a word limit.)

(Death Road to Canada is also very fun, by the way. As long as you're okay with dying a lot in the process.)

no more freaky asks..........tell me about your favorite video game in detail.............

[mousecracker]

I really wish they played into the "no one outside of fairy tail knows what erza looks like" bit a little more

Because Lucy had no fucking clue what erza looked like and she was like the leading fairy tail fangirl for years before she joined the guild

I just think it would've been so cool and made so much sense to add that air of mystery to erzas character- especially because she's trying to hide from her past and all that junk

Just slap a helm on her or some sort of mask, and she'd be infinitely cooler while putting so much more emphasis on the reasons why she wears her armor

[ecoterrorist-katara]

The only stereotypically masculine thing about Aang…is his romantic arc

There’s a really popular post on Tumblr called “Avatar Aang, Feminist Icon.” The thesis is basically that Aang, unlike his female teachers and friends, is actually not a badass. He listens, he defers, and he respects women. He seemed to have no problem with Katara’s crush on Jet, despite his own crush on her. He chooses love and kindness and friendship and pacifism. He’s not tall and handsome as hell or buff. He wears flower crowns!

And I agree! This is Aang for most of the series and I love those qualities (though I do think the bar is in hell if those traits make a character a feminist icon, as opposed to a person who simply sees women as human beings). Anyway, I just think there’s a glaring omission. And that’s Aang’s romantic arc in season 3.

Bryke managed to take the worst of both worlds: Aang’s romantic arc retains the male-centricity that make most romances so problematic, while retaining none of the characteristics that make problematic romances compelling to women.

Aang falls in love at first sight with a beautiful girl. For the majority of their friendship, he remains respectful and supportive. As his crush hits an all time high, however, it gets distinctly more stereotypical: he kisses Katara at the invasion, and when she didn’t want to talk about that kiss, he firebends at her (the fact that this comic is canon, and was published years after ATLA’s conclusion, only demonstrates that the creators still don’t understand critiques of their romance). Aang considers Katara “his girl” and becomes furious (“I would be in the Avatar state right now!”) when the actress version of Katara didn’t like him romantically, and then he kisses her again — this time explicitly against her wishes. Throughout the show, people reassure him that she will come around, continuously reinforcing the idea that Katara is “his” and he just has to be patient. And even though Ka/taang is supposed to be endgame, we never hear directly from Katara how she feels, even though we’re no strangers to her opinions and feelings on other topics. It’s almost like the creators wanted Katara’s feelings to be a mystery because we’re meant to resonate with Aang. That’s…a male-centric, action hero romance.

In addition, the friendship dynamics between Katara and Aang feel pretty gendered. The distribution of emotional labour between Aang and Katara is quite skewed: Katara takes care of Aang much more than he takes care of her. She’s the one responsible for calming him down from the Avatar State. She’s the one who cooks for him and performs a whole lot of domestic chores. Post-canon, Katara’s storyline revolves around Aang, and she’s treated as his accessory and the keeper of his legacy instead of her own person, to the degree that she’s not even recognizable in LOK anymore. A beautiful, badass, independent woman who dedicates her energy and intelligence to a man’s needs? Wow, that is definitely something I’ve never seen in media geared towards men!

A lot of gushing about Aang’s lack of stereotypical masculinity seems to also hinge on how Aang is not conventionally attractive, but that’s…not true. Aang may not behave like James Bond, but he has plenty of admirers. Meng and On Ji liked him even without knowing that he’s the Avatar. Post-series, Acolytes descend en masse to steal Katara’s man. And of course he grows into a tall, buff dude. Aang’s romantic arc is not about becoming attractive to women, or finding a woman who loves him despite his looks. His romantic arc is about getting the girl who’s hard to get, because she only sees him as a friend or a little brother / babysitting charge.

Bryke do not deserve the credit for creating a “feminist icon,” not when the only stereotypically masculine traits they gave him are in relation to his romance arc. It honestly feels more insidious this way, because it’s like, “see? You don’t have to be masculine to reap the benefits of performing masculinity” — the benefits being, of course, “getting” the girl you want.

[winterillustrates]

WHAT YOUR FAV TWST CHARACTER SAYS ABT YOU!! (CRACK VERSION)

Ace: I'd hate you (/affectionately).

Deuce: I'd propose to your mom.

Cater: You need hugs. And followers.

Trey: You're as sweet as the cakes he makes. Also, you're his dentist.

Riddle: Mother issues. Same.

Leona: You have that one sibling you hate and one you pretend to hate.

Ruggie: You'd rob me and I'd call it our 'meet cute'.

Jack: I'd imitate you to look cool, ngl.

Azul: "Shady businessman/woman/enby? That has got to be my favorite genre." looking ass and I'd never judge you for that.

Jade: I'd bring you peace offerings almost everyday.

Floyd: You owe me a 150,000 worded essay on why and how your standards dropped so low.

Kalim: You want to be as optimistic as him, and you honestly deserve more credit for it. Plus, you cry yourself to sleep while hugging his plushie, cause it feels like he's crying with you. He probably is.

Jamil: I owe you a 300,000 worded essay on why he's the best, and I'd better get an agreement for each paragraph.

Vil: You love breaking gender norms and you hardly ever flop. You make long winded essays on character designs or "Ooh, shiny". No in-between. Also, you memorized his last name.

Rook: You kinda freaky and into yanderes. I'm into yanderes, but I hate this dude, so idk. I'd definitely say "I know what you are" to you, and you'd be thinking "She thinks I'm gay/bi/queer" and I'd be thinking "They're a serial killer".

Epel: You love the "Innocent girl who's a spawn of satan" and probably are one, yourself.

Idia: You "win" online arguments by doxing. That and your fav brother from Obey Me is Leviathan. Don't lie to me.

Ortho: You've always wanted a robotic younger brother!

Malleus: You're the majority. Congrats. (Also you have abandonment issues and ship MalYuu. Not that I can blame you, honestly).

Lilia: You say, "Ow, my hip hurts" then does the latest tik tok dance, no sweat.

Silver: You liked the mystery shrouding him. Plus, you love the found family trope.

Sebek: You see through his loud demeanor and really like his loyalty to his friends that aren't Malleus.

Yuu: You love yourself and I love you. <3

Grim: You're a snitch.

Sam: You are waiting for him to sing "Friends On The Other Side". You watched that one animatic by Laizyboy?? (Remind me the name)

Vargas: You actually thought eating raw eggs would make you strong. ... LOL. Jk. You ARE Vargas. I'm sorry, but how did he get THAT high in 2024 popularity polls?!?

Crewel: You have good taste. Might also be into getting praised.

Trien: VALID. YOU WANT A GRANDFATHER IN YOUR LIFE, RN.

Lucifer (^'s cat): Hello..............IDIA SHROUD.

Crowley: You are someone who wishes they could escape from their responsibilities as much as him. "He's a deadbeat, but he's a funny one."

Chenya: You like characters that are on crack.

Rielle: I...-- Is that even a character, dude?

Neige: You're the minority. Congrats. (Also, you are so confused abt the hate Neige receives)

Rollo: CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEF, you aren't strictly religious. You also hate the double standards he's shown. And you think he looks actually kinda cute.

Fellow: You love seeing NRC boys get reckted.

Gidel: You think he's the cutest character in Disney. No one can/wants to change your mind.

Skully: You convinced him to skip the mandatory, "Twisted Wonderland is NOT an otome game".

Najma: You love fem!Jamil. Plus, you are the younger sibling that is secretly a little demon. As an older sibling, I'm sorry, but I will expose you at the slightest chance.

Dilia (Deuce's Mom): You're one of those people that Captain Man from Henry Danger was inspired from.

Marja (Epel’s granmama. Thx, https://www.tumblr.com/gremlinvapor): As a Marja lover, you love your grandmother and love hearing stories about her! And your grandma is low key a badass.

SCARABIA STUDENT B: W...who... who are you? Waiting until the ending for this guy. ... Idek what to say, honestly...

Mickey Mouse (Thx, https://www.tumblr.com/gremlinvapor): I’m the Donald to your Mickey. And you are probably so popular. Oh, you are also a cheap stake who fakes to like change, but actually despises it. You only like twst to be ‘woke’, but you don’t even like the characters or talk abt them.

(THIS WAS A JOKE. IF YOU ACTUALLY RELATE TO THESE RANDOM THOUGHTS I TYPED, THEN WOW I AM SHOCKED. Seriously, Idc who's your favorite, and I was not trying to discriminate or anything.

I tried to include all characters I could think of atm, but you are free to request more and I'll shove them in! These aren't even my opinions, I'm just tryna be entertaining.

If you'd like, guess my favorite(s)!

If I misspelt some characters names, I'm sorry and please politely correct me, thank you.)

[metallica-jk]

Its 23:39, I'm bored, so imma rank all TIG characters from my fav to least

1- Nash Hawthorne- he's so underrated and loving and UGGHHHHH that he needs 1st place

2- LIBBY OMG- I LOVE HER SM SHE IS MY IDOL I RLLY TRY TO B LIKE HER BUT I FAIL BUT I WILL KEEP TRYING GUYS

3-Probably Gigi Grayson- I love her energy sm and i love her in general like gurl b my bestieeee

4- Jameson Hawthorne- Ik a lot of people will get mad at me for putting him in 3rd place but the truth is, i love him a lot as well, but he does not beat Gigi or Libby or Nash in my opinion

5- Rohan (mysterious second name)- I would put him on the same place as Jamie but Es lo que es (it is what it is in spanish??)

6- Max Liu- I love her js as much as Gigi but i feel like Max is a liiiittle more mature than Gigi :).

7- Xander Hawthorne- He needs to b next to his gf so...but in general i love the idea of him doing silly things w Max like exploding and wrecking a microwave. Beautiful date idea guys

8- *John* Oren- love that first name btw. I feel like Oren is very much the friendly and happy guy under his shell of protectiveness so

9- Savannah Grayson- I'm sorry i put her so low but idk where to put her. I love her protective-but-vulnerable kinda personality. what i mean by that is like she is protective of Gigi but she is vulnerable and kinda hides away at her boyfriend Dunc@n (yes censored bc we HATE THE PRICK)

10- Averyyyyyyy Grambs- Yall kill me for putting her so low but i forgot ab herrrrr. I would put her in Orens place honestly. bc my girl has sm trauma that if i were her i would stay under my bedsheets and js bark out orders.

11- Grayson Hawthorne- idk i like Grayson but if yk what i mean i rather Dean Redding??? cuz like they have similar personalities and idk i just rather Dean than Gray. I STILL LOVE THEM BOTH OK??? like, this guy deserves someone who will listen to his weeping every night and weep with him. OMFG I FORGOT AB LYRA

12- LYRA IM SO SRRY- PUT HER AT NR 6 AND PUT EVERYONE DOWN A NR PLS BC I LOVE LYRA SM HER PERSONALITY IS SO BADASS AND I CAN IMAGINE HER IN A LEATHER JACKET, JEANS, AND LIKE BROWNISH REDISH DOC MARTENS OMLLLL

13(14)- Alisa Ortega- Gurl still loves my man. i lover her but Nash is MINE and LIBBIES so she better watch out. dont get me wrong, i love her and she looks out for avery sm but she broke my mans heart and i wont forgive her for that.

did i miss out anyone?

no?

oh wait

999999999999-Em!ly- the only reason she is b4 eve is bc she had heart problems and jumped off a cliff (caused her own death and lots of hurt to the rest) SO FUCK U EMILY UGHHHHH

10000000000000- Eve- Idk she js better not hurt anyone or ill hurt her.

10000000000001- Tobias Hawthorne- u raised ur grandsons well, but in the most horrendous way possible

THE END DONT KILL ME BYE

[vesemirsexual]

What is even more disappointing about how game!Ciri is written is that CDPR Can give us compelling and complex “ trauma and grief can cause you to repeat the cycle of violence” arcs for characters like Syanna and Lambert but apparently completely forgot what a huge part of Ciri’s character that is

the first time I played I thought she got amnesia as well because of how much of her fiery temper was toned down, and how her trauma is hardly mentioned ( and it's not like the characters in this game trauma are completely ignored it is talked about in some quests) I wanna see what she really would have done had she seen Emhyr again

I feel like game Ciri had two distinct groups they were aiming for: people who found Geralt even more appealing because of the fatherhood angle so they had to work his actual kid in AND hot girl fan service.

The thing is, if they gave her too much personality or depth, she wouldn’t have fit into these groups well and therefore people would’ve found her annoying and/or off-putting. People already do sometimes but not to the degree that they would’ve if they even BEGAN to touch on the absolute shitstorm that is Ciris psyche after everything.

Also realistically, they made the Witcher games centre about Geralt bc he appeals to their large majority male fan base: combatant, dark mysterious tragic past, ripped, attractive, fucks hot women, is a good guy while still also getting to do badass things and beat people up. If you look in depth at Witcher fans on different platforms when they talk about him, a lot of dudes are very much “oh my god he’s literally me”. Ciri could never be the focus because she wouldn’t appeal to that same group, and we know that every time a game is released people throw the weirdest bitch fits about female characters, especially main ones.

This is also why Ciri is made an attractive character, when realistically that tiny little facial scar they’ve given her is nothing, she’s spent her developmental years on the run/being attacked/under extreme stress so I honestly can’t imagine her being a tall skinny but also hourglass woman with one or two scars, and put her in a cropped shirt (such a bad choice it’s mildly hysterical).

I think Lambert and Syanna are also a really good example of how people handle angry traumatised characters too, because Lambert gets a lot more leeway than Syanna (and I say this as a big fan of both!) Like there are literally people out there and on this webbed site who say she is pure evil, one of the evilest people in the Witcher for being a fucked up mean trauma victim who hurt a Poor Little Meow Meow (Higher vampire with decades of life experience more than her, incredibly possessive, responded to emotional manipulation by violently attacking an entire city). Like Lambert literally brags about axii’ing a guy to shoot himself in the head with his own crossbow.

Ciri got done very dirty, but I see how and why it happened. Book Ciri deserves rights but unfortunately I think Games Ciri will always be how people perceive her, and therefore portray her in fic, art and other work predominantly (praying same doesn’t happen with TWN Ciri). We’ve been robbed of such a complex, angry young woman and I mourn it 🙏

Edit: I can’t even touch on the Emhyr thing because the fact she can reconcile with him is honestly mildly fucking horrific. Like even if they’ve removed the nasty ass incest factor, that man quite literally destroyed her entire world and was willing to do so further in order to get his way. The fact she can call him father in one ending is genuinely vomit inducing and so disrespectful to Ciri as a character (also the audacity to play down that Ciri literally sees Yen as her mama WHILE playing devils advocate for War McCrime is a whole choice).

[nyaagolor]

Geeta Team Tweaks

Continuing off my Nemona post: I am Geeta's strongest soldier but her team sucks. Not in the sense that it doesn't have a theme or is ill-fitting, but it just doesn't exude the level of badassery that she deserves. I thought it would be fun to explore different ways of building her team that highlight interesting and underutilized Paldean pokemon and explore a new angle theme wise. Under the cut bc these get long

So Geeta's whole thing is the beauty and diversity of Paldea, shown by her pokemon that represent each of the provinces. However, I think it would be a little more fun if instead, Geeta's team represents the very peak of Paldea-- made entirely of hard to find, powerful, and elusive pokemon that the player only would have seen if they explored every nook and cranny. Not only does it make Geeta look badass, but it serves a meta purpose: those who truly love paldea and spend longer exploring the region can more easily defeat her because they know what to expect, while those who blast through the story will be met with unfamiliar pokemon who can wipe them out

Glimmora: I think she should lead with Glimmora, but that the pokemon should be used in all her promotional material and be the pokemon most closely associated with her. In the same way that Pawmot isn't Nemona's ace in the game but is the Pokemon she's associated with most, I think it should be the same for Geeta. Also, I think the way you find Glimmora should be tweaked so that Geeta having one is more special. As it stands, Glimmora connecting Geeta to area zero is something the player can only find out after the battle with her, which dampens the intrigue. Plus, it can be found easily in some caves, which doesn't make it an unknown or a threat. Instead, I propose that Glimmet / Glimmora only be found in a single spot in Paldea-- a hidden alcove in one of the caves where crystals from area zero are starting to grow. By having a pokemon that spawns only in a rare and out of the way location, players who explore are rewarded because they know how to handle it. Either way, Geeta owning this rare pokemon that most have probably never seen immediately makes her seem badass and mysterious

Espathra -> Amarouge / Celruedge: The fact that these things aren't used in any main story battles and that Celruedge doesn't appear on a team at all is a genuine crime, so I'm fixing it. Also, as cool as Espathra is, it's associated more closely with Tulip, so I don't think it's good for Geeta to have a repeat member like that. The sword boys, on the other hand, are uncommon, powerful, and badass, and serve to highlight Geeta's strength and mastery over the pokemon of the region to the point where she can evolve pokemon like Charcadet that very rarely see evolution. She would have the one that corresponds to your version (Armarogue in Scarlet, Celruedge in Violet)

Gogoat -> Paldean Tauros (Aqua or Blaze): You know how I mentioned in my Nemona team post that she would have a Paldean Tauros in her team, which is implied to be her previous ace? Yeah that's because of Geeta. Nemona looks up to Geeta a lot, and I figured Nemona's Paldean Tauros is actually inspired by Geeta's Paldean Tauros. However, while Nemona's Tauros is the breed that corresponds to the version you're playing, Geeta has the one that corresponds to the Opposite Version (Aqua Breed in Scarlet, Blaze Breed in Violet), ensuring that you're facing a new and surprising threat during your champion fight

Avalugg -> Gholdengo: Imma be honest I do not think Gholdengo fits her vibes at all, but it's not used by anyone in the game and that's pitiful. It's powerful and cool, which also fits for a champ. Also, it fits with the same theme of exploration-- without scaling the watchtowers and searching Paldea for coins, you won't be able to evolve a Gholdengo and have little idea of what you're facing

Veluza -> Rabsca: Uhhhhh honestly I just wanted a cool looking pokemon that wasn't a repeat from another NPC's team. This felt like a good pick AND uses the let's go feature, so it fits with the exploration theme too

Kingambit: This is a good pick, it should have been last, you've heard this a million times. The big thing about Kingambit, however, is that I think it should take advantage of unusual tera types. Since Geeta doesn't have a type specialization, you go into the battle having NO idea what her ace might be. and uh. I don't either. Fairy, maybe? idk I don't play comp I'm here for themes and motifs

Anyway, that's all for Geeta! This is a pretty big overhaul, and I'm curious to see if anyone else had ideas for alternate versions of her team

[puffyducks]

DCRC Week #9 (Part 1)

There is a fungus among us....

Sorry I have nothing better to say. We're reading PKNA #6: Spore! (or I guess sometimes I've heard it called "Spores" plural idk)

Listen, I know we LITERALLY just read Dangerous Disguise and I already said this, but it will never not be scary to just have like human people walking around in the Duckverse!! LIKE THAT IS JUST A HUMAN MAN!!! And don't even @ me with the like "oh it's a dog person that just LOOKS really human" cause he doesn't even have a black nose. That's just a guy.

Now THAT'S a dog.

Guys do you think Xadhoom is doing well after her encounter on the Evronian star base cause idk if she's doing that well. can we get a wellness check on her maybe.

SNOOZEEERRRRRRR 🛌😴🌙

Donald we TRIED telling you to just leave Angus Fangus to be harvested for infinite energy but noOoOoOO you had to SAVE HIM because it's the "right thing to do" or whatever. I'm just saying nobody would even be mad if he mysteriously disappeared.

The art in the issue is already CRAZAYYYY idk how to describe it but I'm really liking the vibe. It feels really jiggly wiggly, like all the characters look really bendy and active and there's just a lot of detail packed into these panels. It's not something I'm used to making or even seeing but I'm really enjoying the eye candy!

How many times is Donald gonna poke his nose into government business before he learns his lesson

Sorry Don I think she's busy having serious PTSD over her entire race being enslaved, you're on your own for this one bud

I'm serious about that wellness check you guys she's just lying fetal position on the floor now

DEPARTMENT..... SIGMA??!?!?!?!

Donald is so short they barely even put him in this panel 😭 it's just his forehead man

These two poses are driving me insane. This is what I look like when I'm in distress 💃

??!?!?!??!?!?!?! THAT'S A PENI-

*Narrator voice* Little did he know, it could, in fact, get much worse.

Dude I'm putting those fabric folds in my mouth and chewing on them so fucking hard holy shit... the cross hatching ououghh.... he does NOT deserve to have a cape that badass

Donaaaald don't look around like that..... YOU'D BETTER NOT-

NOOOOOOO FUCK

NEVERMIND KILL

bro she is crumpled up like a fucking paper bag be NICE

that's probably bad. right?

Anyways woah ending on not one but TWO cliffhangers? Wowie zowie! I'm sure PK and Xadhoom are gonna have a very civilized and normal conversation and we'll totally find out what they talked about at the start of next chapter and they DEFINITELY won't just jump into a chapter about Angus Fangus. RIGHT???

Now to read Ducks on the Road which is apparently like 170 pages good god-

[hils79]

Hils Watches Mysterious Lotus Casebook - Ep 39

The strong urge to just stop with the OT3 ending of the last episode is strong, but I shall continue

I happened to pause here to answer a text but god look at them

HE CALLED HIM A-FEI! I was just thinking last night that I hoped we'd get at least one more now that Di Feisheng has his memories back. I'm so delighted. They are so married.

This looks like the cover of a video game

This is a really awesome fight scene but it's very disconcerting that sometimes Li Lianhua can barely move without fainting and now he's in the middle of the most badass fight of this entire drama and he's not even sweating. Is this because Di Feisheng gave him some of his internal power?

Ah, now his poison is flaring up. Sorry, my bad. I shouldn't have mentioned it.

Okay, I definitely did not see THAT coming.

Di Feisheng has just found out that his new boyfriend isn't royalty, but the husband he just re-married is

Okay, cool. And you couldn't do this before now because...?

I was not expecting him to explode, and I don't think anyone else was either. This all feels very final episode but there's still another one to come after this

Aww they both love their Xiaobao

I'm scared to think about what's next tbh

I'd be happy if there wasn't another 15 mins left on this episode and another whole episode after this one. It's not going to be that simple, is it

Wait, no, is he leaving? I thought they were all going to live together!

Aww I'd forgotten about the voice throwing thing. Look at Li Lianhua sneakily helping Fang Duobing

Fang Duobing has permission from the Emperor to go off and be a gay little dude with his boyfriend and his boyfriend's husband

Aww her face

I know the emperor said we could discuss our engagement at some point in the future but I am just a gay little dude

Aww I do like her. I hope she finds a nice handsome heroic man who is not a gay little dude and will treat her like a queen as she deserves

Hmm...what is left?

[badass-queer-couples-battle]

Do you mind if I ask your top 5 (or top 7) favorite BL and your top 3 (or top 5) favorite GL? And why do you love them? It can be from any media : books, manga, anime, manhwa, tv series or movies.....

Hard question again! I'm going to do 7 for GL and 7 for BL, again under the cut!

In no particular order:

GL:

Revolutionary Girl Utena - is including it on this list cheating since it's not primarily GL? I don't care, it's too good to not recommend. A teenage tomboy fencer gets 'engaged' to a mysterious girl by winning a duel, many more duels happen alongside symbolism, feminist messages and a really mature handling of topics like depression and abuse. REALLY dark though, but worth it! Deserves its place as one of the classic anime.

Bloom into you - incredible handling of internalised homophobia, first love, high school relationships both in the platonic and romantic sense and golden child syndrome. A heartwarming but occasionally heartwrenching story that felt very real. Bonus points for the author actually being a sapphic woman.

The Handmaiden - sapphic thriller from Korea set in the early 1900's! Dark but incredibly engaging, surprisingly happy and hopeful despite how much the girls have to suffer to get their happily ever after. The book it's based on, The Fingersmith, was also great!

GAP - Thailand's first GL series and got so popular there are now multiple other projects coming this & next year! The protagonist is a uni graduate hired in her idol's company only to discover the lady is both meaner and hotter than she thought. Lesbian crisis and full-on romcom shenanigans follow, though the series also comments on traditional family values in Thailand acting as an excuse for homophobia (the idol, Sam, is in an arranged engagement to a man as ordered by her grandma). Don't worry though, the show is mostly very fun and light & ends very very happily for the ladies.

Whisper Me a Love Song - look, as a former band kid I can't not mention the band lesbians manga. It's a highschool romance full of miscommunication and funny/cute shenanigans with occasional sadness to balance it all out. Very relaxing. It's getting an anime adaptation next year so looking forward to that!

Riddle Story of Devil - as an action series fan this was pretty incredible. A school full of assasins, everyone is sapphic and they're all badasses? High school me was obsessed and I still am. The manga is much better though, the anime is both way less gay and develops the characters much less due to the story being compressed into 12 episodes.

Legend of Yunqian - short fantasy drama from a small Chinese studio, it's about a regular young lady going back in time via a magic fan and falling for a magical warrior woman. Lovely and available on Youtube for free!

Honorary mentions: Flip Flappers (anime), Clear and muddy loss of love (novel), She likes to cook and she likes to eat (manga & TV series)

BL:

Heaven Official's Blessing - come on, it's incredible. Dark fantasy with immortal love that breaks even the most powerful curses, a complex and deeply human protagonist, a lot of emotional moments and incredible use of flashbacks to slowly reveal his backstory to the readers- what's not to love? Just a warning, when I say it's dark fantasy I'm not kidding. The series has funny and light moments but when shit gets real, it gets REAL.

No.6 - just like RGU isn't technically GL, this isn't technically BL but I am gonna talk about anyway, it's incredible. It's a dystopian sci-fi story about Shion, a teenager who discovers a government conspiracy and works to stop it alongside his new friend/love interest Nezumi. It treats the gay relationship super casually, there's no sexuality angst or anything, it was super refreshing! Read the novels though, the anime compressed the story a lot.

The Untamed/Mo Dao Zu Shi - love the intrigue, love the main romance, love the fantasy elements! My first Chinese series and one I hold dear for introducing me to the wuxia (Chinese fantasy) genre. Any version of the story is great but I'd recommend to start with the series and then read the books.

Kinnporsche - it's deeply insane and I love it for that. Everyone is gay, everyone commits crimes (they're in the mafia, so. Yeah) and it makes for a really entertaining show even if its darker elements aren't always super well handled.

Not me the series - Motorcycle gang of young anarchists against corruption! Very radical and critical of capitalism and the police system, engaging and fast paced. The director/showrunner is a trans activist/filmmaker so it's not like she doesn't know what she's talking about. It's very universal so I'd recommend it even to people who normally don't watch BL. One minus point for minor queerbaiting with 2 side characters, nothing major but it did bother me a bit + felt unnecessary in a series full of queer characters.

Cherry magic - queer office romance + mind reading! If that combination sounds interesting please do check it out, it was super cute. Bonus for very realistically human protags and an explicitly aroace side character.

Semantic error - opposites attract-type romance between an introverted, collected STEM prodigy and an extroverted art student partnered together for a project. The protagonist is autistic and written pretty well so I latched onto the show immediately, bonus points for side queer representation (bi character who's a super cool and pretty lady, love her).

Honorary mentions: Word of Honor (series), Yuri on ice (anime, only homoerotic sports anime to make the gay explicit, iconic), Nobleman Ryu's wedding (series, short but v heartwarming!)

[polarisbibliotheque]

Nemesis (Vergil x Reader) - Chapter 2

Nemesis

Pairing: Vergil x Reader

Summary: The Abyss opening is a rare occurrence. In his youth, Vergil wanted to harness its power, but never thought he would meet his greatest adversary along the way. Years later, the Abyss is once again open and that might call for some rather unlikely alliances.

Chapter 1 (Prologue) | Chapter 2 (you are here!)

Age restriction: 18+ - there’s a lot of blood, violence, cursing and all those things people want to forbid younger audiences of seeing. Also, cosmic horror is a thing here. Procceed with caution.

TRIGGER WARNINGS: Nothing too bad. The reader recovers, but has that empty existential thing that they've nowhere to go now.

Author's notes: Building your character! The reader has to be as badass as Vergil he wouldn't bow to a human weaker than him. Also, I've been playing with the idea of the Codex Daemonica for a while - Sparda and Eva needed to teach Dante and Vergil how Hell worked somehow.

Truth be told, I wanna write it and illustrate it. Might do it someday xD

Chapter 2

You thought you would wake up in Heaven.

The golden light of the afternoon painted the room in a warm embrace. You had no idea where you were – it looked like a small city hospital, seeming more like a cozy hotel than a home for doctors and diseased. While your eyes carefully scanned your surroundings, you found a young, kind looking woman – wearing a long, light green dress and white apron. She organized a few things around, finally looking at you after a while.

When she met your eyes, she opened a smile as warm as the sun outside.

“Oh, you are finally awake! Everyone is going to be so happy to hear that!”

“Where…” Your voice was raspy. You coughed a little bit, trying to clear your throat. It seemed like you didn’t use your voice in years. “Where am I?”

“Don’t worry about that. Your city… I’m really sorry about it. Everyone fled and searched for solace in here – we’re the nearest village around you. We were so scared to hear about what happened, but…” She glanced at you, questioning if she should keep talking. Your eyes had no feelings – it didn’t seem like the loss of your city affected that much. Perhaps you had already accepted that as you did your last stand. “We heard… Hmmm… Rumors. Of a last human who fought all the demons, ‘til the very last one. And because of that human, the demons didn’t spread to nearby cities.”

You shook your head while processing all those words. The nurse kept looking at you, clearly believing you were that human she was talking about. You matched all the descriptions, and you were left in the hospital’s porch quite injured – you, in the other hand, didn’t believe it was all thanks to you. A lot of good people died trying to protect the city, many of your colleagues. Good warriors, who didn’t go down without a good fight. They deserved the recognition too.

“How long have I been here…?”

“It’s been 5 days since you arrived.” The nurse giggled as you widened your eyes. You had been out for 5 days?! That was new… And it was impressive you even survived. “We were starting to worry… Your odds weren’t the best, if you allow me to say so. We hoped you’d be alright, but… You weren’t waking up. We thought you… Wouldn’t. I’m so happy you did, though.”

Once again you shook your head, processing all the information. It was a lot to absorb in only a few moments – and now, there was only one mystery left…

“How did I get here?”

“Hmmm. No one really knows.” The nurse sighed, eyes carrying honesty. “You just… Appeared. Someone carried you all the way here and left you on the door. The Head Nurse saw a dark figure through the window and saw you on the floor – as soon as she called us to help, the figure left. She doesn’t know who it was, but they ringed the doorbell and made sure someone would care for you.”

You furrowed your brows. There was no one left in the city, only you. The very few humans left were escaping on their own or left to die. You only had memories of fighting until your body gave out and you closed your eyes – finally waking up in the hospital. You had no knowledge of how you escaped the demons, fled the city and ended up there – and, apparently, no one else did either.

“Oh, they also wrapped you cozily around a big shawl so you wouldn’t be too cold. It was pouring that night.” You finally woke up from your thoughts as the woman handed you a midnight blue shawl; soft to the touch, enough to keep any wind or cold away from whoever wore it. “It seems like you have a very caring guardian angel.”

You smiled back to the nurse before she left the room. You kept running your hands through the soft scarf as you thought about everything that happened through the last days.

A guardian angel. You never thought they would be real – but if demons existed, angels should be real as well. It seemed fitting that your angel would be a dark yet caring figure.

You smiled alone, wrapping yourself around the shawl. After having lost everything, it was nice to believe you had a guardian angel watching over you.

**

“Can I help…?”

You had spent one week in the hospital and, by now, you already knew everyone. Your recovery, slow but certain, made every nurse, doctor and staff smile with hope – you were a case of certain death, but there you were: doing your best and fighting to stay alive.

It was the first time you walked out of your bed though.

“Y/n! You shouldn’t be wondering about!” Margaret, or Margie as everyone would call her, almost jumped out of her own wrinkled skin upon laying eyes on you. The very same Head Nurse who promptly helped you that night, she made sure you were resting and recovering. “Now, now! Back to your room!”

“You look like you need some help, Margie.” Your answer was calm, with a fun smile on your lips. She carried a pile of bedspreads and seemed to have a hard time keeping it all in her arms while trying to open the closet to organize them in. “C’mon, let me help you. I’m never recovering if I just stay tossed in bed crying over my bruised body.”

Margie’s judging eyes rested like glittering emeralds on yours. She was smaller than you, but that didn’t make her less commanding: Margaret could order around even the doctors – everyone respected her age and her experience.

Also, you thought everyone was a little bit afraid of her. She was a wonderful person indeed.

“Fine. But don’t you go jumping around like a gazelle. You need to recover.” Her words, even if harsh, made you smile.

“I’ll look after myself, don’t worry.” Your voice was calm and reassuring. It was the best way to deal with her. “You, in the other hand, look like you need help. What can I do?”

“Nothing. You can sit there and watch me.” Margaret pointed at a nearby chair – but you were as headstrong as she was. Pretending not to hear the woman, you took all the bedspreads from her, between her protests, and stood right by her side.

“Here. Now you can open the door and organize things while I hand you the bedspreads. A lot easier, isn’t it?”

“Oh, you are such a piece of work!” She shook her head in disapproval while doing exactly what you said. You just smiled back, watching carefully as you helped her fulfill her job. “I don’t know why you don’t go out to take a stroll in the garden. It’s much better than standing here like a broomstick by my side.”

“Hmmm. I like doing something.” You hummed back, taking a look at the sun outside through a nearby window. “Apparently, I’ll have enough time to stay around, so I can take strolls in the garden whenever I want to. I, hmmm… I guess I don’t want to think too much right now.”

“Oh, why is that? Thinking is always good, dear.”

“I know, but… I don’t know much what to do now.” You shrugged, trying to contain a sigh. “I don’t have a place to go after here. I guess… I’m trying to avoid thinking what I’m going to do after I fully recover.”

“Don’t you know any of the other survivors…?”

“I do, I just…” Now you couldn’t help but sighing. “I was left behind. I went back to save the children who didn’t make out of the city’s orphanage, but then my… Hmmm… Friends left without me.” You turned silent for a while, not even noticing Margaret staring at you with those beautiful emerald eyes. “I’d like to see the children, to know they’re ok. But I don’t feel like meeting everyone else… As far as they know, I’m as good as dead. If they even remember I exist. So… Yeah. I don’t really know what to do after recovering. I’m trying not to think of it so I won’t worry too much.”

You didn’t look at her as you were speaking neither after finishing your answer. The only thing that ran through your mind was a half anxiety attack questioning why you were opening your heart to another human being even after all that happened.

You concluded it was because you saw no threat in an old lady like Margaret. She could be threatening like a grandma, but she wasn’t a threat to your fragile heart.

Now kept safe behind layers and layers of stone walls you built around it.

“Well, well…” Margie finally spoke again, returning to her task. As you did before, she decided not to annoy you with a scrutinizing stare – it seemed like you would feel more comfortable if she kept the conversation as casual as you did. “You should help me this week, then. If you do a good job, you can stay around.”

You looked back at Margaret, noticing a small smile hidden on her dry lips. Your own smile reflected the golden bloom in your heart, as you continued silently helping her with the bedspreads.

Even if you didn’t end up doing a good job that week, Margaret had already decided. The hospital would take you in, for as long as you decided to stay.

*

Turns out, having you around the hospital was a very good thing.

As you slowly recovered, the staff realized how strong you were. Being a warrior, using your skills to protect your city until it fell, the hospital chores were easy and mundane – nothing like a day of tireless training to perfect your grip technique or your footwork on several situations with all kinds of enemies. Fixing lightbulbs or carrying groceries was quite peaceful compared to that.

As you started running errands for the staff, people around the town got to know you – and who you were. Always wearing a beautiful deep blue shawl, you were the one who posed the last stand and didn’t allow the demons to swarm the other cities. There was quite a sense of reverence – and even fear – you were never used to feeling before.

“Oh, if it’s not my favorite customer visiting me today! Hello, y/n!”

“How are you, Pepe?” You smiled peacefully as you heard the loud greeting of the bakery owner as soon as you stepped inside. “Business going well as usual?”

“Better than usual! You see, with the recent increase of people, there’s an increase in birthdays too. I have a huge order for a birthday party today!” His smile was contagious under the carefully sculptured moustache.

“That’s great to hear. I hope you can take my order too, though.” You leaned on the counter while his wife was busy helping a customer nearby.

“I can always take your orders, y/n. Everything for the one who helped save the city.” He had kindness in his eyes as you brushed the compliments away. You never knew what to do with yourself when people spoke to you like that – you were used to being bashed or, at least, invisible. “And everything for the hospital too, of course. What do you need?”

“Hmmm, Margie gave me a list, should be here somewhere…” You searched your pockets until you found a quite generous piece of paper. Pepe just stared at you, as you stared him back. “You know Margie…”

“Don’t sweat it, kid. I got your back.” He winked while taking the list and examining it with quick eyes. “It’s going to take just a while, the bread is in the oven. You’ll go back to the hospital with fresh, warm bread! How does that sound?”

“It sounds more than great, Pepe. You’re a lifesaver.” You smiled back, making him light up as bright as the day outside.

“Oh, that makes us even then! Have a sit, make yourself at home! I’ll bring you some tea!”

You didn’t even have time to answer: Pepe had already left in search for tea and something for you to snack while waiting for your order to be done.

“Excuse me, I’m sorry to interrupt…” The other client, though, caught your attention before you could sit. “But I heard you both talking… You’re the one who defended the city? Before the demons and the Abyss destroyed it?”

“Oh. Yes.” Honestly, who wouldn’t have heard Pepe? You couldn’t even blame that random person. “Not just me. But I was one of the people who fought that day.”

“Well… I don’t mean to be rude or anything… But are you open to side jobs?” As the man asked, you furrowed your brows. You had never thought of that as a job. “I mean, as a hunter. My family is having problems with demons in a city nearby, they need a hunter’s help. We don’t know anyone… We can pay you well for your trouble!”

A demon hunter. You had never thought of working as one before – sure, you heard of them, but your city had a strong line of defense against human and non-human threats. Sure, it wasn’t enough to save everyone, but it did manage to save a few people. Given that, you never needed to hire a devil hunter and that was something quite rare to see where you came from.

It was a good opportunity to put your skills to use, to help you keep refining your skills. If you met that blue coated demon again, you’d need to be at your very best – no, you would need to be better. Being a hunter would help definitely help you as well as give you an opportunity to help financially at the hospital.

“Yeah… Yeah, I’m open to that.” You snapped out of your thoughts in a matter of seconds. Maybe it would be the best way to find the blue coated demon and kick his ass for good. He deserved it – and you would never relax until you met him again and had your rematch. “I can work as a devil hunter. How can I contact your family?”

That marked the beginning of your career as a ruthless demon hunter. No one around had your skills and people would go to the hospital to treat their injuries as well as to hire you for eventual jobs.

It became something so common, Margaret instructed the reception to ask if the people coming in needed health care or were searching for the services of the in-house devil hunter.

You never turned out a job, though. As difficult as it sounded, as far as it was – you always put your midnight blue shawl and prayed in a murmur for your guardian angel to bring you home safely. You also prayed for your angel to protect you during the hunt and, if the blue coated demon appeared, to give you the strength and aid to defeat him. After the Abyss incident, that blue demon became your greatest enemy – the only you weren’t able to easily beat; the only whose skills, and pride, matched yours.

And you absolutely hated that.

**

The amount of knowledge surrounding the Abyss was perfectly… Unsatisfying. That’s what you thought, at least, during your arcane researches in the hospital’s library.

Whenever you weren’t helping around, running errands or hunting, you took your time to gather as much knowledge as you could regarding the Abyss. In your town, you only learnt it was a place out of the human world, carrying the “greatest horrors of mankind”. And that was it.

As one of the city’s warriors, you were in charge of defending it and its people – you knew of the Abyss, you knew it could manifest and open at any time, even if it wasn’t a common occurrence, but… That’s how far your knowledge went back then.

And you would argue that was how much everyone else in the city, even the elder researches, knew about it.

The Abyss had destroyed your city and had almost claimed your life. It made you encounter the blue coated devil for the first time – and burn inside for a rematch. Every time you thought of him, you wanted to punch that arrogant attitude out of his face. He was looking for the Abyss, and he probably knew something about it that you didn’t – you could bet wherever another fissure to the Abyss opened, he would be there.

Whatever that demon wanted with the Abyss – and whatever that darkness harbored – it couldn’t be good. You would stop anyone from entering or exiting the Abyss, even if that costed your life – and whatever the blue demon wanted with it, you would always be there to stop him.

Aside from that, you also searched for a way to close it for good. When it came to Hell, there was the legend of Sparda: the demon who rebelled against its own kind to lock the gates of Hell behind itself, finally settling down on your side with a human. If Sparda closed the gates of Hell forever, you could close the openings to the Abyss as well.

You just had to find a way to do that.

With an audible sigh, you leaned your head on your hand, surrounded by old, decaying tomes while sitting at the grand oak table of the library. The entries regarding the Abyss were always minimal, one page with big letters at most – and none of them gave you much information regarding its details: what the hell it was, what was in there, how far it went, its landscapes, what kinds of creatures inhabited its shadows, its hierarchies…

There could be a Codex Abyssae just like there was the Codex Daemonica. Since you had started working as a hunter, you practically knew the Codex by heart – knowing most demon species, their hierarchies in Hell, how powerful they were, the circles from Hell, their strengths and weaknesses… But even the Codex Daemonica had just a little note regarding the Abyss.

Your researches would prove to be very tiring indeed. You needed to speak to a creature who actually knew more about it – maybe you could even write your own Codex on the Abyss after gathering the information you needed.

If there wasn’t a book about it, you would have to write your own.

“Y/n! It’s time to stop reading and go to work.” Margie snapped you out of your thoughts as soon as you decided it was time to go deeper on your research.

“Another client?” You stretched your back – even if you sat with a good posture whenever you were reading, with time, you always ended up melting on your chair and looking like a piece of ice cream that was kept away from the freezer for far too long. “Demons?”

“No, it’s worse!” The man in charge of hiring you ran forward, nervously holding a little hat in his bony hands. “It’s… We don’t know. We think… It might be the same thing that happened to your city. You must help us! Please!”

“The Abyss…?” You immediately got up from your chair, already searching for your great silver sword and wrapping yourself on your deep blue guardian angel's shawl. With time, you found a use for dual guns and shotguns, as well as a combat knife for emergencies. You had read about summoning swords with arcane energy, but you weren’t yet strong enough in your arcane magic to be able to do that. You still had a long way to go – enter the use of guns. They were very practical when it came to fighting a swarm of demons. “Lead the way. Depending on how things look like, we’ll have to evacuate your city.”

“We’re already doing that, but we heard about you and… You can help us do it safely! You can stop the demons… Can’t you?” The man’s eyes were filled with horror while yours didn’t flinch for even a second.

“Every demon around will try to access the Abyss, just like it happened to my city.” Your answer was certain as a stone, while you finished gearing up. “Yeah. I can stop them. Every single one of them.”

Even the ones who wore blue.

“Be careful, dear… You have to come back and help me with the laundry on the weekend.” Margaret held your arm before you left the library.

“Don’t worry. You’re not gonna get rid of me this easy, Margie.” You winked at her; the confidence in your eyes reassuring and making her relax a little.

You were certain he would be there – and it would be the perfect opportunity for you to start the research for your own Codex Abyssae.

**

To be continued...

[authorofthemoon]

Persona 3 update mostly on the story. I just got Aeigis and as a unit she's interested. Very focused on two things which are buffs and AOE physical damage. However her versatility is low so hopefully she gets better skills later. I didn't expect to get her this early I thought she was the last one we get like. Personality wise she's okay. Standard robot character so far but I'm sure her story gets crazy.

But what I really want to talk about is the characters of P3 and how it's really good at giving them their own agency. At first I was very disappointed that characters didn't get their personas through a self revelation like 4 and 5 and that their social links are way more of a barrier, but I get now it's bc they put more time putting their character development into the actual story instead of social links.

I think Yukari might be my favorite Persona character which man it's hard putting her over Ryuju, Kanji, and Mishima but damn she's up there. Her telling everyone off was chefs kiss to be honest. Dont get me wrong I adore Akihiko and Kirijo and I'm not necessarily saying they deserved to get yelled at like that. But Yukari definitely deserved to pop off. And the scene with her on the beach is great. The fact that she's like there's nothing you can say that will make it go away is just great. Again she's the most normal persona but her determination to do go snooping and finding out the truth is just so badass.

Moving onto Junpei my sweet sweet boy. I understand he's an insecure boy who just wants to feel respected and lovef and worth something but that doesn't mean I wanna go around hitting on women that I have no interest in. But I digress. I love his little arc after the love hotel where he just feels such visible content. I felt bad bc I do like Junpei and I hated him being mad even if it wasn't my fault. But it very sweet tbh after the erealizesnthst he's the problem he genuinely goes 'sorry I've been a dick' and we're good but I get the sense that feeling of resentment isn't over. It seems like a common theme in the Magician arcana.

I need to know what went down with Akihiko and Shinji. Also apparently Kirijo gonea through some intense shit too. They're still shrouded in so much mystery in such an intriguing way and seeing them both open up slowly is very sweet. Also I didn't expect Kirijos dad to be so nice I was expecting a Haru situation.

Fuuka is very funny and her willingness to hack into a major corporation is peak. Again I love her own agenda is just not wanting to stay with her parents.

Again, I love that everyone has their own agenda that makes more internal conflict. The P4 and P5 groups all shared the same goal so most conflict was external and very rarely did personal character development happen outside of their persona awakening or social links.

Also looks like I was pretty accurate in my analysis of the protag and that he's just vwry quiet and calm. He's a good leader, but socially he doesn't say much. So I'm more lenient with him being not as expressive as Yu and Akira if that is in fact his character. Yu comes off as very empathetic and a bit more extroverted (from what I remember it's been a while since I've played 4 and 5 and ofc player choices matter) and Ren comes off as introverted but with a silly side along with a strong sense to help others.

But yeah quickish analysis of the my P3 experience. Could possibly become my favorite solely for Yukari.

[tyrantisterror]

Wizard School Mysteries: Book 2 Side Characters

Ok, the supporting cast expanded a lot in this book because of the tournament arc, but let's see if I can account for them all.

Actually, shit, first I have to go with two I forgot to add to the last batch, and pretty important ones at that. Zebul Blaa, the Dökkálfar/Dark Elf extra who ends up being part of the villainous plot in the first book. Dark elves in Norse mythology were born from the maggots that ate the giant Ymir's body, so in Midgaheim they're basically fly-people. Zebul himself is still in his maggot/larval stage of his life cycle at the start of the series, but as this concept art shows, that will change. He's got more to do in the overall story yet, so keep an eye out for him.

Laurel Creusa, meanwhile, is the student whose disappearance sets James on his whole mystery solving path. I tried to set up a red herring with her as well - James drops the word "tower" is his one conversation with her, which, given how the arcana are revealed in book 1, could have been taken as a hint that she was the final ally James needed to make in that book. But, alas, twas not to be - and I'm not sure if anyone fell for my ruse to this day.

Ok, back to book 2 proper. Professor Prospera Bubos and Professor Heka Tlancheb are the two teachers who are most responsible for the tournament at the center of the conflict in Tournament of Death, and it's fun because they're kind of polar opposites from the magic end of things - a professor of healing magic vs. a professor of combat magic - yet they both ultimately prove to be reasonable authority figures who protest the school turning an blind eye to how the students get hurt. Professor Bubos is loosely based on an alchemist character I drew ages back - mainly the big, pointy shoulders with prominent stitches. Meanwile Heka is just me being horny on main making fun of my own fondness for terrifying witch women.

We also get to see Professor Kobut Nyftek, who I think was mentioned in book 1 but not actually seen. They're one of the nicer teachers in the school, and costume-wise I took a lot of inspiration from Dr. Maruki's supervillain get up in Persona 5 Royal. There is... so much Persona in Wizard School Mysteries's DNA, way more than there is Harry Potter, and yet I know Harry Potter is the only thing it'll ever be compared to. A tragedy.

Simeon Helmschmied isn't a terribly complicated teacher concept - I just wanted to make him look like a badass, grizzled wizard blacksmith. D&D really popularized the idea of wizards not being armored and, like, I get it for mechanical reasons, but also I think some wizards deserve to also be heavily armored tanks.

Lacey Spidergrin is part of my ongoing attempt to sexualize Slenderman, and I think it's working gang.

As I said in the last post, before I enacted the grand plan to create a vast reserve of Spare Wizard Students, I plotted out a few supporting cast students based on alternate names for the Major Tarot Arcana. Godfrey Lionhardt and Columbina Paggliacci are based on alt names for The Magician - the Magus and the Juggler respectively - and loosely embody the traits of that card in turn, with flavorings based on the alt names they're given. A Magus is a more respected, princely equivalent of a magician - "Gift of the Magi" and all that - so Godfrey has a princely look about him. His last name, Lionhardt, marks him as being part of one of the noble houses in his home country of Bretonce, so he may well actually be a prince for all you know. Meanwhile, Columbina obviously takes the clown associations with "The Juggler" and plays them up to the hilt - which also allowed me to emphasize the fact that clowns are a monster species in my setting rather than just a job strange weirdos take.

I've mentioned how Joan Tatou is basically a collection of traits that Margot and Gretchen lost in the prewriting stages of the series, so I won't go heavily into that here. She's the Papesse, i.e. the High Priestess if she was more imperious and French. Wiglaf and Wagner, meanwhile, represent The Road and The Victory, which are alternate names for the Chariot - and also words that are used in a lot of descriptions of the Chariot, which makes them both feel like incomplete versions of it. That is to say, if you substitute The Road or The Victory for The Chariot in your Tarot deck, you're kind of specifically simplifying the meaning of the card. Which is why Wiglaf and Wagner are, like, just Margot's soccer hooligan fans - an extension of the Chariot, if you will.

Tinnea Lunae's prompt was "vampire who's primary animal form is a moth instead of a bat." She's trans, too, even if it hasn't come up yet. She, Titania, Sadie, and (eventually) Zebul work on the school's Newsparchment, What's the Buzz?

Grammy Crumblebuttons played a valuable role as a red herring in book 2, but her part in the narrative isn't over yet. Demented old women are too fun to write.

The Great Nyaa and Ursula Cobb are both animal-themed gag characters, but I like to think they're pretty distinct outside of that. Not that we'll know very much about the Great Nyaa given, you know, what happens in book 2.

Ok I think we can actually get to the contestants in the tournament now. Aldonza Dulcinea's outfit is specifically based on the movie outfits for Professor Umbridge. Her earlier designs were less good more generic wizard outfits, but by this point the "Let's spite the Terf Queen" streak in me was strong, and I thought it'd be fun to have a plus size character who's into pink and "girly" stuff not only be a hero, but an explicitly kind and beloved one.

I think my original concept for Breowyn was "what if a studio head forced me to tone down Margot's character concept to be more easily marketable." She's a warrior girl but, like, in the "kind of a tomboy" way that's socially acceptable instead of being a giant with a fucked up arm who looms over everybody. Ironically, I ended up really liking her design - I guess even a watered down Margot is still a fun character for me to work with.

Waldorf Brimli is, like, a wizard in the vein of the evil cult leaders in H.P. Lovecraft's stuff, and a student in the vein of those specific kind of nerds/geeks who are deeply misanthropic and antisocial under the excuse that they assume everyone hates them so they might as well hate everyone back. So, like, the kind of person who'd update the Chris Chan wiki, basically.

Gyrion Clodson is part of the "LOTR Gang," a subgroup of the Spare Wizard Students comprised entirely of Midgaheim versions of various sapient races from LOTR. Gyrion is our dwarf, though in Midgaheim dwarves are synonymized with gnomes.

My goal with Serena, beyond simply homaging magical girl tropes, was to have her be a "badass" character who's explicitly feminine - all her kickass offensive spells use pretty shiny crystals, she loves pink so much that her hair turned that color, she's very much a girly girl. So when I picked her opponents in the tournament, I wanted them to be various shades of masculine to contrast her, with three of them specifically underestimating her because of her feminine traits.

Margot's opponents (Shere Statchell included but not pictured here since she's in the previous post) are meant to play on different traits she has - Shere is has a physical disability (even worse than Margot's, since she fully lost her arm), Chungo and Eruz are both inhumanly large and somewhat ostracized for the danger people fear they present, and Sarkani is a wizard whose powers are distinctly ominous, even if she revels in that rather than trying to hide and restraint it like Margot. Sarkani also has an explicit dragon motif to go with Margot's more subtle one.

Next: alternate outfits!

[presiding]

just saw that there's a monster in the hull update and realized i'd missed three of those........this + the audio are such treats giggling and kicking my feet about it fr. going to leave a comment on the fic itself but in the meantime needed to drop a letter on here to say i love the way you write billie--her loneliness, her thoughtfulness, distrust of yet attraction to emily and everything she represents........not to mention the way she's haunted by daud, the longing for a life she can't fathom and will never have !!! society if everyone gave billie the complexity she deserves. and your banter and prose are stunning as always lord everything abt this fic is so good. bringing wine to you on the deck to drink together about it in spirit and yes pun intended

🙏😭 thank you so so much I don't know what to say! that's amazingly kind of you ♥ its a genuine pleasure to like. double down on themes and nuance and less popular characters and just like. idk. trustfall into the fandom that there's people with taste like you, and you can invite them onto your metaphorical deck for wine and meaningful looks 🍷♥♥♥

re: billie - no one else in the dh universe comes close to whatever she has going on

hiding my thoughts about writing dh2 billie >

there's so much material to her!

i thought i'd never write for dishonored 2 (not derogatory - its my favourite game). its undoubtedly linear & doesn't have the mystery or grit of dh1 IMO.

but i saw lapin post that billie & emily comic, and i saw a few other people i respect mention billie/emily and it had me rotating them until the abjection/emily-monster thing clicked and then it was downhill from there

but there's more to think about - what billie has been doing with herself, how she feels about daud & the whalers at this point in her life, her relationship with sokolov (god.a separate rant), her history in karnaca & dunwall, emily's place in the empire and how that fits into billie's story, her lifelong revenge arc, and comparisons between jessamine & deirdre.

like. when you consider billie's perspective you realise how fucking badass she is for going back to dunwall. she not only did it scared she did it scared for her life. suicidal level flimsy disguise trapped in a tin can with your enemy. etc

PLEASE tell me if you ever decide to post that daud & billie fic you mentioned a while back :O

[woodsfae]

B5 s03e06: Dust to Dust table of contents • previous episode

Lame that there are so many insubordinate soldiers under Sheridan's command!

Bester, my best guy <3 This should be a delightfully creepy episode! Psi horror! I love him so much. His threatening vibe is sooo gooood. Hope Lyta stays safe!

Did Stop Falling On Me guy just do a murder? 

The new opener is so good. Maybe because I always watch this show high, but it is so excellent. 

Casually discussing my best guy's murder! I will be fair to them. Bester is a murder-danger-level threat. But he's also the war criminal who has my heart. I want to squish him. Like a stuffed animal.

Vir! And awww, don't be mean to him, Londo! His Minbari robe of welcoming looks much more comfortable than Centauri clothes. 

Londo: "Do they speak of me often?" Vir: "Only behind closed doors."

lmao?? I can't believe that only a season ago I was fully "meh" on Vir, and now I would kill for him ^_^

Telepathy accident? Strange. I like strange medical mysteries, but B5's seem to tend to be extra tragic. I don't trust 'em not to be tearjerkers. 

Oh my goddddd. Is Susan about to murder Bester with the station? She was! but for Sheridan's interference. tsk. well, probably the rational choice. But I support Susan Ivanova no matter what. 

lol Bester, being hit with a feeling of strong personal danger. I should say so! 

Delenn's non-murder solution is blocking Bester with Minbari telepaths! This must be so unexpected for Bester. And it is also unexpected for me! Delenn has this kind of pull still? Or again? I love that for her. However, it does tell Bester that they know things they're lowkey desperate to keep him from knowing. Hope that doesn't come back to bite them later!

What a good set-down by Sheridan. Doesn't faze Bester a bit, though!

Dissection of Talia? Fuck thaaaat. And Susan stays so cool! She's so badass, damn. And right after her murder attempt was thwarted. She has iron emotional control. 

Bester: "You choose not to trust me. That's sad. And unfortunate. But unlike the rest of you, I have no intention of letting it get in the way of my work. Doctor. Trust, Captain. You should try it some time. The [telepathy inhibiting] drug requires three hours to take effect. See you in four. Perhaps then you'll all be a little less hysterical, and little more productive. I'm here to save your butts! Next time: show a little gratitude." Dr Franklin: "On the other hand, maybe wounding him isn't such a bad idea after all."

Lol!! I love Bester so much. He's such a pragmatist!! And it certainly got the point across that he's here to cooperate over a case.

The Drazi seem to be occupying a similar sociopolitical niche in the show as the late Markab. Which gives me concerns for their long term prospective. Regardless, good for them, giving Londo and Centauri a hard time. Especially since Londo can't help but be a dick to the Drazi and the Narn on the way out. 

Vir has gained much confidence while he's been away. And he likes Minbar and his new assignment! He deserves some appreciation and respect. 

Awww Lennier, that's such a gentle denial for Vir's request that Londo visit Minbar for a mental health vacation. Is it just me, or is Lennier really developing a shiny backbone? He's come so far from the hyper-sheltered religious acolyte, and I'm glad he hasn't lost any of the stars in his eyes about Delenn. She is that cool. Vir has astonishing faith in Londo's goodness. I hope he's right one of these days!

This is a reasonable request for cooperative behavior. Bester wants help tracking this drug which allows for a high degree of mental assault with a high for the perpetrator, which usually permanently incapacitates the victim if they are also a telepath. sounds like someone's gonna use it in war! 

This person selling it to G'Kar says it turns the user into a telepath and lets them directly experience the life of the target. But it might not work on Narns. More Narnuan lore! There used to be Narn telepaths, but they were "exterminated." Brutal. By the Shadows, I wonder, or perhaps the Centauri?

If G'Kar ends up a telepath, that was not on my season 3 bingo card! 

Bester's giving a "there are existential horrors you never have to worry about because we take care of them before anyone knows they exist," and it's downright unnerving. How many chill-ass folks have they taken out for fear of what they could be capable of?

G'Kar's No Good Very Bad Acid Trip does seem to be coming with some sort of mental abilities, though not particularly controllable. And since it works on people who aren't telepaths, but turns on a telepathy gene (in humans), does it also turn every human who uses it into an active telepath? That'd be a huge reason for PsiCorps to want to contain it. 

Garibaldi working with Bester is highly effective and very extralegal, what with all the threats and civil rights violations. He's a bad influence on Garibaldi. He's already too inclined to threaten civilians, he doesn't need any encouragement of Bester's type. 

Even though Garibaldi argues with Bester about it later, he still goes right along with it while their detainee was present. Bad! Influence!

Bester: "The badge and the uniform do have certain advantages." Garibaldi: "Like intimidation?" Bester: "Absolutely. Just like your badge, and your uniform."

Exactly!! Love me a self aware villain.

Londo arranged for Vir to be appointed the Ambassador to Minbar because he didn't trust him. Didn't trust him to keep himself intact in Centauri's political climate, didn't trust him to make wise decisions for himself, and wanted to send him somewhere safe. And now he isn't trusting Vir's assessment that the Minbari are trustworthy potential allies. That's sad for Londo. He'd be making much better decisions if he would take Vir's advice.

Go G'Kar, go! Fulfill Londo's death dream! One can dream. 

Bester my sassy, amoral little guy. <3 His snark is such a good mixture of strangely wise, self-aware, inane, and troubling. 

Their fascist sonic weapon crowd control devices are super effective. At least they didn't use them on the Dockworkers Union, but that's a small at least. Don't like knowing they exist in universe. Statistically, now that they've been introduced, they're going to be used to commit horrible war crimes. 

Oh...I was so caught up in the euphoria of G'Kar potentially strangling Londo that I quite forgot about the Narn telepathy subplot. Well. Go G'Kar, go, anyway. I also support his telepathy plot. Good keeping it together while very disorientingly drugged! He might pull it off, except I'd be surprised if Londo knows anything of particular value. 

And he has so much more clarity inside Londo's mind! Compelling! Get him! Collaborating with Morden and the Shadows! Seeing the fuckin evil that Londo arranged on fucking purpose! It's meaningful for G'Kar to know, but like....with no proof will it do G'Kar any good? 

Interesting that G'Kar had far more control than the drug guy suggested, able to target memories and types of knowledge, before absorbing all of Londo's life.

Oh, grim. G'Kar's vision of his father and another Narnuan elder is a type of sorrowful that feels so extra heavy today. 

Is...G'Kar having a vision of Kosh?? Oh damn! Kosh is making moves while G'Kar trips hard! If that was Kosh, the voice is very different. 

I really. Really wanna give G'Kar a nice warm robe, and a vacation. And some rest. And a cute little roast animal for him to eat, snoot-first. 

Surprisingly soft interaction between Vir and Londo in the medbay.

Disappointed this went to trial! Let G'Kar Assault Centauri And Particularly Londo Mollari!

At least it's only 60 days in prison, I guess? I don't trust Babylon 5 prisons not to be horrific. 

Vir's hair is less cresty then usual, I feel. Or is somehow Differently Shaped. 

Hmmm. And some advice from Londo that's somewhat decent. When he chooses to use his brain, it works sorta ok. 

Bester says the Dust didn't work! Didn't produce one telepath of a reasonable strength! Go G'Kar, go! Of course PsiCorps was responsible for it. 

I really would not have guessed New Telepaths, Particularly G'Kar as a plot point in B5! I guess they sorta primed the pump with metamorphosing Matt Stoner's telepathy to empathy, elevating Jason Ironheart to a telekinetic high order being, and the other general mind fuckery, but that's cool! And I can't wait to see what they do with it. 

Overall, exactly what I've come to expect from a Bester episodes. And I love G'Kar, so I love this for him. And more Narnuan lore! I also enjoy that a lot.

next!

[samantha-and-her-chaotic-desires]

Due to your recent post:

🖊+ Lacrimosa Ambrose (what a woman <3)

P.S.: Have a nice day! :3

SDFGHJKLJHGFDFGHJKKJH I love you I love you I love you and you ALSO have a nice day!!! <333

HOOOOOOOO BOY I'M GONNA DUMP A L O T OF STUFF :D I'M GONNA GET LENGTHY BUT HHHHHHHH PLEASE BARE WITH ME

DISCLAIMER: Lackadaisy belongs to @lackadaisycats and it is a beautiful animation and web comic, I HIGHLY recommend.

Below The Surface is my 2023 Lackadaisy fic. It will be linked below <3

Lacrimosa Ambrose - The Siren:

FIRST IDEAS:

At first, I wanted to make a villain for Lackadaisy. I was doing this purely for the sake of my Murder Mystery fic Below the Surface (posted here and currently being worked on here!) and I wanted someone who was a REALLY big threat. And so, I created a new mafia-like group: The Rose Brigade. But who would be the leader? I wanted a powerful---and also a plus sized woman in official art I'm making!---who is no-nonsense and irredeemable.

I wanted to originally make her a Bombay cat, but as I looked through more cat options, I decided to settle on a Chartreux cat! They're so pretty!!! Below is an image I wanted to reference, yet alter at the same time.

Her voice claim is very much Lady Dimitrescu from Resident Evil. She has that badass, sultry tone to her that makes me fold over for this queen that can very much kill me.

She was originally going to be redeemed, but I decided "hell no she deserves a whole villain arc that DOESN'T give her a chance to turn good" and I am very much happy with that outcome.

I didn't know WHAT she would be job-wise? I originally wanted to make her an actor, though when I designed and wrote for Silas Tueuse (another Lacka-OC whom I love dearly), I wanted to mix things up, and wanted diversity. So Miss Jazz-Singing-Sensation was born! Her color palette and drawing her dress KILLED ME.

Choosing her name wise, I wanted to allude to Tracy's work, and allude to a villain. So when I was scrolling through the website, I noticed the Lacrimosa poem, and BOOM. Her name was chosen. Last name means 'immortal' in Greek, plus it's a play on the dish ambrosia. :)

FACTS/HEADCANONS:

She owns a jazz lounge, and is a famous jazz singer! The name is TBD, but she gets a LOT of traction there.

While she was from Boston, Massachusetts, she is Latin! She often refers to people as mei deliciae (translated to my darling), and one of her favorite foods is ceviche! It consists of either shrimp or fish, as well as lime, lemon, onion, chili pepper, and cilantro! From my understanding of it, you can dip chips into it and eat it like that. Sometimes you can even avocado in it, if that's your fancy! Below is a photo example.

She is a horrible driver. Horrible. Picture Cruella De Vil but drunk. Sooo yeah, 100x worse.

She has a daughter, but she's distant from her, and she rarely---if never---checks in on her.

She is incredibly narcissistic, but does NOT have Narcissistic Personality Disorder: she does have empathy, though it's hard to tell if she's being genuine or not.

Prefers suits over dresses, but will wear dresses for performances to keep up her professional image. For casual meetings, she wears a dark indigo and dark blue suit with a fedora and a rose pin on her jacket lapel. The outfit accentuates her curves nicely, and I will draw her more in a suit in the future <3

She has a Colt M1911 Revolver that her husband gifted her before he passed. She uses it constantly.

ROLE/PURPOSE/OTHER STUFF!:

She's the main antagonist, and she is the leader of the Rose Brigade. She tries to hide behind a sweet, motherly facade, but she is emotionally and physically abusive to certain people. She is also a bit overconfident in certain abilities.

She had ties with Atlas May, though so far I have yet to confirm or deny if she killed him. So with her relation to Atlas, she slithered her way into trying to manipulate Mordecai, seemingly present as a mother figure towards him while in St. Louis. Ivy gushes over Lacrimosa's singing skills and performances, so her meeting her in person, she's just all giggly. Nonetheless, Lacrimosa is a softie for praise, and can't help but feel slightly more appreciated.

Lacrimosa might be manipulative and a full blown awful person, but she has been taught common courtesy. She knows to be respectful, she believes everyone is equal, and will not discriminate against those who are in the LGBTQ community. However, this does NOT excuse her awful behavior. She is MEANT to be an awful person.

She will ALSO absolutely break anyone who tries to tamper with her. She CAN and WILL call you out on your bullshit.

Her song (if it were 2023) would be Medusa by Kaia Jette!

HHHHHH THIS WAS SO MUCH???? AND THAT'S NOT EVEN IT????? FGHJKHGFDXFGHJ I might add on later