#she's playable now rejoice

[r0-boat]

Imagine Ceo!Arlecchino

Arlecchino x gn!reader

No smut just slightly suggestive

Can you imagine CEO Arlecchino?

you get to stare at her in a nice white and black suit~ that bright red lipstick that matches any jewelry and her tie. The clicking of her heals as she walks down the hallway up to her private office. Those red eyes dart up when she hears her door Creek open before they are upon you like a wolf on its prey. She gives you a small devilish smile when she notices who it is before motioning her finger for you to come closer.

Even though she's harsh with her punishment and rules, she treats you very well and spoils you rotten. Standing behind you, she gently caresses your body to put on a new piece of jewelry/clothing she had bought for you or nuzzle her nose against your neck to inhale that new perfume she got you a week ago.

"hm. You're so irresistible in the things I bring yo. Remember that these are for my eyes only."

If you so much as glance at something you want, it will be your next gift. Remember, just because she spoils you, that doesn't mean she goes easy on you when you disobey or be bad. So make sure you're on your best behavior ;)

Your interactions with her can sway her mood so fast that you unknowingly have so much power over her. The employees sigh in relief when you come in with a homemade meal or some baked treats for their boss, knowing their day will get a little bit easier.

The employees absolutely adore you. Who is pretty much only one who can stop their harsh tyrant of the boss by your presence alone.

But Arlecchino, on the other hand, as much as she loves when you come visit her at the company. He can't help but feel a little jealous when her employees are looking at something they cannot have. And she just simply cannot accept when you humor the idea that they even have a sliver of a chance... I guess you'll have to punish you tonight. Remind you who you belong to. Or perhaps now; she doesn't mind having you all do herself in her office.

Oh yes with you sitting pretty in her lap gently grazing her long red nails against your skin the door to her office is unlocked but she is confident that no one would dare bargain to her office not without knocking. Anyone to achieve anything to do so were her colleagues. Other CEOs of sister companies under the Fatui brand. And when one of her colleagues barge into her office a young adult with orange hair she is not phased by his presence demanding you remain in her lap, as the blue eyed young man talks to her about business-related topics.

However, this informal business meeting is cut short when he tries to kiss your hand. The young man's smirk was immediately wiped off his face when Arlecchino snapped one of her expensive fountain pens with her hand, the ink staining on her sleeve as it dripped until the document she was signing.

[ixiot-ghostrebel]

i don't really mind what character you use but if you are comfortable with it could you add a one sided crush the reader has on the rover (female) and jinhsi also I'm not sure how you feel about giving kids trauma so sorry if it makes you uncomfortable but can you make the reader come from a bad family or had something really horrific happen in front of them {like a house fire or someone they like getting hurt} leading them to being overly protective of the playable characters

-from a certain witch from a far off land

Alr I'll do Jinhsi and Rover...However. No romance—as your original request was a kid/minor Reader. Ik there's nothing wrong with teen romance, but my rules have stated: all children are strictly platonic.

(PS - Anon ur name is so long 😭 how can I remember this glorious title?)

Teen!Reader, the...OTHER Sentinel of Jinzhou

You get the gist of it—you were minding your own business, enjoying the content of a very cool game...And boom, magical transfer into the game. You're freaking out, and next thing you know...

Welcome, you're god now. Rejoice in your own presence.

Did I mention that you've also bumped into two very special people yet? No? Too late, I just did :)

(Warning: Might be OOC!)

Rover

The first time Rover met you, Rover felt 1000 times older. Like, to Jue, the draconic Sentinel of Jinzhou, they was the Arbiter General that practically helped establish the civilization. With you in the picture...and your physique...

Yes, you make them feel like a very ancient elder. Someone get this Rover a walking chair or a normal sitting chair. Maybe even a doctor, they might pass away from heart failure.

All jokes aside, Rover really gets not wanting to be special. Alright, this person's been there—everyone around them were hot on their heels the moment they opened their eyes, and that's not even mentioning the Black Shores, Jinzhou's government, the Fractsidus...

"No worries, [Y/N]. I won't tell a soul unless you're ready to tell others first." They keep your secret of being the other Sentinel of Jinzhou. Did I mention that their warm smile also gives them bonus points? They make you feel protected, and they quite literally will protect you should the situation present itself dangerous.

Also, if you want to talk to Jue but need moral support, look no further. Just ask Rover. They did it once, they'll do it again.

All in all? 10/10, this Rover ain't gonna be snitching you out to the city over their dead body.

Jinhsi

The first time she met you and realized you were the other Sentinel of Jinzhou, she was evidently shocked. You were barely an adult—you had both the mentality and the physique of a teenager! You were almost like her, in a sense, and little to nothing at all like Jue...except for maybe the power you wield.

She isn't exactly sure what to do at the beginning. She wants to bring you to the City Hall, but you were only a teenager, both in mind and heart. She didn't want to restrict you to responsibilities you barely even knew of yourself. In a case, you were almost like Rover in that way—maybe you forgot your memories of your past as a Sentinel. Or maybe you were reborn as a human Sentinel.

Regardless of the many possibilities of what to do to help you, Jinhsi's first step never came anywhere near to revealing to all of Jinzhou of the whereabouts of their other Sentinel, supposedly lost to time. You needed time to get used to everything, and she can provide that time. After all, nobody knew you were back (yet).

"Trust me, Sentinel [Y/N], I will ensure your safety as much as I possibly can. You are safe in Jinzhou." Jinhsi smiles a reassuring smile. "The people of Jinzhou will always welcome newcomers with open arms, regardless of their upbringing. We will continue to uphold our traditions, for this is something we, as a nation, are proud to continue."

Safe to say, you'll be in good hands. Such a shame though you'll have to be the one to smack Jinhsi around a few times to make sure she doesn't overwork herself. Just because she's supposedly an adult doesn't mean it's okay, okay? (Team up with Sanhua, and you'll probably win)

No matter what you choose (leave or stay) to do in Jinzhou, Jinhsi will make sure you are safe and free from your supposed bonds of being their Sentinel. After all, you do want to experience life at its finest, right?

Ghost Rebel Side Notes: Man, I really need to catch up with Wuwa's 1.1 story SOBBING. I was so excited for Xiangli Yao and Zhezhi too lol—ugh, my motivation really just keeps decreasing bro. I'll try to catch up as soon as possible! Hopefully I'll do it soon— (Watch me accidentally take 30 years just to catch up sobbing)

✦ Check out The Ghost Rebel’s Blog Description & Info Page to See if Their Mailbox is Open! ✦

[revserrayyu]

2.4 Xianzhou continuance thoughts [part 1]

**SPOILERS** I didn’t think I’d be up for more story ramblings after the entirety of Penacony, but rejoice, our trip back to the Xianzhou has already exceeded my low expectations. So here we are. Ready to yap once more. At this point, I’ve already finished the entire 2.4 story but this post (probably one of three) will only cover up until the stunning Feixiao makes her first appearance, so be wary of any spoilers and later events that I may or may not possibly mention. Who knows.

I started this mission the night of the update so my memory might fail me at some places, but I sorta remember the giddy tone Dan Heng used here when suggesting March should stay on the Express by herself this time. That man is funny when he wants to be and I adore the teasing these two constantly have with each other. Her mentioning other days of the week in fear of another Sunday fiasco happening is hilarious too.

It’s always a welcomed surprise to hear the Trailblazer speak and I’m so thrilled with how often we got that chance throughout this quest. After watching tiny bits of some ZZZ playthroughs and seeing how often their protagonists get to actually speak, I sincerely hope they continue this in the future with HSR because Rachael & Caleb do a fantastic job with them. English dub bias yes, but I have no doubt all the other languages are great too. Anyways, being cautious to whomever is set to guide us around the ship is real valid. We certainly don’t want another Tingyun situation to take place.

Just the mere mention of Feixiao’s name gets me excited to finally see her in game. But is she truly young? Later on, we learn how she and Yukong are war buddies so it leads me to assume they might be similar in age? Our lovable pilot is around 246 years old, so it could be possible? I could be wrong though of course. I will admit to forgetting if the Foxian lifespan is around 300 or 400 years, or if there’s no actual definite lifetime expectancy, but regardless, the ladies continue to look fabulous.

So the Borisin attack starts, Yunli gets a flashy entrance showcasing her strength as she takes ‘em down with Old Mettle and takes a slight interest in Yanqing’s sword.. that eventually leads to her taking it for herself. I wasn’t expecting them to get along right away but I was surprised that she actually snatched the sword away without a word.

They could not have made this dude seem more obviously suspicious if they tried.

I love how we could’ve actually chosen to mention the fake dream we had of the general and Imbibitor Lunae in Penacony. It was a fantastic dream indeed~

When Huaiyan was teased alongside the other characters during the very end of the 2.3 livestream, I naturally assumed he would become playable as well, but now.. eh, I have my doubts since he didn’t get drip marketed like the rest of them. It could’ve been interesting to have an older gentleman as a unit. I mean, I know we have Welt, but he doesn’t really look this old, you know?

Calling one of Yanqing’s prized swords a simple “dagger,” HA. All their bickering is childish in the most fitting way but I do like how Yunli continues to holds onto his sword, saying that if a sword is lost on the battlefield, it should be reclaimed on the battlefield, or something along those lines.

Huaiyan might appear to be real old, but him having some secret mentor strength like your typical anime grandpas tend to have wouldn’t surprise me at all, so I understand March’s idea to prevent any chance of angering the geezer.

The boys!! And.. only them! Dang, they’re really making me wait to see Feixiao huh. I wonder if there was any hidden reason behind her heading over to Scalegorge, unless it really was just to take in the sights. I also wasn’t expecting Moze to be so tall.

I’m afraid that’s just one of the downsides of being apart of the main character’s crew, March.

Teasing Yanqing is everyone’s favorite pastime. I unfortunately don’t have much to say about Lingsha. I think she’s pretty and naturally I’m interested in meeting another Vidyadhara, but that’s all for now.

The continuous back and forth between these kids drags on a bit much for me but I’m 100% with March on seeing this drama unfold even more.

So the kids start their “spar” and the quick glimpses of the 2.4 trailer start to make sense. Originally, I thought their fight was part of the Wardance ceremony, where they had to prove their strength against other competitors or something, but nope. All that fighting was just for a simple sword. The cutscene was animated nicely and I’m grateful the quality remains decent even outside of main story events, but it’s safe to say my focus was pulled away by a certain someone showing up amidst the brawl..

And my god, does she make a statement! Stopping both Yanqing’s slash and Yunli’s giant sword with just a couple fingers?? HELLO?? Ma’am, you’ve been on screen for not even ten seconds and I’m already deep in love with you.

She’s gorgeous. Her eyes are mesmerizing. All the earrings are super cool. Excuse me while I…*deep breath* AAAAAHHH.

The way she quickly evaluates both of their fighting styles correctly.. amazing. I say she’s certainly a battle expert.

No no no, don’t say that. Don’t say you’re a patient and there’s something medically wrong with you because if something bad happens to you I’ll get so upset!

Eeehehe, that wink and confidence stole my heart. I know what else you’re lacking: a lifelong partner! And I volunteer myself!

I just.. really love her design so much! It’s such a welcomed change from the usual outfits we’ve seen among the other ladies of the Xianzhou. The colors are so vibrant too and the jacket is awesome. Heeyyoo Hoyo, if you wanted to sell this jacket I’d totally buy myself one! Just saying!

Hhmm, I’ll end the fangirling here. For now. There’s bound to be much more on the way.

[genshinarchives]

Ayaka and Xingqiu's older brother's is not even out yet and now im already simping for them, also I raise you these: Imagine getting courted by 2 hot oniisan in tevyat 😳

Ion think Xingqiu's gēgē will be playable, that's how much hope I have (does he even have a Vision-) 😭 Buuut since Mihoyo will be releasing more male characters to make the men to women ratio almost equal from now on, maybe he will eventually be playable? IN ANY CASE THERE WILL BE MORE HOT MEN, SO LET US REJOICE FELLOW HUSBANDO COLLECTORS 🏃‍♀️💨💨

Being courted by two hot onii-san, with one being the head of his clan and the other being the heir of his family 😏

-

(Y/n) had the misfortune of being stranded in Inazuma because of the Sakoku Decree while she was travelling, and was forced to make a living there as a result. She’s not one to give up easily though and was able to land a job at a popular teahouse that Ayato would frequent during his free time. He must have been attracted to (y/n)’s refreshing personality and smile that shines brighter than the sun, and he would make an effort to visit the teahouse she works in whenever he had the time to. (Y/n) was always the one who served his table since the other waitresses were far too intimidated to approach him.

The two developed a close relationship over time, and after the Vision Hunt Decree was abolished, he helped arrange a ship bound for Liyue so she could go home, even though he really wanted her to stay with him in Inazuma. But since she admitted to feeling extremely homesick, he thought that he should do something to prevent her smile from being extinguished.

It was so hard for him to watch her leave. She filled his mundane life with colours, and it felt as if his world was turning monochrome once again as she bid him farewell. At least (y/n) would be bringing a part of him back home with her to Liyue. The blue kimono she wore was splashed with his colours, and the patterns even included the Kamisato family crest. Before she could walk away from him, Ayato caught the end of her sleeve between his fingers and kissed the fabric, causing a faint blush to flit across her cheeks.

“Please consider returning to Inazuma,” he implored, his bright eyes staring straight into hers, “I’d like to see you wearing a white kimono next time.”

When (y/n) finally returned to Liyue, Xingqiu’s brother (let’s call him Xingchen for now) would be the first person to welcome her home. He had been worried sick when he received news of her being stranded in Inazuma, and not a single day would end without him thinking about her. But wait a moment - he noticed that she's wearing a beautiful kimono that seemed to be tailored for noble women. He doesn’t have a problem with her wearing fancy clothes, but he does have a problem when the person who gifted his childhood friend the kimono had clear intentions of courting her. He’s not dumb, he can see the family crest that was sneakily added to the patterns.

Xingchen had intended to make (y/n) his betrothed since he’s going to become the Head of the Feiyun Commerce Guild in the future, and it seems like another man from Inazuma was bold enough to make the first move on her. Well, he’s not about to let her go easily now that he knows someone else of a higher position than him had taken an interest in her. You bet that Xingqiu’s brother will make (y/n) wear new dresses that have his colours instead, so let's forget about the kimono that Ayato gave her, yeah?

[blackhakumen]

Mini Fanfic #881: Not a Wise Choice (Super Smash Bros Ultimate x Kingdom Hearts)

12:34 p.m. at the Smash Mansion's Living Room........

TV Show: (Shows the Remake Version of Yoshi's Tropical Island on the Screen)

Sora: (Stares at the Screen in Awe Along With Kairi and Ryuji) Wooooah.......

Kairi: It looks even more prettier than the original......

Ryuji: I know, right? I would totally be down to go there for a few days.

Ren: Same....(Turns to Yoshi) Hey, how are those two Yoshi's been doing now that they're together again?

Yoshi: (Smiles Softly) They're doing great. One of them founded two baby eggs on the shores sometime ago. So they're already raising them as their own.

Sora/Kairi: AWWWWWWWWW!~ Yoshi family!~

Riku: Hmm.......

Ryuji: (Turns to Riku) Somethin' on your mind, man?

Riku: Somewhat.....I was wondering why Bowser isn't playable in this game.

Kairi: Yeah. I've been wondering about that too lately. Didn't Ms. Peach and the others finally invited him to the last party? What makes him wanna back to doing Bowser Spaces?

Yoshi: Well..........

Flashback

Peach: (Standing in Behind the Microphone Stand While Finishing Up the Uplifting Speech) .....So from the bottom of my heart and purist soul, let us all do our very best and have the BEST PARTY EVER!!~

Crowd: (Raise Their Glasses While Cheering in Rejoice) YEAHHHHAHAHHH!

Bowser: (Walks Up to Peach in a Bit of a Nervous Like Fashion) Hey....Peach.....

Peach: ('Gasps') Bowser! (Happily Hugs the King Koopa) You made it!~ Are you ready to get your party on? Or as the kids would put it....(Playfully Bumps Bowser's Shoulder) Getting Jiggy with it?~

Bowser: (Starts Looking Away While Rubbing The Back of his Head Back and Forth) Yeahhhhh...... About that..... I won't be partying with you guys this time soon. I'm gonna go back to causing havoc and mayhem around it like I always do.

And with that, plus the sound of glass breaking and the record being scratch, everyone immediately stops at what they were doing before gasping loudly and turning their heads to the infamous Koopa King himself.

Daisy: (In the Crowd) WHAT THE FUCK!?

Peach: (Almost at a Loss For Words) Y-You're....c-causing havoc.....a-again!?

Bowser: Yep. I done some thinking here and there and turns out I actually like messing with you guys a lot more than being invited to the party for once. Oh and also, I already told the guys to set up a bunch of Bowser's Spaces on each of the worlds. So uh......(Smiles Very Awkwardly While Doing Jazz Hands) Surprise!........

Mario: (Couldn't Believe What He's Hearing Right Now) Is this motherfucker serious right now?

Yoshi: (Immediately Spits his Drink Out)

Luigi/Daisy: (Quickly Turns to Their Son in Worry) Yoshi!?

Ryuji: Woahwoahwoahwoah! Hang on a second!

Abruptly Back to the Present

Ryuji: (Eyes Widened in Complete Shock) Mario CURSE!?

Sora: And it's a literal F-Bomb!?

Yoshi: Yeah, man! I was standing RIGHT NEXT to him when it all happened. It was crazy! But that's beside the point. After all shock and revelation.......

Back to Flashback

Peach: (Trying her Hardest Not Let Her Lose her Posture and Cool) Let me get this straight...and please..... PLEASE try and correct when I wrong, but....You are tell me, no....To EVERY SINGLE OF OF US HERE is that you spent YEARS tormenting us....for your inviting to each of ours parties....And when we FINALLY invite you to one....after all the begging.....all the ultimatums.....all the agreement we set out for each sides.....You decided....to come right up here and tell each and everyone of us here that you're going back to square one....ALL BECAUSE YOU MISS GIVING US MISERY!!!?

Bowser: ...........Yep. Pretty much.

The anger begins to fume even higher for the princess before she decided to take a huge deep breath in the very last second.

Peach: Okay. Fine. You win. You can go back to causing havoc like you always do.

Bowser: (Eyes Widened in Genuine Shock) Oh crap. Really?

Mario: (Immediately Rushes Over to Peach's Side) Peach, are you absolutely sure about all of this?

Peach: I'm sure of it, dear. I don't know WHY he decided to do this after everything we've been through to agree to invite him!....('Sigh') But I digress. If this is what he wants to do, then we should let him be.

Bowser: Ah sweet. Thanks, Pea-

Peach: HOWEVER!

Bowser: (Immediately Starts Cowering in Fear) Y-Y-Yeah?

Peach: (Glares at Bowser Harshly) Do not think for a goddamn SECOND that you're not getting out of this unscathed. Starting the First Day of the Next Month, you will do every single chore we set out for you to do throughout the entire mansion. Cleaning rooms, doing the laundry, cooking-......On second thought, nevermind the cooking part.

Bowser: Oh come on! I can cook just fine, ya know!?

Peach: Oh yeah? Then tell me. What dish you made that doesn't cause anyone to get food poisoning?

Bowser: I-

Peach: OR cause anyone to file a lawsuit against you?

Bowser: (Was About to Say Something Only to Sigh in Defeat a Brief Second Later) Okay. I see your point.

Peach: As what I was saying, you will be doing all of that and more for the entire month. Maybe even two or three if you decide to slack off, which by the way, I'll be sure to have Paulie and Bayonetta supervise you along the way.

Bowser: (Eyes Widened in Fear) Oh no....Not them.....A-Anybody but them!....

Peach: Yes. Them. And I'm sure that they'll do everything in their power to keep you in check.

Bowser: (Almost at a Loss of Words) Fuck......I don't think I'll last a day with them breathing on my neck.....(Quickly Turns to Junior, Roy, and Ludwig in a Very Panic Fashion) Kids, help me your old man out here! Please!

Roy: (Too Busy Reading a Magazine) Sorry, pops. You're on your own on this one.

Bowser Jr: (Too Busy Playing his Handheld Video Game) We warned you not to get on Momma Peach's bad side.....

Ludwig: (Too Busy Reading his Book).And now you have no other choice but to accept the consequences of your reckless actions. Pity.

Bowser: I'm screwed.....

Peach: Bowser! Turn back around right now!

Bowser: (Quickly Turns Back to Peach) Yes, ma'am! Sorry, ma'am! Won't happen again, ma'am!....

Peach: Good. Now, one more thing before we're finish.....

Bowser: W-W-What is it?.....

Peach: This party is suppose to be a fun and special occasion for us to remember for years to come. (Gives Bowser a Serious, Dark Look on her Face) If you even THINK about stepping out of line throughout all of it, I will NOT hesitate to pummel you to a pulp and send your sorry ass to the goddamn moon! Do you understand me!?

Bowser: (Rapidly Nodded)

Peach: Good. Now get out of my sight before you make me more angrier.

And with that, Bowser begins to runaway as fast as his life depends on it.

Peach: ('Sighs Heavily') Now with that out of my system.....(Went Back to Smiling Brightly) Let's get this party started, shall we?~

Crowd: (Starts Cheering Again in Rejoice) YEEAAAHHHHHHH!!!!

Daisy: (In the Crowd) THAT OUR PEACHY!

Random Guy: (in the Crowd) MARIO PARTY FOR LIFEEE!

Back to the Present.....Again

Yoshi: And that's everything that happened.

Sora: Wow....That....was pretty intense actually.

Kairi: I know......I never expected Ms. Peach of all people, be so brutal.....

Ren; Yeah. Momma Peach is a very sweet lady and all, but when you tick her and the other moms off, be expected for a world of pain and agony.

Ryuji: We saw them scared Kazuya straight once.....Pretty insane if you ask me.

Riku: ('Sigh') Well, I'm glad they were able to solve the situation before it got more-(Eyes Suddenly Begins to Widened at What is In Front of Him and the Others) Out of..... hand......

Bowser: (Has an Annoyed Look in his Face While Wearing a Maid Costume) Yo.

Ren: (Almost at a Loss For Words) Uhh....Heyyyyy, Bowser.....Wanna tell us why you're wearing....uhhh-

Bowser: Maid outfit? Your mom insisted I wear something presentable. So......('Sigh') They got me wearing this for the rest of the month.

Ren: Yeeesh......

Ryuji: Dude, why did you have to go back to being a dick in Mario Party? You finally got invited in the last one. And you could've been invited to more of them for years to come. But you just.....blew all of that away.

Bowser: Look, I'm sorry, alright!? Things change sometimes! And so is my enjoyment of things. You understand the feeling, right?

Yoshi/Sora/Kairi: Yeahhh......

Ren: I guess.......

Riku: It was still a bad move on your part....

Bowser: ('Sighs Heavily') Yeah......I know.....And I'm suffering for it......

Kairi: B-But hey! On the bright side.....(Smiles Sheepishly) At least you look cute in a the outfit.....In a less, intimidating way of course.

Bowser: Thanks. Now, if you kids excuse me......(Starts Walking Away) I gotta get back to work before the Goddess and Witch starts giving more hell to pay......

Sora: (Waves Goodbye to Bowser) Okay! Good luck!......I don't wanna be rude or anything, but....I.... really don't think he'll last for that long.....

Yoshi: I'll give him a week.

Ren: I'll give him three days.

@keyenuta

@caleb13frede

@princekirijo

@26shann

@khtext

@cyber-wildcat

@ma-lemons

@albion-93

@illyrilex

@italian-love-cake

[yurimother]

Examining Borderlands’ Strong History of LGBTQ Representation

On March 28th Gearbox released an official teaser and development trailer for the next main-series game that their popular looter shooter IP Borderlands. Fans and gamers rejoiced at getting an official look at Borderlands 3. While details are still somewhat scarce, the trailer showed that many fan-favorite characters from the series would be returning for this new outing. 

For this reason, it is worth looking back at other Borderlands titles and the series stellar resume of canonical LGBTQ representation.

We begin with Mad Moxxi, introduced in the first game. Moxxi is bisexual, having dated both men (such as Borderlands 2 antagonist Handsome Jack) and women. In a DLC for the second game, Mr. Torgue’s Campaign of Carnage, she comments about dating one of the female bosses the players fight. She also makes lewd and flirtatious remakes to multiple female characters. 

In the squeal, Borderlands 2, Gearbox upped the ante including more LGBTQ characters. 

Audiologs found in one of the game's zones tell the story of two queer researchers (one gay male and one lesbian woman) who were forced to run experiments on their partner (not in a good way).

Support character Hammerlock is confirmed to be gay during a quest in which the players hunt down his ex-boyfriend's audio logs).

DLC Tiny Tina’s Assault on Dragon Keep is a veritable cornucopia of queer representation!

First, there is the title character, Tiny Tina (who in Borderlands 3 will have grown from an unstable teenager to potentially VERY UNSTABLE young adult). During the DLC she confesses to female character Maya that she likes her. Lead writer Antony Burch later confirmed that she is a lesbian.

Playable character Axton and NPC Mr. Torgue both take actions that allude to them being bisexual. This was again confirmed later by creators.

Finally, there playable character Athena and her partner Janey Springs, introduced in the spin-off title, Borderlands: the Pre-Sequal, are both lesbians. After their first meeting early on, springs regularly flirts with Athena throughout the game. In the New Game + mode, Athena confirms that she and Springs were physical together, but nothing more is said.

In Telltale Games’ Tales from the Borderlands these two return, and are now dating, as sown in dialogue. Depending on player choices, the two can become engaged in the final chapter of the game. 

I am incredibly excited to see many of these characters return in Borderlands 3 and am interested to see if Gearbox will further their reputation for excellent LGBTQ+ representation in gaming.

For more news and reviews of LGBTQ+ representation support YuriMother on Patreon

[yggdrasil-mith0s]

Tales of Zestiria advertises Alisha more than Rose pre release. People get stoked about a strong female co-lead. A princess that is badass and powerful, not in need of saving. Game looks great, tons to explore, great character cast. People live Alisha's design and the idea of her being a co-lead in Zesty.

Game releases.

Alisha immediately needs saving by male, lead protagonist. Alisha does equip a badass spear and has a great attack presence. She looks like a promising playable character. Her personality isn't that strong at the start. She kind of has weird mixed hope that a Sheppard will appear but also that shit is just bad and it's too late. She seems a bit timid as well. Not exactly the strong character with a badass aura they made her out to be. It's passable, though, because there is room for excellent character development as long as her personality isnt completely dependent on Sorey.

Game progresses.

Okay, we will see her in town and she will be a permanent party member after Sorey reveals his destiny. That happens. Alisha joins party. A pact is formed and they are building up for her development and people start to get excited to play as her and see how she turns out.

Game progresses more.

She leaves party. Okay... what the hell is up? She keeps reappearing in the story. However, she's hardly playable at this point. Rose joins party. She is badass but hardly was advertised. Eventually they make a pact with Rose. People immediately call bullshit and go "so just fuck Alisha, right?"

Game progresses.

Maltran (Alisha's master) is a Hellion. Alisha has a tough decision. Kills master. Okay, character development engage. She will join party and will renounce political duties for now since there is a bigger problem. She will still promote peace between the nations, though. Great character development chance and a way to redeem the half ass playable character debacle. She doesn't join but surely soon.

Game progresses.

Game progresses.

Game progresses.

Game progresses.

Game ends.

What the fuck!

Bamco: "We hear you everyone! We are sorry about how we treated Alisha as a playable character! We also apologize that she ended up being completely dependent on Sorey (besides political bullshit where she sits behind paper treaties and dont utilize her badass spear skills). There is Alisha DLC coming!!! :)

DLC for Alisha releases.

Symone and Lunare are alive and trying to kill her? But the main game kind of means this doesnt really follow continuity. What... what is this Bamco?

Bamco: "I hope you enjoyed the Alisha DLC! Dont you like how it was two strong female leads! Sure the story doesnt exactly make full sense. Sorey was busy, though. So... you know. Alisha is a badass and all is forgiven right? Also, great ending right?

Anyone with a brain: "that sucked and wasnt worth the money! The ending was shit! The story didnt make sense, you are right about that! You still failed to meet expectations! Her playable DLC doesnt make up for anything! You handled this situation and the rushed DLC very poorly.

Berseria announced.

Velvet is a badass.

Fans rejoice!

[etraytin]

Quarantine, Day 86

June 5 

Paperwork time is here again, let's all rejoice till we get migraines! Today the houseguests departed after breakfast, promising to be back anytime if MIL needs them, which was very nice of them. With just the four of us in the house once more, we turned our attention to the stuff that comes next. In the morning, MIL was determined to get a bunch of stuff cleaned out of the bedroom and the closet. She let my husband pick through all his dad's clothes for things he wanted (and I think she may have given the sisters a go as well, not sure) and then boxed up the remainder. All the leftover medical things got packed up, socks and shoes and belts from the drawers. She found one of FIL's favorite belts, dark brown leather and a large round buckle with a sculpted belly button on it. It was intensely weird and my husband wanted it immediately. 

In the back of the closet, she found FIL's old backpack guitar, which nobody including him knew how to play but was special because the company that made it is headquartered in the town where my husband grew up. It was very out of tune and the thinnest string was broken entirely. She decided she very much wanted it fixed up and playable and asked if I could make that happen. A couple emails and a phone call, and husband and the kiddo were off to town to the music store. They came back in only about an hour with a tuned and strung guitar. I think that was the happiest I've seen MIL in the past several days. Kiddo spent some time noodling around with it,, and it's amazing how much nicer just fooling around sounds when a guitar is in tune! It's a pretty little thing that looks more like a ren faire instrument than a guitar, but it plays nicely. I bet there are guitar lessons on YouTube somewhere. 

There was a lot of funeral home detail to work out too, even though FIL's planning was comprehensive. He was a thorough, careful man who obviously spent a lot of time considering the fact that he was fifteen years older than his wife and lifting as many end of life burdens as possible from her shoulders. His will was concise and easy to find, his obituary prewritten eight years ago, then updated four years ago and only awaiting plugged-in information. He prepaid for his cremation package and arranged what funeral home would do the work, and when the time comes that we can have a service, he left several pages talking about what he would like. Even with all of that, the process of winding up a life takes time and paperwork. I am technically a lawyer (one MPRE score away from being a double lawyer!) but I know enough to know when I'm out of my depth. We've still got an appointment pending with the attorney next week, only now it will be estate administration instead of asset protection. I had to fill out an entirely new questionnaire! At least it was easier than the first one. The attorney will be able to give us the nitty gritty details about what might wind up in probate and whether we need to do probate at all, plus lots of stuff I probably haven't even thought of yet. 

Side note: did you know it costs 125 dollars to ship cremains in the mail? I did not know that thing. In other news, we are going to make sure we stay in town long enough to personally pick up the four separate boxes MIL requested (one for each kid) and thereby save many many monies. Everything about dying is more expensive than you would imagine. The price for obituaries is basically ridiculous. I guess it's just one more way of supporting print journalism. We're also going to wind up buying like 20 copies of that day's paper, even more support! 

The rest of today's work was mostly making calls and inquiries to different banks and utilities to confirm that we can basically do fuck-all until we have the death certificate in hand, but that once we do, things should go pretty smoothly. I found a website called Peacefully that is basically a series of checkable lists of all the things you need to do after somebody dies. It's been very helpful so far. There's a lot of stuff that I never would've even thought of, just because I've never had a close family member die in a situation where I was even a little responsible for settling things. My last grandparent died when I was 26, but I was in my final year of law school and living far away, so I had nothing to do with that except picking out a few little things from her house before the big estate sale. (I got her jewelry box that plays Fur Elise, one I wound up about a thousand times in childhood and that still smells just a tiny bit like her house.) It's very different to be right up in it, but I'm glad that I'm not trying to help from 400 miles away, or worrying about MIL having to do it all herself. 

Today was also notable for being the last day of school! Kiddo missed the first half hour because we were all distracted this morning with Nana's closet, but he got there in time for most of the school meeting and to see the slide show of the year. There was also a goodbye drive-through at the school this afternoon; he was bummed he couldn't go, but happy that one of his classmates' parents filmed it and sent it to the teacher for him. He watched it tonight before bed, waving to the teachers wistfully as the video played. I really, really hope he can get back into school in the fall! He misses it. Now it's the start of the most anti-climactic summer vacation ever and we have to find stuff for him to do for three _more_ months. Internet, don't fail me now! 

Speaking of finding things to do, we got back on the Avatar train and watched a bunch tonight, with popcorn and everything. I love Toph so very, very much, and so does the kiddo. He appreciates someone who is twelve and can kick the asses of everyone in the room. It is also funny how everyone in the universe continues to be fully immune to bashing damage with the exception of Zuko, who still shakes his many head traumas off very quickly. It's also funny watching how in a TV Y7 show, a character fights with two sharp swords and never actually uses the blades on anybody. I half expect to hear a Phineas and Ferb-style "We're O-Kay!" from the minions at the end of each battle. After that was bedtime and a little bit of podcast, though not nearly so much as last night. He did come into my bedroom a little later because he kept having scary thoughts, apparently mostly about Nana getting sick and dying, but we were able to talk his mood around so that he got to bed at a reasonable hour. That is excellent, he needs the sleep. 

[recentanimenews]

INTERVIEW: Persona 5 Royal Dub Actors Laura Post & Billy Kametz Steal Our Hearts

  Ahead of Persona 5 Royal’s release in the West, SEGA/Atlus threw an impressive event to hype up the release of the game. While I was there, I had a chance to sit down with Laura Post, who plays Kasumi, and Billy Kametz, who plays Maruki. Fans of THE PROMISED NEVERLAND’s dub will likely recognize Laura Post as Mama, and The Rising of the Shield Hero fans likely recognize Billy as the voice of Naofumi! No need to worry about the game's spoilers; we focused on the start of their voice acting journey and which RPGs are their faves. Read on to get the details, and then afterwards, check out our brief interview with Ari Advincula from SEGA/Atlus!

    Hello, and thank you for taking the time to talk with me today! Could you introduce yourselves for our readers?

Laura: I am Laura post, and I am the voice of Kasumi in Persona 5 Royal.

Billy: And I’m Billy Kametz, and I’m voicing Maruki in Persona 5 Royal.

So, Persona 5 Royal is almost here!

(Everyone cheers and rejoices!)

Could you tell us a bit about the characters you both play in Persona 5 Royal?

Laura: Kasumi is a transfer student to Shujin Academy, just like the protagonist, and she comes in right around the same time as the protagonist. She aspires to be a world-class gymnast. She’s really kind, very polite and passionate, and driven!

Billy: Maruki is the new school counselor brought in after the events that took place in Chapter 1 of the game. He’s a big ‘ol lovable goofball! He’s trying to fit in, he doesn’t do the best job all the time, but he just wants to talk about your feelings! (laughs)

Were either of you fans of Persona, or RPGs before working on this game? Do you have any particular favorites?

Laura: I like RPGs in general; Final Fantasy VIII is my favorite RPG of all time! But Persona 5 is a game I started playing before I played the role of Kasumi;  it was the first Persona game I’ve played, so it’s by default my favorite. Though I do know a lot about Persona 4, I’ve never actually played it.

Bill: It’s the same for me; I was actually introduced to the Persona series when 5 came out, and I grew to be a fan of that, so it’s also my favorite Persona game. I was a big fan of JRPGs growing up; Final Fantasy X is probably my favorite, and also, I’m a HUGE fan of the Tales games, so Tales of Symphonia is up there for me. Really good stuff! Love me some JPRGs!

All of those games are excellent! Tales of Symphonia? My favorite one; that’s my jam!

Billy: I knew I liked you for a reason!

(laughs) Why, thank you!

Alright, so how did you two get your start in voice acting? What drew you to that profession?

Laura: I have been interested in voice over since I was a kid. I realized that the same actor played Raphael from the Ninja Turtles and Mighty Max! I was sold on that profession for life, but I was so little, so I didn’t pursue voice overs until I was a teenager and I went to my first anime convention; there were a bunch of panels on voice overs and I was like, “That’s what I wanted to do when I was a little kid! I’m gonna go to all the panels, I’m gonna take notes, and I’m gonna try this out!” And right now I’m still trying it out!

Billy: You’re doing a great job!

Laura: Thanks! I’m glad you think so!

Billy: We actually have very similar stories! I’ve been wanting to be a voice actor ever since I was a kid, too. When I was watching Invader Zim, that’s when I realized “OhmyGOD, that’s Daggett Beaver! This is a job?! People are doing this and I wanna do that!” But also, I was a kid living in Pennsylvania, so I was like “okay, I guess I’ll just do theatre, that’s acting; this is doable.” So I did theatre for years, but it wasn’t until I got a job that brought me up to California, and I was like “ohmygosh, I can try to do voice overs now!”, so I started inhaling classes as soon as I got out here. And I’ve gotten to do some pretty cool stuff after all of that!

Both of you have done anime and game roles. Do you find one to be easier than the other?

Billy: Yes!

Laura: Yes, although I think our answers are going to be different here! (laugh) I actually find video games to be easier than anime, because you don’t have to worry about matching lip flaps most of the time. But it’s not a matter of “easier," it’s just a matter of “different.” I can’t say, “Oh, I prefer doing games over anime because it’s easier,” because I also really love doing anime, it’s just about the different experiences. I mean, doing original animation for broadcast is a totally different experience than either games or anime, so all of it is fun!

Billy: Yeah, I find that anime is easier for me; again, neither of them are easier, but with anime, you can hear the music, you can see the picture, you can hear what the Japanese voice actor is doing, and it immediately puts you in character of “okay, this is what I’m gonna do!” You get to practice the line one time through it so you’re right on track. But with video games, it’s a lot more work on your end; you need to make up exactly what’s going on in the scene, and again, you’ll have the director and the clients are there to kinda help you along, but you gotta really do more work of getting pictures in your head of “This is how far away I am from the person,” and “This is the tone that’s going on right now.” So it’s a little bit harder, I think, but it’s super rewarding when you’re done, and you’re like, “Man, I really accomplished something today!”

To wrap this up, I gotta ask: do either of you have a dream character you’d love to lend your voice to?

Billy and Laura: Oooohhhh…!

Laura: I do!

Let’s hear it!

Laura: I would love to play Barbara Gordon, whether she’s Batgirl, Oracle, or just the commissioner’s daughter, I don’t care, I just really want to play her just once! I know Kasumi’s a redhead, but Barbara Gordon is also my favorite redhead. I love her! I wanna play her just once!

What about you, Billy?

Billy: ...Anyone who ends up in Super Smash Bros.! (laughs) I just want to be a playable Smash character! (laughs)

An admirable goal! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with me today! Do you have a message for our readers before we wrap up?

Billy: I’m super excited for everyone to check out Persona 5 Royal on March 31st, and I hope you all like the new characters. Really proud of this, and we hope you enjoy it.

Laura: Yes, I agree, I hope Kasumi is everybody’s new best girl! (laughs)

After finishing my chat with Laura and Billy, I got a chance to sit down with Ari Advincula, the communications manager for SEGA/Atlus. We were both pretty excited from trying out the playable demo of the game and all of the other activities going on at the event, so we focused on all the new goodies to come from Persona 5 Royal, and I even got to ask her the most challenging question ever right at the end!

  Could you detail a bit about what players can expect from Persona 5 Royal?

So Persona 5 Royal is a whole new Persona experience. It’s a whole new “heist”, as the Phantom Thieves would say! And I think what’s been really fun about working on this game and everyone else who’s been working on the game is how much everyone's like, “I love the original Persona 5, but I love Persona 5 Royal even MORE!” And for me, personally, when I went through Persona 5, Akechi was definitely one of my favorites, and to see that character be fleshed out to the point that I wanted to see as a fan in Persona 5 Royal. I mean, besides that, there’s so many situations that you’re gonna see all the original cast be in that gives you even more about their story and their journey as Phantom Thieves. I know there was one criticism that was like “there wasn’t enough screen time for some of the characters,” but now there’s even more content, and there’s even more time to spend with this awesome cast of characters. I mean, who doesn’t want to go back to the metaverse and conquer all those palaces again?! I just think it’s such a great window for people who are new to Persona 5 and for people who have already loved and played Persona 5 before, like the Sega team working on it!

Definitely! I’ve always found it interesting that ever since Persona 3, there’s been a Persona 3 FES, and then Persona 4 to Persona 4 Golden; I really like this concept of going back and revisiting the game’s world, but with way more added into it. 

Right! And Persona 3 also had P3P! What it is, especially for Hashino-san, the director behind Persona 5, this is the extended vision, the truly “golden vision” for Persona 5, as we like to say. It’s the perfect time to become a Phantom Thief and relive that world, and also get the full extent of that world, and there’s even MORE to come! I mean, there’s a GRAPPLING HOOK, that allows you to be more Phantom Thieve-y! If you’ve ever played any of the Sly Cooper games, you’ll be all “This is my jam! This is so awesome!” It really gives it that “thief” feeling to it. Along with that, there’s a new palace, there are new characters, Kasumi and Maruki, who fit right into the Persona world, almost like they were there to begin with, because they were introduced right from the start, it’s a very fluid character development that we got.

It sounds like everything a Persona 5 fan would love wrapped in a nice package for them to open! 

Yeah, for sure! It’s incredible for Persona fans all over.

SEGA/Atlus have really been knocking it out the park lately with Persona, Yakuza, the SEGA AGES releases, and several others. Many of these have strong fan support; do you think that plays into why they’ve been received so well lately?

I 150% think so! It’s all thanks to the fans all the time. That’s even the reason why we’re doing this event; for this media event we have fan sites and community members! The way I look at it, the small little Ari who was playing Persona 3 on a PS2, that same person is the person that is here today. I can say the same for people here today who have played Persona since the first game! So it’s always because of the community, and the developers and everyone who’s worked on the games feel that way. I can’t thank everyone enough; it’s been such a joy to work on this game just because of that, too, and compared to any other community that I’ve worked with, the Persona fans are the best!

They’re one of the most passionate fans, for sure! 

  Let’s finish up with a fun question: If you had a Persona, which one would it be?

Oh my gosh... (laughs) It’s really tough for me, because with each Persona game, I start to stick with one main Persona and use that one as I go on throughout the game. I have to be really corny and say Jack Frost, just because he’s super cute.

YES!! He’s adorable!!

He’s SO adorable! I remember at AX 2017 being the first one to line up at Atlus’ booth to buy the Jack Frost plushie because he’s so cute and that’s my jam! He’s Hee-Ho man! And only because it’s so iconic, I always make sure to fuse him in every Persona game, even in the Shin Megami Tensei games, if I can come across him.

The SEGA/Atlus team were a total blast to talk to; I really appreciated the time that Ari, Laura, and Billy gave me to talk about Persona 5 Royal and lots of other topics. If you’re curious about whether you should pick up Persona 5 Royal, check out Carlos’ review here, and prepare your heart to get stolen once again when the game releases later this month! 

What would YOUR Persona be? Have you ever considered becoming a voice actor? Let us know what you think in the comments! 

  ----

Nicole is a frequent wordsmith for Crunchyroll. Known for punching dudes in Yakuza games on her Twitch channel while professing her love for Majima. She also has a blog, Figuratively Speaking. Follow her on Twitter: @ellyberries

Do you love writing? Do you love anime? If you have an idea for a features story, pitch it to Crunchyroll Features!

By: news+feed@crunchyroll.com

[cosmiciaria]

In defense of Dragon Age 2 (review - no spoilers - long post!)

It seems I'm only allowed to play games in disorder, because I played this one after Inquisition, and guess what I'm almost at the end of now (yes, you guessed it, Origins). But it's not a problem for me, because after I *checks notes* ejem, played, uhm, like nine playthroughs of Inquisition, cof, cof, I've learned all the tiny details and branches and possible endings of each installment. So this game's story wasn't a surprise in many aspects – although there were still things I didn't know or I didn't expect.

So DA2 is the black sheep of the family, and somehow I can see why. It differs greatly from the origin prologue you get to play in the first one, and the silent protagonist is gone, replaced by an already created and established character, Hawke. Hawke can be male or female, mage, rogue or warrior – but they are only human. We are ripped off of the option of choosing between races.

And that's not the only thing the game takes away from us – we are used to travel around Ferelden, searching for allies, to fight the Archdemon, because the End is Nigh and we Must Save the World united with friends and so on – here, it's just a city. We only get to know Kirkwall, a Free Marches city that used to be owned by the Imperium and now rejoices in its so-called freedom. Kirkwall consists in some neighborhoods and some notorious buildings, but that's it. It's just the city. And I daresay, it's another protagonist of the game.

Yes, you get to go outside a few times – you even go through the ( I don't know WHY) still mandatory Deep Roads quest and whatnot – but the main storyline will still happen inside the city walls.

And that's… not so bad. But I'll get there in a moment.

So you play as Hawke, the older sibling of the Hawke family. You're escaping from Lothering, which you may remember from Origins – yes, it's the same town you visit right after Ostagar. Lothering has been overrun by darkspawn and so you take your mother and your two younger twin siblings with you: Carver, a warrior, and Bethany, an apostate mage.

In your way to the port, you come across Aveline, a well seasoned captain, and her husband Wesley, a templar. Wesley isn't in a very good condition but you still allowed them both to join your escape.

It isn't so long before the darkspawn reach you, and you make your last stand here.

Now, in this part of the prologue, what matters the most is the class you chose for Hawke. If Hawke is a mage, Bethany, the other mage, will perish at the hands of the ogre that is leading this barricade of darkspawn. If Hawke is a warrior/rogue, it will be Carver the one who makes the ultimate sacrifice so his family would survive. As I have stated in my Inquisition review, I love mages, so of course I created a mage Hawke, and so I watched Bethany, so young and rebellious, die in front of my eyes (Wesley, Avelin's husband, dies as well but we don't care much for him sorry not sorry).

Choosing a class isn't a minor or just a gameplay thing here, because it leads to two very different stories. Carver is resentful with you, he blames you for the death of his twin, and he can't get over the idea that you (and him, as well) are being hunted by templars. He can even become a templar if you choose the required options – so ironic, you a mage and your own brother a templar! His inferiority complex makes it really hard to get on well with him. Bethany, on the other hand, seems to care more for her older sibling, and bears a great admiration for their father, who was a mage and the one who taught her everything. She's guilty over the fact her family is doing everything they can to protect her from the templars and the Circle, and her attitude towards Hawke always follow that line. Her destiny has more options than Carver, though, so it makes me think that maybe Bethany was the "canon" sibling who survived – Still, I always play as a mage so I'm used to Carver by now and it feels kind of contradictory to see Bethany alive and well.

Amidst the chaos, a dragon appears, stretching its wings – it destroys the rest of the darkspawn, and soon we see that it's not just a beast. It transfigures into a human, quite known for us DA's fans: Flemeth, the Witch of the Wilds, Morrigan's mother. She's saved us, but of course she wants a little favor in return, nothing too problematic. For those who are wondering "but HEY I killed Flemeth in Origins", well this encounter happens before you do that. And if you know anything about Flemeth is that she always comes back.

Finally, you reach destination, the almighty Kirkwall, with its columns that seems to go on forever into the sky. Here, you'll start over. Here, you'll pave your way to your future. And the plot begins!

The story is divided into three well marked acts: the first Act you'll be saving money to go on an expedition to the Deep Roads to gain enough coin and reclaim the Hawke estate in Kirkwall; the second Act has you going around playing the diplomatic link between the Viscount and the Qunari who have made the city their headquarters; and the third Act, well, everything blows up. Literally, I might add.

Between the prologue and Act 1, one years passes. Between Act 1 and 2, three more years go by; and finally, Act 3 happens three years later as well. The whole story takes up like 8 years or more inside the same city. This… wasn't a good decision on the developers, in my opinion, but I'll say it after I talk a little about the characters.

First we have Hawke, our Champion. Their personality varies between diplomatic – sarcastic – upfront and direct. And this time is easier to know because gone are the days with the many responses available and now we have the wheel which shows you an icon displaying the "tone" of your reply. If there's something common across all the Hawkes you can create, is that they care for their family, they want to recover what's theirs, and there's no stopping them. They are loved by those around them and seen as a leader. Loyalty is a powerful word here, which will play a big part in the final act, because only those who are truly loyal to you will remain by your side. And it's endearing, really, to see the support of those characters that accompanied you the whole game. Oh, and they have voices. I say this because in Origins we have a silent protagonist (which took me aback considering I played Inquisition and 2 prior), and they are so well portrayed it makes them more human and approachable.

Now that we are on that topic, voice acting here is just FLAWLESS. I can't get over Gideon's voice for that stupid elf damn it.

Alright so, just like in the other games, you can recruit companions. I already spoke a little about Carver and Bethany, who are playable… for a time, at least. 

This is the first time we come across Varric, our favorite storyteller. Varric isn't only just your best bud for life here, but he's also the one telling Hawke's story: he'd been abducted by Cassandra Pentaghast (yes, the one from Inquisition) who wants to interrogate him about the Champion. Varric is like your north in the game, he's always there for you, he's always supporting you, he doesn't take sides, he's funny, he's welcoming and he cares so much that I want to hug him. Goodest best friend forever.

Aside from him, you'll be crossing paths with Aveline again, now a soldier in the guard. Aveline is the correct type of person: she takes pride in her job, she wants things to get done well, following the rules. She respects honor, dignity and justice, and she doesn't approve of taking advantage of "illegal" situations and underground activities. If she's on your good side, you'll get a great supporter and a great friend, who will got your back, always.

Fenris is an elf who comes from the Tevinter Imperium – if we know anything of Tevinter apart from its blood mages, it's that they are slavers. Fenris used to be a slave who managed, somehow, to escape from his master. He bears a burning hatred towards the Vints, mages and every slaver out there. He always remarks he's a free man and he will disapprove of your support for the mages or any kind of sympathy towards slavery. So much so, that I started my relationship with him in -10 because I was a mage.

Merril is a dalish elf whom you'll be recruiting after finishing Flemeth's little favor. Merril is a blood mage, and she doesn't see the demons as enemies, but rather friends. She intends to leave her clan and go live in the city, because she's sure she can help her kin from outside instead of remaining cloistered and secluded inside. This will grant her the dislike of all her clan's members, but that doesn't stop her. She's naïve, she doesn't seem to understand most of human customs, and she's quite direct because she can't see through sarcasm or white lies. She's the purest of the team, although her abilities may tell you otherwise.

Isabela isn't new for us, if you come from Origins. Here she'll be joining us again after losing her ship. Her intentions remain a mystery most of the game, but let's just say she's quite involved with the plot of the second act. She's a forced to be reckoned with: she doesn't mess around when things need to be done and she gets them done in her own way. I'm still a bit spiteful about her because she abandoned my team after the second act, although I thought I was doing everything right!

Sebastian is only available through the Exiled Prince DLC – he's a chantry brother whose family was brutally murdered and his estate back in Starkhaven lies headless. He's conflicted about whether to remain in the chantry or go back to reclaim his land. He's righteous, he doesn't accept any rule breaking and, to be honest, he's pretty dull – specially if you're trying to romance him only because of those shiny blue eyes. The fact that he only joins you after Act 1 supports this allegation, in the way that he's not available through the first part for party banter, which always adds a lot of more depth to the characters you're playing with.

And at last… we have Anders. For those of you who played Origins' expansion, Awakening, Anders isn't a new character either. This time, though, it's not just Anders: he's possessed by a spirit of Justice, the same Justice we meet in Awakening. Anders remains in control most of the time, but when he loses it or when he enters the Fade, it's Justice the one who takes over. Anders serves as a healer in Kirkwall, helping refugees for free. He wants to move on from his past as a Grey Warden and he fights for the rights of the mages who are being hunted by the templars. Oh, man, of course I would fall for the subversive mage! Boy was I deceived… He plays a large role in the final battle, which, depending on your choices and your principles, will change your view of him forever. Let's just say that he's a pretty hated character in the franchise.

In this game you'll have choices as well, and your comments and actions will bear points of friendship or rivalry with your companions. This doesn't mean that if you get 100 rivalry points with one of them they'll abandon you, no, it doesn't work like in Origins or in Inquisition. Here you have to see the bar in both directions: the closer it is to one of the extremes, the better. The danger zone is the central one: if you have little points of friendship or of rivalry, the companion is likely to abandon you. This is what happened to me with Isabela: I had a good chunk of friendship points with her, but it seems I needed to max them out, which I didn't, and thus she flew away, goodbye. You can even romance characters with high rivalry points, and their romance plays a little different because of it. As it says, it's "rivalry" and not "deep hatred with death wishes", so maybe it spices some things up in your relationship.

Each companion will have their own questline that stretches across all three acts, and if you want to have all your team available by the end of the game, I recommend you do them. Although… well, you won't have the whole team, but I won't spoil it for you.

So I mentioned before I would talk about why the eight year story decision wasn't a good take for me after speaking a little about the characters – well, it's simple. In those three year gaps, the story acts as if nothing happens. Yes, sometimes the characters say "hey, I haven't seen you in a while" or "that thing happened three years ago" or whatever, but it doesn't work well. For instance, if you romance Fenris, you'll sleep with him in the second act, and then he goes away, seemingly not wanting to continue with the relationship. Three year pass, and then you resume your romancing with him, and he's like "yes, idk why I left that night I so regret it lol" DUDE, you're like just two meters away from Hawke's house, are you truly telling me you didn't talk to them after what happened in these three years? 

The story plays as if there are no gaps in time. In fact, if you take away Varric's narration, which states that x amount of time happens between act and act, you won't even notice it! And that's the thing: I don't know why they chose to do this. I mean, I guess I understand the point, they wanted Hawke to make their own name, to be known and loved by the citizens as years went by, they wanted them to start in rags and rise to fortune, I get it. But something similar was accomplished with the Inquisitor in the third game: time passes, I believe almost a year, and you feel the love and respect you've earned from your companions. It didn't take my Inquisitor eight years for that. It didn't even take her half a month to get Cullen in love with her ok sorry. What I mean is, the eight years thing isn't well developed, and characters act as if no such time had passed, and the story is planned as well like that. It's almost as though they wanted to stray as far as possible from Origins in terms of design and choices, which is a great idea, but some things just don't add up.

For example, in Inquistion's expansion, Trespasser, two years have passed. And here you see, you feel that your characters have been away for long. They've all been following their own paths and when they finally reunite they catch up and speak about their futures and what they want for themselves. It truly feels like two years have passed. There's a huge impasse between the ending and the expansion, which marks a milestone, and you can understand why all these characters haven't seen each other for a while. Whereas between Act 1 and 2… it's like… yeah we went to the Deep Roads and yeah… hmm… Varric really three years and you still didn't hear of your brother or… wait is this letter by Carver just sent? I mean he's been away too long now but he could always send me letters why wait three years…. and so on. It breaks the continuity. In fact, it doesn't only do that, but it also makes your characters stupid. Are you telling me Anders has been in love with me for three years and he still hadn't done anything?? What are you, fifteen?

But apart from that, I believe this game is really good. I enjoyed it from beginning to end. I enjoyed the mechanic regarding your siblings: their appearance changes depending of what preset for the face and skintone you choose for Hawke. I like the idea that only one of the twins is available throughout the game. I like that the gameplay has been improved from Origins, I love that as a mage you feel so destructive with all those spells, I love that it's fast paced and more colorful. I got also really involved with some of the companions, specially Anders, Fenris and Aveline. I love that, even though they may disagree with you on some topics, they still remain by your side if you were a good friend, because that's what friendship's about. Friendship/rivalry here feels like a human thing, something quite relatable, instead of just shoving gifts onto your companion so they'd like you better. I like that somehow all of your companions are entangled with what happens in the city, and this leads me to my final point about why DA2 is still a good game.

Kirkwall. Our vedette. Our goddess. Kirkwall is the scenario for 90% of the events of the game. We're not saving the world here. We just want the peace for the city. Who should rule? Whose forces should Hawke support? Is Hawke good enough to be Viscount? Are the templars doing a good job? Or is Knight-Captain Meredith going too far?

Political intrigue. And just one city. Not all of Ferelden. Just one bad person trying to control the strings in this small portion of land, not an army of zombies or a dragon ready to consume the world. I love that the plot is just restrained to this small thing, because it lets you go deeper into everyone's stories, and it doesn't mean that it gets less epic, on the contrary. I enjoyed the final boss here way more than I did with Corpypheus in Inquisition. Here Meredith has an actual goal and she's acting upon what she thinks it's right, and at some point and to some extent, she's right! But her methods are questionable, in the least. She's not just a bad guy for the sake of being a bad guy, like it happens with Corypheus. She's bad, but she has her reasons.

You don't get to know a lot of people, because you just know those who live in Kirkwall. The familiarity, the warmth of its streets, it's like you've been living there as well, sharing with these characters and learning about their pasts. Instead of allowing you to see a huge picture with hundreds of characters involved, you just focus on those you care about, explore them more in depth. Sometimes covering everything doesn't lead you anywhere, so it might be better with just a handful of well written plot points and characters.

I'm not saying that Origins is the worst because of this, because it seems like I'm hating on it. In fact, I can't still speak much of it because I haven't finished my route yet (although I know how it ends). I'm just saying that Origins is good, that Inquisition is good, and that DA2 is also good. It's different, but still a good game. Sometimes you're tired of playing as the chosen one hero who must save the world, and maybe saving one city is enough for your heroic career.

I loved the game. I loved that it pushed my beliefs of helping the mages to the limit, to the point of questioning myself. I loved that it played tricks on me like that with the romance option. I loved the sarcastic Hawke, such a well written script. Also, Cullen is here so of course I'd love it.

Just… don't hate it that much. And if you still haven't played it, give it a shot. You might be surprised.

[majornelson]

Inside Xbox February Episode News Recap

Will Tuttle, Xbox Wire Editor in Chief, shared a recap of the latest episode of Inside Xbox. Check it out below or at Xbox Wire. You can also watch the entire show below:

Introducing Xbox Game Studios

Matt Booty shared we are changing the name of our game development organization from Microsoft Studios to Xbox Game Studios. In his words: “At Xbox, we believe when everyone plays, we all win. It’s why we’re passionate about building a portfolio of games for players across console, PC and mobile. As we’ve expanded our focus beyond the console, the Xbox brand has also evolved from its original roots. Today, Xbox is our gaming brand across all devices, no matter how or where you want to play, or who you want to play with.” Check out our full Xbox Game Studios announcement post for more information.

Experience Halo Like Never Before with Halo: Outpost Discovery

The team at 343 Industries is always cooking up something for the Halo community, and today’s episode gave us our first look at a brand-new offering. Halo: Outpost Discovery is a touring fan experience for all ages, that brings the Halo video game universe to life like never before. This five U.S. city event lets you step into Halo’s vast and epic world, with enthralling themed attractions, interactive in-universe encounters, playable games and so much more. Experience details, ticket information and more are available right now at HaloOutpostDiscovery.com. You can learn more in our Halo: Outpost Discovery announcement post right now.

Bringing the Boom in Crackdown 3

Crackdown 3 is nearly upon us, so the team took a couple of in-depth looks at the game with some very special guests. In addition to an interview with Creative Director Joseph Staten, Crackdown 3 star and all-around great guy Terry Crews joined us from LA to chat about his role and how he infused his trademark personality and energy into the game. To top it off, we revealed the official Crackdown 3 launch trailer, giving fans a final taste of the game’s boom-infused playground across both campaign and Wrecking Zone. Crackdown 3 will be available starting February 15 on Xbox Game Pass and for Xbox One and Windows 10 PC, so get ready to cause some mayhem!

Complete Your Crew in Sea of Thieves

Ahoy mateys! Rare’s action-packed pirate game is better than ever thanks to a bunch of updates and one of the strongest communities in game, so now is the perfect time to bring more players aboard. On today’s show, we announced that the Sea of Thieves Friends Play Free program will be starting on February 6. All existing players will be able to log in to the Sea of Thieves website to get three codes that they can share with their friends who don’t already have the game. Those friends will be able to play until February 13, and everyone can enjoy a special, limited-time voyage featuring a high-value reward and unique cosmetics. For complete details, click through to our Sea of Thieves Friends Play Free announcement post. All aboard!

Xbox Game Pass Gets Even Better

The monthly Xbox Game Pass announcement is always one of our biggest news beats, and we’re happy to share that this month’s lineup features some truly excellent games. One of 2018’s best games is hitting the subscription service, as Shadow of the Tomb Raider brings Lara Croft’s action-packed trilogy to a close. She’s joined by Clementine, one of our favorite characters from The Walking Dead – Season One, and everyone’s favorite amorphous lump, de Blob. For complete details, take a look at our Xbox Game Pass February games announcement post.

Experience Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 with Two New Bundles

Today, we announced two new bundles with Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 joining the Xbox One family. Pre-order the 1TB Xbox One S ($299.99) or the 1TB Xbox One X ($499.99) Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 Bundle, and experience the ultimate RPG open-world action shooter set in Washington D.C., where exploration and player progression are essential to survival. Jump in on Xbox One and see how the dynamic environment combines the series’ core authenticity with tactical decisions, trading and more.

Both bundles feature an Xbox One console, 1TB hard drive, an Xbox Wireless Controller, a full-game download of Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 and 1-month trials for Xbox Game Pass and Xbox Live Gold. Additionally, as part of the Xbox One family, you can enjoy features like a built-in 4K UHD Blu-ray player, 4K streaming with High Dynamic Range and Dolby Vision, and premium audio with Dolby Atmos and DTS:X support. Plus, Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 is specifically enhanced for Xbox One X so you can experience immersive true 4K gaming with 4K Ultra HD with HDR and Dolby Atmos support. Pre-order now; arrives in stores starting March 15, 2019.

Pre-Order Tom Clancy’s The Division 2 Xbox One Console Bundles

A Shiny New Controller Appears

The announcement of new Xbox controllers is always a big deal for our fans and collectors, so they’ll be happy to hear that we revealed a brand-new controller on today’s show. The Xbox Wireless Controller – Sport Red Special Edition is vibrant red and features metallic accents, rubberized diamond grip, and built-in Bluetooth technology for gaming on Windows 10 PCs and tablets. For more information, give our Xbox Wireless Controller – Sport Red Special Edition announcement post a read!

Jumping In With Jump Force

Fighting game fans rejoice! Jump Force, the upcoming battler featuring combatants from the Shonen Jump universe, will be releasing soon, and we were lucky enough to be able to reveal some new characters. Jotaro and DIO from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure will be coming to the game, and we can’t wait to see how Stand users stack up against the competition! The team also shared that they plan to keep the game as fresh as possible in the months following its release, thanks to new costumes and stages that will be given to fans for free.

A New Fighter in Mortal Kombat 11

The latest entry in the world’s most brutal fighting game has been announced, and our team was on the ground at the recent unveil event to take a good look at the carnage. What’s more we are now able to reveal that D’Vorah is returning in Mortal Kombat 11. She is a half-human, half-insect fighter who is aligned with Kotal Kahn, the ruler of Outworld. She was first introduced in Mortal Kombat X, where her swift, vicious moves made a (deep) impression on her enemies.

Inside the Minds Behind Journey to the Savage Planet

One of the biggest announcements at The Game Awards, Journey to the Savage Planet takes players to an alien world on which everything isn’t always as it seems. We went behind the scenes at Typhoon Studios to see first-hand what it takes to leave security behind and set out to build both a studio and a brand-new franchise from the ground up.

We hope you enjoyed the show, and we’ll see you next month!

  via Xbox Live's Major Nelson http://bit.ly/2GquE2u

[grabthelantern]

Top 5 Thursday: Dead Memes

By Helmight

The LoL community has an interesting relationship with Riot Games: we make memes, and they kill them off one by one. This year’s been particularly bad to be a LoL meme, as Riot have taken care of some of the longest-standing in-jokes that the community had. Here’re the best memes that Riot’s finally put to rest.

#5: Delete Yasuo

As with most CertainlyT champions, Yasuo is behated by a significant portion of the community. His extreme mobility, Wind Wall, deceptive tankiness and high damage make him a hassle to deal with even when not played by an expert, which lead a lot of people to ask Riot for him to be removed.

“Fine,” said Riot, and they introduced the new pick/ban system that gave everyone a ban. Now no one would ever have to play against Yasuo again if they didn’t want to, and his ban rate essentially removed him as a playable champion. It’s not technically Riot killing a meme, but it feels close enough for me.

#4: Smiting Teemo

Teemo inspires a lot of hate in the LoL community, and with good reason. However, some fans weren’t content to simply trash-talk him - they wanted to be able to Smite him directly in his stupid furry face, just to make it clear how much they hated him.

Riot didn’t directly kill this meme, but when they revamped the jungle back in Season 4, they introduced Stalker’s Blade. It allowed players to use Smite on any champion - including Teemo - and finally put the joke to rest. A pity Chilling Smite doesn’t deal 1000 true damage to him...

#3: No Yorick skin

Viktor, Illaoi, and Cassiopeia mains have it bad in the skin department, but Yorick had it worse. He had two skins available on his release day six years ago, but because of how bad he was design-wise, he wasn’t in contention to get another - ever. Fans of Yorick were assured that he’d get a new skin after his rework, but that came and went and Yorick still didn’t have a new look released.

Finally, almost a year after his rework - and six years since his release - Yorick received his Arclight skin. His fans can finally stop complaining about being passed up.

#2: Blood Moon Diana

Diana is the champion most associated with the moon, which meant that she was an obvious choice for the Blood Moon skin line. I mean, the word “moon” is in the title. Riot had to notice, right?

Apparently they didn’t, as multiple rounds of Blood Moon skins came and went without Diana receiving one. It was a silly oversight that had fans running to the forums and complaining each time she got passed up. This year however, Riot finally gave the Scorn of the Moon her own Blood Moon duds, putting the meme to rest.

#1: ... but Graves can’t have a cigar

The darkest day in League of Legends history came when Riot made the decision to take away Graves’s cigar. Though their reasoning was solid, the fanbase collectively went into an uproar - after all, Gragas Esq. still had a cigar in his splash art, and default Gragas runs around drinking all the time. “[insert item here], but Graves can’t have a cigar?” quickly became a running joke as disappointed Summoners took to the forums.

However, not all was lost. Riot literally pioneered new technology in order to bring back Graves’ cigar while still maintaining their T-rating in regions like Turkey. It was an event that no one expected, but we all rejoiced with its announcement. The meme was dead, but we’re all much happier with Graves’ cigar instead.

Let me know your favorite LoL memes in the comments, and be sure to like and reblog this post if you enjoyed it!

[skookumarts]

Settings, Signs, and Store Page Update

Oh hi there,

I didn’t see you behind all this fantastic progress we’re making. It’s currently a major push period in the Skookum Arts studio, the desk handcuffs have been brought out and the energy liquid of choice is on tap. We’re at the super exciting point of development where things that are finalized, are actually final. And fun things we didn’t realize would be an issue, are actually an issue. So come join us on our guided tour through development during September.

Twitter- Facebook- Steam Page - Website

Devlog -

As always, we’d love it if you would check out the video version of our update. It’s similar to our written update, except in video format. So you basically get to have the update read to you. Click below to watch.

Optimization -

We’ve put The Pedestrian to the test at great risk to our own hardware. Kidding... well kinda. Jed has replaced many of the components from his computer with older pieces in order to test out performance. It’s all been extremely encouraging on what level of computer can handle the game. He’s also picked up a monitor to clean up issues with different aspect ratios and resolutions.

Menu Settings -

Functionality of all our menu items has also been a focus this month. Things like resolution, window mode, graphic settings. All these items seem to be simple but with a couple of our game restrictions it’s caused them to be a bit more time consuming than we originally anticipated. We’ve also updated the menu icons because they just weren’t meshing well with the rest of the visuals.

Visuals Lockdown + Ending -

We’ve done visual tweaks to many of the game’s lacking shots and worked on the top secret section. So along with adding assets into the scenes and updating shots, also comes re-lightmapping the scenes. We have to continue to make sure new stuff merges with the old stuff. One way we make sure is through testing.

Testing Wave -

Speaking of which, we’ve hosted another wave of testing. Thanks so much to those of you who participated in that. It helps so much to finding all those odd bugs and situations that we would never encounter ourselves.

Music Markup -

New tune! Give it a listen, maybe?

Second Playable Character -

The female bathroom symbol has made her return! She was kinda in the game, then not, and now back. She had never been a selectable character, only pickable through the backend. But now she’s selectable, playable, and savable. Rejoice!

Store Page Update -

We’ve given our store page a huge facelift. The screenshot and videos where all from back when our Kickstarter was live. So everything has now been updated to be brand spankin’ new. Check it out here.

While you’re there you might find a thing called a wishlist button. We’d be syked if you were to press it, but I digress.

Creating a Sign Video -

We created a short video about the process behind making a sign in the game. Going from concept to realizing the vision in-game. It’s a quick watch, so check it out here.

Minor updates to improve play experience -

Obviously there’s been a bunch of new random things and tweaks that might not be worth mentioning. Things like the way animations are shown through portals, signs dynamically updating to improve performance, and a new puzzle! Huh, I guess they were worth mentioning.

What’s Next?

Next we have a few player animation edits, more music implementation, ending credits, and a few sign content updates. That plus a few dozen other smaller things, but besides that we’re getting super close. Things are happening, stay tuned so you don’t miss it.

We’d be super pumped if you could follow our social medias and wishlist the Pedestrian on steam so that you don’t miss any news. Until next time, ciao.

Twitter- Facebook- Steam Page - Website