#sooner or later I'll write a detailed post about everything

[solarsunhae]

rewatching my videos of Mycon is so funny because for the most part I was silent but then out of nowhere I’m singing and SCREAMING

[thefandomenchantress]

Chapter 2 Episode 15 Spoilers below!

Since Ace being the culprit has brought about so much pain to ace lovers, including me, I figured I'd make a list of all the good things that him being the culprit brings to us. Even though Ace will (probably) be executed next episode, that doesn't mean that nothing good came out of this, right?

-Ace's backstory may be revealed much sooner than expected! Before we would've had to wait for chapter 3 or chapter 4 and so on, but since Ace will be gone soon, almost everything not revealed next episode will get told to us in a bonus episode! (I think every dead person gets one of those? Idk if that's officially confirmed). I doubt Teruko's gonna find, like, Ace's diary in chapter three detailing his life story, so if we're ever getting the Taylor Lore™, it'll be in a bonus episode! Plus, a bonus episode would come out a lot faster than the whole of chapter three, so more Ace content sooner no matter what happens in it! And there's always the chance he gets picked for an FTE, since dead people are on the list of options.

-Ace canonically has neat, fancy handwriting. Begone rumors of Ace having illegible, traditionally boy-ish handwriting, he actually writes like a 19th century scholar and I find this very funny. More evidence for my 'Ace likes reading and writing and wanted to become a romance author' crack theory, since he also reenforced his particularness about vocabulary in chapter 2 part 2. (Our only remaining question: Does Ace actually have terrible spelling ('responsibel'), or did he just think Eden would?)

-Ace is very good at being sneaky and often overhears things he shouldn't. I can't wait for this to be used as a plot device in numerous fics ("XANDER YOU'LL NEVER GUESS THE SHIT I JUST HEARD DAVID SAY ABOUT YOU WHEN HE THOUGHT HE WAS ALONE").

-Ace will have to be included in the dead (formerly a) trio posts forevermore. Get ready for Xander-Min-Arei-Ace shenanigans.

-Now that the cast has been forced to acknowledge that being dumb and angry aren't Ace's only traits and that he's just as human as the rest of them, Ace is much less likely to be seen as just those two things by the average viewer. Ace's popularity, or at least the amount of dislike towards him, seems to have shifted since the last episode, and I'm happy more people are able to enjoy what his character has to offer now. He's a cool little guy. I've literally NEVER seen the Ace Markey tag this busy before.

-We got so many cool Ace CGs guys. SO MANY. Including one where he's hanging upside down on the swing set and looks weirdly cute for someone in the middle of a murder plan.

-Also new sprites! The DRDTdev gave Ace a redesign knowing full-well that it would only get a singular chapter of use, and I massively respect that. We already got some new sprites in part 2 of chapter 2 so far, and I'm guessing next episode he'll probably have at least one more breakdown sprite before he dies.

-For someone who no one in the cast liked, he's definitely going to leave an impact. He's finally made at least some of the cast realize what happens when they ignore the issues right in front of them. Ace shouts about how everyone hates him and sees him as an insufferable idiot? Eh, probably nothing, we don't have to worry about that. Sure, multiple people told him he's gonna die next in here, and he almost got murdered, but that won't amount to anything. What's he gonna do, murder someone--WAIT SHIT Ace step away from the Arei I repeat step away from the Arei-- (plus Teruko parallels). I'll probably go more in-depth about this sort of thing in a different post.

-WE NEVER GOT TO SEE WHAT'S UNDER HIS GLOVES. Kyoko and Mukuro both had hand-related secrets that connected them to the plot later on, does that mean Ace will have some sort of relevance to the mastermind or overall lore later on? Like a Mai tattoo situation? (Or maybe it's another thing that may be alluded to or discussed in the bonus episode)(Or left to interpretation but I hope not because I have so many theories).

If you have any more suggestions for other good Ace-related things the culprit reveal brought us, let me know and I can add them to the list! We need as many good things as we can think of right now...

[bird-slayer-brainrot]

Soldier On, Come Down - Chpt. 3. - - Ineffable Husbands WW2 au human!Crowley angel!Aziraphale angst multi-chapter

1941

Angel,

I would like to apologise for not writing sooner. If things went according to plan, which, they rarely do, I shall like to compose a note to you each day. Nothing grim, of course. I would fill pages of sonnets for you on the most mundane things.

For instance, today I was completing a task and I stopped for a moment two miles north of the camp to watch the sun set. My first thought was of how beautiful it was. My second thought was of you. I confess, I think of the night you told me you loved me often, and how the next morning you stirred beside me. I thought how there was no sky to match the beauty of the blue in your eyes in the early morning sun.

I wish you had seen it, angel. It brings me comfort to know you may now be looking at the same sky as me, and in the miles and miles between us, we are still connected underneath the sky.

I hope that you think of me too

Yours,

A.J. Crowley

 -

Angel,

It has been too long since I last heard from you. Longer since I saw you or held you in my arms. Do not believe for a second that the time has made me forget your touch. Or your face. Or your scent. You are as clear in my mind as they day we met. I do not believe I could forget you if I tried.

I will not go into detail about the front, as I have limited time and space to tell you everything I wish to say. And, I do not think you would like it. So instead I should tell you now that I am well, angel.

Please write me. I love you. I ache for you.

A.J. Crowley

-

Aziraphale,

I am sure by now that you have heard news of what is happening on the front. I made quick to write you this, trading duties with the Staff Sergeant for pen and paper. I hope this letter finds you even if you do not reply. I do not expect anything of you, angel, and I suspect there is a good reason you cannot return my letters. Nonetheless, I write to you because I want to. Because I love you. I love you.

I hope you are well. We hear news of England in pieces. I will not begin to lecture you on your safety because I do not believe you would find it funny, but I do hope you are staying safe. Are safe.

I have hesitated writing this because I did not want to fill you with empty promises. But we have been apart for too long and the weight of not giving you a promise to hold on to weighs to heavy on me. This war will end, sooner or later, and I will come back to you, angel. I will come back to you.

Your Crowley

*

1939

Angels were. as a rule, quite adept at sensing positive intentions. Crowley had sent Aziraphale a note asking him to meet for dinner at the pub they regularly patronized that evening. When he entered in, slightly out of breath from the walk, he could tell almost immediately that something was off.

Anathema and Crowley were engaged in what seemed to be a heated debate. Aziraphale decided to wait near the bar, hoping he hadn't been spotted yet. But as he sat down, Anathema appeared beside him.

"Hello Aziraphale." she said politely. Aziraphale noticed that her cheeks were flushed.

"Anathema, hello." Aziraphale tried to say cheerfully. Anathema just nodded in response, which was unlike her. Then, she spun on her wall and walked out of the bar.

Crowley was still seated at the table. Aziraphale took a seat hesitantly, not quite sure if he was welcome to. Crowley looked up at him then, tiredly. He didn't say anything, but smiled slightly at Aziraphale. Aziraphale knew Crowley would talk about what happened in his own time, so he didn't say anything.

Short update this week but i've been swamped with uni and getting over a bad cold so i haven't been writing as much. i will likely write another half chapter to post sometimes this week but i'll see. thank you for reading <3 i promise this is going somewhere

[lostfracturess]

Heyaaa

I lovedddd the new chapter for symptoms and causes so much!! God I love angst, but as long as they have a happy ending! It's okay to rip open my chest, take my heart out and put it in a Shredder before placing the remains back- I'll accept all that if the ending is worth it (and happy ofc)

I know everyone wants s&c Gojo but I just want to get on my knees and beg him to open up to y/n because it's just so hurtful to see him somehow hold everything together- sooner or later he is bound to crumble, right? And I think we are kinda in that phase of the story- or not. 💁🏻‍♀️

And oh THE SMUT! I think it's one of the best I have read so far and I am not even kidding- it's just that good!

All that being said, as someone who is new to writing (I haven't put anything out there, but yeah I still like to write- thinking of posting something on Tumblr soon🤭) I would really really appreciate some tips on writing angst and smut. I am working on a story that contains a lot of angst, or atleast I am trying to make it angst-y, but I don't really know how to write those scenes. So, would really appreciate some help here!

thank you so much for the sweet message!! <3 it really makes my day to know you enjoyed the chapter!!

and don't say that "rip out my heart and shred it", or i might take this personally!! haha. but i feel u, if a story doesn't make me feel all those ugly emotions then what's the point, right? but yes, the story will have a happy ending, so all that pain will be worth it?? i guess??

you're absolutely right about gojo holding everything together barely. the way he bottles everything up is a ticking time bomb really.

also, SO glad you loved the smut! always so insecure about it, so it makes me SO happy to read that you found it resonated so well! <3

thanks again for your lovely message! <3

regarding your writing advice. i gave overall writing tips here and here. don't know if i have the the best tips for writing angst & smut, but i'll try for my fellow angst-lover!!

ANGST

start with the emotional hook: before anything else, identify the core emotional impact of your scene. is it betrayal? unrequited love? fear of loss? this will drive the conflict and help you shape the scene's events.

escalate the conflict gradually: angst thrives on a feeling of rising pressure. start with subtle disagreements, misunderstandings, or unspoken longing. let frustrations simmer, and then explode in a pivotal moment.

subtext is your friend: don't feel you have to have characters screaming and crying to convey their pain. sometimes, the most powerful angst comes from what characters don't say. use silences, subtle body language, and changes in tone to hint at the unspoken emotions.

show, don't tell: avoid telling the reader how a character feels. instead, show it through their actions, reactions, and the physical reaction of their emotions. describe trembling hands, a tightened jaw, or the way they avert their gaze.

use setting to your advantage: a dark, stormy night can mirror a character's inner turmoil. a cramped, claustrophobic space can emphasize their sense of being trapped.

short sentences: long, flowing sentences are great for fluffy or romantic moments. but when writing angst, short, clipped sentences convey a sense of urgency and emotional fracture. they can be like punches to the gut, making the angst hit harder.

don't overexplain: sometimes, leaving a little room for ambiguity can be even more heartbreaking. don't feel the need to lay out every single detail of why a character is feeling a certain way. let the reader fill in the blanks, making the emotions their own.

get specific: the more specific you are about a character's fears, regrets, and longings, the more the angst will hit home.

beware of melodrama: angst can easily turn into exaggeration. ground your characters' feelings in reality to make the hurt more believable.

balance angst with other emotions: angst can be draining for the reader if it's relentless. even in the most angsty stories, give your characters moments of fluff or hope. this contrast makes the lows even more impactful.

SMUT

don't know exactly what tips to give here really, because smut is as individual as what a writer likes to write and read, and what a author likes to "happen" in those scenes. so it's more general advice for intimate scenes.

build anticipation: what i think is really important for intimate scenes isn't just about what happens, but the longing that comes before. a lingering gaze, a subtle brush of hands, a whispered compliment. each small gesture heightens the tension.

capture intimacy in details: focus on the little things. the way someone brushes a stray hair off their lover's face, the tremble of a hand, the catch in a character's voice. these intimate details make the scene feel personal and authentic.

sensory details: use sensory descriptions to make the scene come alive. don't just tell the reader what's happening–show them! explore textures, scents, the warmth of skin, the rhythm of breathing. draw the reader into the moment.

less is more: also here, leave something to the reader's imagination. a perfectly executed touch can sometimes do more than explicitly describing every intimate act.

consider the scene's context: how does this romantic moment fit into the broader story? does it further character development? does it build tension?

play with contrasts: tension and tenderness often go hand in hand in romance. these contradictions make the scene feel even more dynamic.

dialogue isn't just about words: utilize breathlessness, gasps, moans, and stifled sighs in place of full sentences. these sounds speak volumes and also enhancing the sensory experience.

don't forget about the aftermath: the quiet moments after intimacy can be just as impactful. linger on the shared smiles, the sense of peace, the way the world feels different afterwards.

but really, smut depends on what you like to write. yk smut scenes are so different and that's good, so everyone can find what they like!

also overall writing smut i guess also comes with experience. the first smut scene won't be as good as your 10th of course. but that's like with all writing, so don't push yourself :)

hope these tips will help you in some way! have a lovely day! ♡

[melodygatesauthor]

Weekly Update - 06/11/2023

(Just realized I forgot to post this yesterday hehe)

As a reminder, I do weekly updates. You can see the original post here for details on what will be in these!

Updates Below the Cut:

Long/Chaptered Fic Updates

A Bit Dodgy - There WILL be an update tomorrow! 06/13/2023. We have chapter 12 incoming!

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Mini-series Updates

Blue = should be posted this week

Pink = In progress actively (working on but will not be posted this week)

Red = Backburner Fic (not working on this week - will work on a later date)

The Fractured Moon - currently working on These Fractured Knights (TFM Bonus Chapters) 🫣😏 - No new updates this week though.

Feeling You Can't Fight is DEFINITELY coming out this week on Wednesday! I was hoping to post it last week but I didn’t get around to editing it! My goal will be to put out a chapter a week for the next 6 weeks for this one (fingers crossed - will post more often if I finish the chapters sooner than that) but we will see!

Summary

You are the new staff manager for the National Art Gallery in London, replacing the prior manager who you'd heard was unpleasant to work for...and that was putting it kindly.

When you meet the nervous, but friendly, gift shop clerk, you can't help but fall for him almost immediately. When it becomes clear that you can't shake this desire to give Steven everything he deserves and more, you can only hope that he feels the same way about you in return.

It WILL include the other two boys as well. - Coming this week

Working on a secret series based on a series of artwork done by an artist in the community. Hoping to have that out this week! - Coming out this week! (I hope)

Not a Doctor - I’ve been asked by a few people, and I personally have been considering it for a while, doing a part 2 to this fic! It won’t be coming out this week, but it’s in the works! (Still in the planning stages)

Worth the Risk - taking a small step back from this for now. It’s not at the top of my inspiration list so I’m moving it down the line temporarily. - will work on a later date

----

Requests Updates

Let’s have a chat about requests guys. So I’ve been really making an effort to work on them, and I’ve been struggling to feel inspired to work on it at this moment in time, and it’s been a little stressful. That being said, I’m going to do a couple of things to simplify this for myself (this does not include things I asked for like Nathan Bateman requests or the 1k drabbles):

1. I’m going to keep them shorter. I think I set up an expectation for myself (and maybe for you guys too) that I’ll be writing lengthy fics for the requests. I’m going to keep them under 2k going forward unless I find it exceptionally inspiring. Please don’t think that your request is bad if I don’t write a longer fic, please just understand that it's all in an effort to manage my time more.

2. I’ll do a bigger post regarding this point once I have a minute to think about it more, but I’m not going to be opening requests again after I finish these ones. As I’ve grown and my work (like my real life job) has gotten busier, this has become a lot to manage all the while continuing to explore my OWN thoughts and ideas. I LOVE giving back to the community and writing for you guys, but it's turned into something that's bringing me anxiety and pressure to perform and that's not how my hobby should feel. - This doesn't mean I won't ever have my inbox or like event drabble requests open and things like that, this is just for regular requests. Like I said, I'll elaborate more in another post.

3. I'm GOING TO FINISH THE REQUESTS BELOW. Some of you had submitted multiples so I'm going to only commit to one of them. Anons, I'm sorry but I'm going to cut you loose. I love you, but I have to let some things go. (Except for the Nathan request since I asked for it and I still haven't ever written for Nathan.)

I hope you all can understand where I'm coming from, and I appreciate your support so so so much. I'm sure there are other writers who have open requests who would love to take over if I end up not doing yours. <3

----

If your request is in blue, that means I'm going to try to work on it this week (06/11-06/17). If it's in pink, I'm going to try to work on it a different week. It's taking me a while to get into the headspace for some of them so thank you for your patience. Green means it's done I'm just working on editing now.

Blue Jones X f!Reader requested by @saraicus

There are 2 prompts in particular that I liked from the list you sent so I'll be doing them. - His eyeliner running down as he’s banging you against his desk.

Moon Boys X f!Reader by @simpforbritgents

Asking for something like Feeling Flustered where the moon boys are doing guided phone sex.

Moon Boys X f!Reader by @mercuryrosesixx

Moon Boys w/ a f!Reader w/ nipple piercings.

Marc Spector X f!Reader by @blueflowerhat

Marc shower sex based on AI prompt.

Doctor Marc Spector X Patient Reader by @burnincrown

Role Reversal (sort of) of Not a Doctor - Marc is the doc, reader is the patient and he takes advantage - Dark Fic - I'M MOVING THIS ONE UP TO MINI-SERIES. It's going to be a long time in the works, and it will probably replace TFM when that one is done so I'm going to put this one up further on next week's update and I will credit you for inspo but I'm not going to necessarily consider it a request since I've been developing quite the lengthy outline for it lol. - Work on it a different week

Nathan Bateman X f!Reader by @campingwiththecharmings

This is the prompt that hit me like a Nathan-shaped mac truck! -> “if you don’t like my teasing why are you moaning”

Nathan Bateman X f!Reader by Anon

Cam girl reader x Nathan - Nathan turns to a cam girl, he's been kinda stalking her. (Excited hehe)

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That's all for now guys! I love you all and thank you so much for all the support you continue to give no matter what. You're amazing <3

[branmuffins22]

Moots said they wanna hear about WIPs and I feel like I gotta get this brainrot out anyways so HERE I GO

I've only got three projects I'm actively working on right now, all of which are Owl House fanfics, although I've got ideas here and there for other things (video games I might've made if I weren't so burnt out, ttrpg characters that might need their own goddamn settings and stories to themselves, a Code Lyoko fanfic, music (mostly loads of disconnected song lyrics), 3D avatars, etc).

The Owl House fanfics in question are three(-ish?) fold:

Theseus Who?, a mostly-canon-compliant 5+1 post-titanification headcanon compilation that DOESN'T just let Luz keep her titan form (mostly it's just a bunch of changes along the lines of when Hunter's eyes changed color after Flapjack saved him). - It's actually sort of a tie-in to another, bigger fic I'm writing that's gonna be point 2, so you can assume anything mentioned in this one will happen throughout the timeline of the next one as well. - I've currently already got the 5 written, so now I just need to buckle down and finish the +1, unless I decide to do another sweep of edits (I think the excessive parentheticals might be too excessive). - - I only started it like a week ago, and I've been waiting for motivation to strike again to let me finish it for like half that time.

Masha and the Very Normal Nocedas, a mostly-canon-compliant sorta-multimedia veesha longfic based on the dramatic irony of Masha slowly driving themself nuts trying to piece together what the Deal is with Luz, Vee, and the rest of the Nocedas. - by "sorta-multimedia" i mean its got plaintext segments describing the story, journal segments of Masha recounting events as they remember them and trying to organize their thoughts, chat segments when the characters interact over text, and possibly more if I feel the Need. - I've only outlined the three prologue chapters and the following intermission, only have snippets and vague ideas for scenes for the main bulk of the fic itself, and have only actually written two of the prologue chapters and the intermission. - - won't start posting it until I at least get the third prologue chapter done, so I've got a usable buffer. Hopefully that'll be sooner rather than later.

The Overthinker AU (or "The Artificer AU"? name is also very much a work in progress), a canon rewrite that I think I'll actually split into a bunch of shorter "episodes", so I can appropriately tag each one, rather than tagging one monolithic fic with Everything Under The Sun. The basic premise is "what if The Owl House, but there's more time", both in the meta sense of "not bound by the 20-minute TV episode format" and the diegetic sense of "the broad-strokes plot of the show will happen over a longer in-universe period of time" (though I'm a bit stuck on just how much more time I want to give em). - for the most part, I wanted to put more emphasis on Luz's magical development, and extrapolate a somewhat wider magic system out of what we see in the show, but I also want to go into more detail on how her actions affect those around her, even outside of all the friends she makes (stuff along the lines of the little things the crowd mentioned while protesting Eda's petrification at the end of season 1). - I'm almost (reluctantly) thinking of pulling a Grapes of Wrath with it, structure-wise, by having main plot/character development chapters alternate with shorter intermissions focused on magical exploration, worldbuilding, and so on. - this project is currently just the scribblings of a madwoman in my private discord server and three wildly unfinished fics in my google docs folder - - one of these fics is Something Like a Bible, which is essentially a condensed version of the entire broader project, boiled down to bare plot and occasional commentary. Like a series outline and a plot synopsis rolled into one, though perhaps not quite the series bible it claims to be. - - - honestly I REALLY aughtta work on this one some more, just so I can get most of the Big Ideas out of my head and share them with people. - - the other two fics are currently untitled snippets of scenes from the project, one a sentimental/instructional note from Eda to Luz, and the other sort of a ragefic twist on the ending of Thanks to Them. - this project is gonna include tons of ideas from and allusions to other fics which inspired it/me, such as The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled by IdeaHunter, All that's at Stake by The_Lampman, and Decorative by TheTokenAro, to name a few. - I could make a whole post about this project on its own (and in fact, I have before), talking about all the little changes I'd make, the developments I'd include, the more sweeping changes, the additional themes I'd toss in, and so on, but there are some I REALLY don't think fit well into the "rambling tumblr post" format (and/or just don't want to spoil yet), so I shall Abstain (for now :P).

[violettierre]

If you're my mutual or we've interacted before please read this,

So to save your time im going on a hiatus.

And here's some elaboration;

Tumblr have never failed to put a smile on my face it's a fun website to visit and i've always enjoyed the content made here, and most of all, enjoyed interacting with poeple that have always been very kind and sweet and some even consider me a friend which is a far bigger deal to me than one may think because of personal reasons and i really mean it when i say Tumblr never fail to make my day with those silly posts and inside jokes that may mean nothing, overall, it's my go-to place to relax from my noisy life and be my questionable silly little inner violetta that im thankful no one really judged, and it was a breath of fresh air when i signed in here. I've treated my account, like most poeple, as my account where i talked about stuff i enjoyed and my opinions in things, ect... but if you are my mutual i feel like you did notice sometimes i slip and im no longer enjoying my inner self like i usually do, which is common. It does happen to lots of poeple where real life issues just hit too hard for them to enjoy their distractions they used as coping mechanism to keep themselves sane just like i do that's why no one really judges that from what i concluded in my experience. However, as many times as everyone thankfully ignore that, those moments still bother me every time cuz it's never been about other users noticing, it's never been anything outside of personal. Like i said before, this is my prefered go-to comfort space that i open to rest from real life issues and the effects it had on me, and the interference that accure between them never fail to make my health worse, and so i don't go to details, this place simply start to lose its charm for me because it began losing the one thing i personally associated it with. Which is why as far as i believe, it'll be better to take a pause from being active here. Because sometimes the stuff that help us get through things that hurts, shouldn't be exposed to it, and the less harmful option is to hide it so we can go back to it when we're desperate for comfort instead of losing it completely.

Naturally, I have no idea how long i'll be on a hiatus for, it may take months, or maybe a year, who knows, even if i wish for it to be sooner than later, it's something that happen undecided, but it may most likely last at least until my personal crisis calms down and im a little more stable and ready to use once again that one violet that i admit i've mistreated as well, because in order to stop my stress and mental health from sneaking into my safe space i must face it and deal with it, which im really scared of, but that's pretty much what is left to do. Things that go our way aren't necessarily our ideal solutions.

It's a silly little hiatus for most poeple, but behind it, im going to a metaphorical war and im scared that's why im writing this long useless elaboration post before getting a pause from all my social media not just tumblr and try to look after myself in a way i've been running away from.

And if you're reading this as my moot or we've interacted, i do hope you understand this and mostly hope that everything will stay good between us once i come back sooner or later, it's already gonna be awkward for me to do anything i like again after im basically right now going to ditch my self care, so i just want you to keep in mind i do not want to lose you or anyone in here and we could remain in good terms.

And happy new year from now, since i won't be able to celebrate it here. I wish everyone on tumblr a healthy and lucky new year lifestyle starting or continuing from 2023 and fortune will follow everyone everywhere. And merry Christmas to all who celebrate, and whatever other holiday i won't celebrate in here, im sending all my love throughout those times and all time, thanks to everyone for everything and hopefully i get to interact with you guys later on.

With all my geniune love, Violetta.

[thedeadlyrobot]

Gaming recap of 2023

holy shit, i have been meaning to post something in here for a while now, but with personal issues and working constantly, it's been a little bit difficult to do.

so, i just wanted to take a moment to write about some games I've been playing, some games I've played, old ones, new ones, red ones, blue ones, and everything in between. 2023 has been stacked with games so far, so keeping track of everything has been a little difficult on my end. but i'll try and keep the descriptions and everything here a little short as to not overwhelm with gratuitous details.

Starfield

Surprise, surprise. I'm one of the million or so people who are currently playing Bethesda's new RPG. Without getting too into the weeds, it's a fun game. Generally speaking, anyway. It still has some of the annoyances of past Bethesda titles, but this one breaks the mold in so many other ways that it's easy for me to forgive some of the bigger design shortcomings. The UI, visual bugs (surprisingly, very little overall), inventory management and the lack of maps are the worst of the bunch here, but hopping planet to planet and running into other spacers trying to make their way in the universe is what keeps me coming back to it. I think this game nails the emergent gameplay that previous Bethesda games have attempted.

I won't really spoil much, but I did rush through the main quest after learning what the scope of NG+ is for this game, and I have to say that I think it may be in everyone's best interest to mainline the story first, then do most of the side content within the second NG+. I understand that there's at least 10 NG+'s that you can run and it's one of the primary ways to advance a progression system that is revealed mid-way through the story. I don't really think I'll end up running that many NG+ saves, as it will wipe most of your material progress, sans your skills and research... I have to admit I'm not fully in love with the way NG+ is handled here, and I imagine once the Creation tools are out, we'll probably see a major mod release that condenses the number of NG+ runs down to a couple VS the 10 they want you to do.

But that's really my biggest gripe I have with it. I think I'll go through my 2nd NG+ and just wait after that for some major overhaul mods, which are apparently right around the corner in 2024.

Baldur's Gate 3

Admittedly, I have set this game down right at the start of Act 3 so I could play Starfield, but I think I'm going to crawl my way back to this one sooner rather than later, just so I can see how it all concludes. I understand Act 3 has some interesting bugs and issues, but the scope of the final act of the game is something to behold. From what I gather, Act 3 is nearly twice as long as both Act 1 and 2 combined, which is a shitton of game to behold for sure.

From release, this is the only game that I really played for a long time. Up until Pikmin 4 released, this was my go-to daily game. I'm not sure how much more I can praise this game that most people haven't already done, but just know that this is most likely my favorite game of the year, even though Tears of the Kingdom is in a hot contest for that spot as well. BG3 is just as good as you've heard, and if you have the means to play this, I highly recommend you do so. Probably the best CRPG I've ever played.

Tears of the Kingdom

Breath of the Wild turned out to be one of the greatest Nintendo games, not just Zelda games, of all time. The depth of exploration, the feeling of discovery, the mystery of the world, it was all so brand new and fresh-feeling. Not a whole lot of open world games could contend with it for a very long time, as I believe that Nintendo's design philosophy has paid dividends for the genre. Let me just say that BotW was so good, that it ruined open world games for me for a very long time. I just had nearly no interest in them up until Red Dead Redemption 2 released.

Fast forward to 2023, and Tears of the Kingdom delivers on every promise that Breath of the Wild made, but doubly so. I sometimes miss the abilities from Breath of the Wild, but Tears of the Kingdom's weapon / shield fusing, ultrahand, and autobuild abilities are some of the best mechanics for any game I've played in recent memory. Think Banjo Kazooie Nuts & Bolts but with the added depth of open world design and the classic Zelda feeling of discovery. Sure, combat is very simple, weapon durability can be frustrating, but that feeling carries over from the first title. I would have loved a little bit more innovation in these areas, but for what's here, it's a great fucking time.

Story wise, the game exceeded my expectations, even if some of the story beats are a bit repetitive. I would love to see them expand even further on what's been introduced here for the new game, and I'm willing to bet that this series concludes with a third entry in a trilogy, then it's onto whatever is next for our Hylian adventurer. If the world and quests feel overwhelming, I recommend blitzing through the main quest just to see what unfolds here story wise. Collect all of the Tears, then start conquering the different regions and temples to get the full picture of what is happening. What you'll find is, in my opinion, one of the most climactic and breathtaking finales of any Zelda game I've ever played. 10/10 game, easy.

Lunacid

Lunacid is a very mysterious game. It's a spiritual successor to the King's Field series created by FromSoftware, and it is doing an incredible job of replicating the way those games felt, in terms of combat and exploration.

It's currently in early access and created by a single person. It feels nearly feature complete, but it still has plenty of potential and room to grow. I recommend playing what is here, as your second playthrough may feel completely different than your first. I don't want to get to into what the game entails, as I feel the mystery is what makes this game the marvel that it is. Highly, highly recommended.

Jef

Jef is Jef, and that's what makes it special. Just play it. You can beat it in a single sitting but it's just batshit insane. Unironically one of my favorite gaming experiences I've had this year.

Chibi-Robo

Chibi Robo is an expensive game these days, but with a little bit of luck and a couple clicks, you can play this yourself. The internet is wonderous!

A hidden gem of a game, I wish I played it when I was a kid. I'm playing this on a modded Gamecube with all of the feeling of playing on original hardware and being sucked back into that simpler time. It's a game about making people happy by cleaning up their house and giving them presents. You meet an assortment of characters of all types, shapes, and sizes, and each of them has their own little story that you get to take part in. I'm also playing this on the Steam Deck totally real retail copy I have and it works great. It's a shame this never really took off here in the states, as I feel like subsequent sequels would have made good use of evolving the mechanics and scope of this series down the line. Try it out, I think you'll have fun with it.

Street Fighter 6

I suck at a lot of fighting games. I even suck at this one, but, I feel like I'm actually getting better each time I play it. I was pretty into Super Street Fighter IV when it came out, but the online scene then wasn't nearly as big as it is now, so playing ranked matches with people somewhat as skilled as me has been fun to learn and grow within the game.

I haven't played World Tour mode at all, as I mostly wanted to just git gud and fight other people, but eventually I'll make my way back around to it. If you're new at fighting games, I can't really think of a better way to get into them than this.

Project Zomboid / 7 Days to Die

They are both zombie games in perpetual Early Access, and I played these pretty much simultaneously with different groups of friends, which is partially why I lumped them together like this.

Zomboid with mods is something else entirely, and it's one of the better multiplayer games I've played in a long time. The difficulty curve is steep, but if you have a friend that can show you the ropes, it becomes a lot easier to grasp over time. I recommend playing it in a Vanilla state first, then working through the modlists and seeing what you may like.

7 Days to Die is a lot of fun as well, but admittedly the second pick of these two games. Getting the boys together and completing missions and staving off the horde is a lot of fun... for the first several hours, then you start to see how repetitive the game becomes. Quests are rinse and repeat, there's no real overarching goal or story at play here. It's been in early access since 2013, 10 years if you want the quick maths. That's a long long long early access period, and my hope is that they eventually "get there" with it, but maybe another 10 years will tell.

That's all really... there's several more games I've picked up in between, but these games left the biggest impression on me this year so far. I also started playing Lies of P once it released, but I haven't sank enough time into it to decide one way or another on how I feel about it. Plus, the year isn't over, there's still several on their way.

Also, I did not forget about Pikmin 4. I want to do a longer writeup on the Pikmin series as a whole, and where I think Pikmin 4 falls into as far as "the best" Pikmin game debate.

Go play some damn video games!

[rozinaaa]

A Little Bit of Analysis (from the previous post about BMTH)

Just thinking about the lyrics in more detail, mainly from the first few verses. I'll analyse them pretty much one line at a time, based on my own interpretations and lived experiences of having used social media for a significant amount of time, mainly being an observer rather than a participant.

"Some resist the future, some refuse the past" - This could focus on the people who refuse to adopt to new technologies and are forever stuck in their old ways due to stubbornness, even when the new way makes the same job a lot more easier and efficient, although this is mainly seen with the older generations (specifically boomers and anyone else with that stereotypical mindset) who are essentially making lives harder for themselves by refusing to get with the times, choosing to do things which are practically obsolete, such as paying by cheque/cash, and writing letters by hand, when quicker alternatives exist, such as paying by card/contactless and sending emails. On the flip side, you have the younger generation refusing to believe or even acknowledge the past, by refusing to acknowledge traditions or old things, instead, simply chasing new things all the time without realising that sometimes the older things can actually be better in the long run. Ironically for me, I find it easier to speak about the older generation than I do about the younger generation (and I'm a part of the younger generation although it doesn't feel like it), but it probably might be different in 20 years time when I'm no longer viewed as young.

"Either way, it's messed up if we can't unplug the fact / That a world covered in cables was never wired to last" - A bit tricky, but I see this as the fact that we're all pretty much plugged into various platforms that weren't built to last since there will always be another platform to take that place. It also goes to show that a majority of these platforms (that we think are going to last forever) are actually very temporary, yet people still devote all of their time and energy on those platforms without really thinking about the fact that the platforms themselves will eventually crumble one day. I compare this to living on rent (which sucks, and trust me, I've done this during uni, and I never want to do it again, so I will empty the flat and let the contract expire on the day before I graduate), since it's a temporary thing, and it will never be yours, no matter how hard you try to make it yours, since it doesn't belong to you, and never will. The platforms themselves weren't designed to last, yet a lot of people put their whole livelihoods on there, including their portfolios and their work, without having their own website to supplement it, which for me, sounds like a nightmare waiting to happen.

Additionally, "a world covered in cables" can also focus on how the modern world is a mess, and how it can easily trap you, mainly focusing on grabbing your attention, and making you stay on addictive platforms (which are blatantly bad, but it's like a ferris wheel in which you can't get off) for as long as possible, essentially entering a contract that can't cancel no matter what unless you go to extreme measures, such as cutting the cables, which can be hard.

"So don't act surprised when the program starts to crash" - Everything is temporary, and it's been designed that way. Things which you think will last forever end up gone, much sooner rather than later. It also adds to how we're essentially living in a simulation, and how one day, the internet will probably disappear for better or worse. However, since everyone's so dependent on the internet and on technology in general, they will start to act surprised, especially the ones who grew up with it and never knew a life without it, since to them, it's just normal.

"(How do I) Form a connection when we can't even shake hands? / You're like a phantom greeting me" - The song itself was released in November 2019, just as COVID was starting to emerge, and just months before we went into lockdown, which makes this seem freakishly timely, almost like a coincidence. I believe that the pandemic has slowly made us more reliant on technology to the point where we know people without having ever met them in real life, and how we can't truly know them properly if they only exist online. This could also link to the concept of followers and following others, as well as having Facebook friends and LinkedIn connections, where although we might think we know someone, we actually don't know what they're really like since most people only post their highlight reels (sugarcoated lies) on social media, and others build a personal brand, so that they control how they're perceived online, but not so much in real life. These connections (to me), feel shallow, artificial, and temporary, much like the platforms that they exist on.

"It's out of sight, but never out of mind" - Focusing specifically on social media, if you don't personally use it, you'll probably know someone in real life that does. Just because it's hidden away from plain sight doesn't mean that it's forgotten about, especially if you're someone who used to use social media (a lot), but doesn't use it (that much) anymore, since you're still aware that it exists, even if you don't participate in it.

"And I don't feel secure no more unless I'm being followed / And the only way to hide myself is to give 'em one hell of a show" - This focuses on the performative aspect of social media, on how people feel insecure on something as arbitrary on how many followers they have, since that's essentially viewed as a social currency, where the more followers you have, the richer you'll be, in the sense that brands will be more likely to reach out to you, and to the point where you'll be viewed as an influencer. However, having a lot of followers (most I've ever had was about 500, which doesn't feel like a lot on social media, but would definitely be overwhelming in real life) also comes with a price, since you essentially have a brand whether you like it or not, and how you have to essentially put on a show for your followers before they suspect that you're not living up to their unspoken expectations on how you should be, to the point where you can't be true to yourself, even if you happen to outgrow the image and brand that you created for yourself, so in this case, you hide behind that facade in order to avoid getting called out, or worse yet, cancelled over some random thing.

"You call this a connection? / Oh give me a break" - This focuses on the people that you might know online, but in most situations, those connections don't mean anything since you might have added them in a frenzy, without really thinking about, especially if algorithms made the decision, which makes things even worse. The second part focuses on the feeling of being overwhelmed, since there's so much going on all the time, to the point where it's hard to keep up with everything everywhere all at once.

"Will you retry or let the pain resume?" - There's an opportunity to step away from it all, in order to try to reset your mind, essentially trying to live how you used to live before signing up to the platforms, where the other option is to let the "pain" (in this case, dwindling mental health issues caused by being on social media/looking at your phone for too long) dictate how you feel, think, and behave.

So, that's my interpretations of some of those lyrics, although I wish I could analyse them in more depth, since the ideas that I've formed do seem interesting, but I simply do not have the time since the deadline to submit everything is literally tomorrow.

[indulgent-syndrome]

NO DON'T APOLOGIZE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS IS GREAT I'M LOSING IT OVER THIS⁉️⁉️

For me it's the thought of all this happening on stream that mostly does it. So the chat is able to pick up on every detail and all the progress of C.harlie accidentaly stuffing himself live. Maybe even comment on it if they're that bold.

Like, when they're doing the intro what if you can just slightly hear his stomach growling because he skipped a meal for the stream. And you can also tell he's hungry by the way he eats. It's not like C.harlie is like REALLY going crazy with it, like he's not exactly being messy or eating too fast or anything, but he's noticeably eating more than Q, just constantly snacking as they talk instead of having a short break when he wants to say something as Q.uackity does.

So the chat has this combination of some people doing lighthearted jokes and teasing about it, "Damn he is hungry" and other people kind of encouraging him, "Now try this one!"

ALSO. Chat definitly absolutely can tell when C.harlie is getting full. Him, usually so talkative growing quiet as the time passes is an obvious sign of it. His breath also kind of gets slower and heavier aand if you're very observant you may even notice that his shirt has growed a bit tighter around his stomach depending of what he's wearing. If it's a buttoned shirt you may get a peak of the buttons straining.

And C.harlie does his best to hide it but it's all there. And Q.uackity is literally sitting at his side so he notices it and maybe tries to end the stream sooner than planned because of that. Maybe he does notice that C.harlie is painfully full from the start but doesn't have the heart to just point it out because it would embarass the fuck out of him, so at most he just asks him if he's feeling alright even when he can clearly tell he's not from the way his stomach keeps grumbling and he holds a hand next to it everytime he thinks he's not watching.

I DO LIKE D.APDUO AS A SHIP. But I think I'll write about the caretaking later because I already wrote so much. (But. I like to think that it would be like that post that goes like. "Person who thinks Fuck I ate so much this is so embarassing. And person who thinks This is the hotest moment of all my life". C.harlie dying of embarassement because he just stuffed himself live on his first irl stream with his friend and Q.uackity just being Why is this making me feel things.)

Sorry for Q.uackicicle-posting once again but. Q's today stream. He brought two boxes of crumble cookies for his friends to eat them live. Next time he wants to have a friend eating on a stream he should invite C.harlie I think, for not reason at all yeah. Like him and nobody else so he has to finish whatever food there is by himself. If he tried would he be able to eat the two boxes? Aaaaaaaaaa

[captainsteveamericarogers]

Why are you so quiet? Everyone has gone insane and making up new facts every five minutes, you're usually the first one to lose your patience and lay it down. You're obviously on Chris' side yet you're letting people talk shit about him. You need to say something!!

I don't know whether to be flattered or insulted. You talk as if I'm some matriarch of the fandom when in fact I'm just a mediocre fanfic writer who is exhausted with this whole debacle and it's barely been two weeks. Nobody listens to me!

Today I saw a magnificent example of both Chinese whispers and alternative facts in this fandom. The person who alleged that CE was at her work for medical imaging, who I suspect was also the author of the now-deleted Reddit post, only tweeted that she had found out he was at her work. I appreciate that many people deleted the screenshots of the tweet as it was a gross invasion of his privacy and a HIPAA violation that, if true, would have very serious consequences for both the tweeter and her employer, and that a lot of people didn't see it. But suddenly people were talking about an actual x-ray or MRI image that had been posted and deleted. There was never an image. That didn't stop a few people from saying they knew someone who had seen it, which adds credence to the rumour despite being a lie due to there never being an image.

A lie can run around the world before the truth has got its boots on - The Truth by Terry Pratchett

We are seeing this in action every single day since the People article. I've seen people make the most outlandish claims. Suddenly, everyone has a friend who knows his flight details or what he ate for dinner. It's utterly demented. It's beyond crazy.

Let's go through all of the utter horse shit I can recall from the past fortnight. Shall we have more bullet points?

It's all PR

They have a contract for two years (how could anyone possibly know this?)

Chris obviously cannot stand Alba anywhere near him

The girl in the park who was forced to delete her Twitter was in on it and planted there to record

Chris has been personally seeking out Tumblrinas to block on Twitter

Narrative PR wrote the deranged fan letters to make the fandom "look crazy" (lol) and garner sympathy for Chris

Literally anyone who sticks up for Chris or Alba is, in fact, Chris or Alba or their moms

Alba wore a halter to WDW to show off her tattoo and be recognised (Really? Who on earth is going to recognise her?)

She only flew into FL to record the video and then left immediately (y'all really don't like them spending time together, huh?)

They are reading every single post every single gossip blog writes and using the comments to make their fake PR relationship more convincing

There's more but this is so exhausting. If you take one thing from this post, let it be this. Take EVERYTHING with a pinch of salt, no matter who posts it and how sure they seem. Sometimes people are right and sometimes they are wrong. This fandom has a nasty habit of voicing their opinions as facts, then others take that and run with it, like today with the medical imaging business.

The fact is, nobody cares whether or not you believe it. But you are devoting hours of your life, every single day, dissecting everything and going around and around in circles and it is not healthy. It is not healthy at all. Take some time off or at least talk about something else.

Someone asked what I personally think is happening with Chris and Alba, so I'll leave you with my thoughts. It's serious. They are in love. I think they'll probably get married sooner rather than later. The laser focused comment was an FYI, telling the fandom that he's going to be taking his foot off the gas and concentrating on his private life for the foreseeable future. Take it with a pinch of salt. 🤷🏽‍♀️

[bisexual-bitch-blogs]

"Bitch Training"

Sub Childe x Dom Fem Reader

Reader is a electro user

POV Childe has been teasing you for weeks on end. Grinding, moaning in your ears, random lewd faces, hell he even it to other people. And when you try to touch him or get near him. He runs away with a shit eating grin. So you decided to trap him and make him your bitch

Includes: Hardcore BDSM, impact play, orgasm control, pegging, bondage

⚡-----------------------------------------⚡

You tossed a paralyzed Childe on your bed with a murderous glare. In return, he gave you a seductive smirk.

"I've been too lenient with you. It's about time I punish you. By the end of this night or day, you should know who you belong to."

Rather than scared, he got excited. You could tell by the tent leaking through his pants. Feeling veins popping up on your neck, you stepped on his crotch. He groans.

"I'll wipe that smile off your face."

You ripped off his clothes knowing that he most definitely has dozen or more of the same clothing.

In his naked glory, you chained each of his limb to the corners of your bed and took out a black circular ring. Specifically a cock ring. Additionally, you also took out a urethal plug along.

"Uhh what's that?"

The confused look on his face, having never seen them before.

"You"ll know in due time. After I prepare you. I will leave to cook our dinner for about hmm 40 minutes best."

You slowly inserted the urethal into his twitching member, making him groan in pain.

"Nnhmgh??!"

Next you put the cock ring on which wasn't all that bad until Childe realized. He couldn't release.

"W-Wait, mistress! I can't-"

You shoved a ball gag into his mouth, quickly wrapping it around his head. You hummed a gentle song when you took out the next items. A purple vibrator in a shape of an egg and your best friend in bed, lube.

Squeezing a generous amount of the liquid in his hole, you then shoved the plastic vibrating toy in deep as you can.

"Mnngh! Nggh!"

Standing up away from the bed, you slowly walked away with the controller in your hands.

"Have fun~! I'll be right back."

Setting the vibrator to a medium, you left the bedroom. Too bad you can't see his frustrated face right now but you'll see it sooner or later.

Set to high.

Set to low.

Set to high

Set to medium.

Set to High.

Set to low.

-Timeskip-

Finishing off your specialty. You happily skipped back into your room, turning off the controller. to see a crying Childe. You almost felt bad. Almost.

"Can't cum? Too bad. You don't get to unless you can show me you can be good. It's time to punish each and every one of your mistakes and correct them. If I don't. What kind of master would I be if I can't tame their dog?"

Taking off the restraints on his limbs and the ball gag in his mouth. You moved him onto your lap but he attempts to take off the plug in this cock so you shocked him, making the ginger scream. You smiled, eyes glinting.

"Bad boy. That's another mistake."

You grabbed a paddle and set it on his firm perky butt.

"I will say everything you did wrong and you shall count. If you fail. We will start all over. Got it, runt?"

The red head sobs.

"Y-yes, mistress.....!"

You rubbed his ass before saying.

"First, you moaned into my ears while I was talking with Xiangling."

! SMACK !

"O-O-One!"

You smiled like the sadist you are.

"Second, you gave me a lap dance but ran away when I tried to touch you."

! SMACK !

"T-Two!!

-Timeskip-

"Then you dare grind yourself on Zhongli!"

! SMACK !

"S-Seven..........S-Seventy...."

You gave the Harbinger a passionate kiss.

"Good boy. You handled it so good."

You took off the cock ring which made the red head whine softly, gesturing at the tiny plug in his member.

"You may have endured your punishment but did you learn anything from it? Tell me."

Gently, laying his back onto the bed. You laid chaste kisses all over his body. Childe's hoarse voice echoed.

"I......I-I promised...not to do it again, mistress...."

You smiled.

"Since you learned your lesson. You get a reward since only good boys get the reward."

The once forgotten crontroller was turned on to a medium as you roughly took out the urethal plug. Immediately, he came.

"Aughnn!"

Putting on the classic purple strap on. You carelessly poured lube all over it. The harbinger was drooling at the sight of it through his red puffy teary eyes.

You spread open his legs, and entered his hole where your cock hit against the vibrating egg.

"Ahhh!"

At first you thrusted in and out of him at a slow pace before speeding up.

"Angghh! Ughhnn! Ahhhh! Aaahh! Mmhhnn!"

As you sped up, you set the vibrator to a max.

"Ah! Haaannghh! Mmnnhhh! Aaahhh!"

His body trembled before releasing onto his stomach. You turned off the vibrator and slipped out of his gaping hole. Soon enough he passed out.

And that is how you train your bitch, everyone. Whenever your bitch does something wrong, you punish him to teach a lesson. On the other hand, you provide encouragement and reward for those things that he does right. It means he understands the rules and your expectations and thus he provides the right amount of attention to detail when performing those tasks. And will avoid doing anything to upset you.

---------

Idk if people liked the post because they like my writing or just the picture. Its makes me a little insecure 😭😥😖

[still-a-morosexual-help]

Ohh Mammon would be so devastated, and others too, LET ME JOKE ABOUT DEATH also if I remember correctly, angels and Solomon didn't know about it? Imagine how pissed will be Luke and Simeon, I don't know why, but I think that Simeon will be really angry. About Solomon not sure, he's started to warm at the end of season 2, BUT still Although for my MC, he was closer to her, than bros in 1 season lol

But honestly, I would like have a scene, where MC talk about it with Mammon, or maybe Lucifer. BUT BETTER MAMMON. I mean, my MC give up on yourself even before Devildom, BUT GIVE ME COMFORT MAMMON, saw a few works, where he's suffered because he was late and didn't save MC and it was heartbreaking( I mean other was hurt by this too, but I like to think that Mammon, Lucifer and Beel feeling this much more.

Well, we're all live for the angst. Anders also had a hard time to get closer to Lucifer, bc he reminds her about her mother. That fact make her sick, but slowly, with Mammon's help (he helped just by being by her side. Funny that Anders hates people like Mammon bc they're too loud and active, but boom, you're fell in love with that type. Someone definitely loser lol), she started to like Luci and even others. I mean, she now want to be like him and do everything that he praised her (to displeasure Belphie and Satan lol). And more angst. Anders even refused to call bros by their nickname, and Belphie was really happy, when Anders calls him Belphie in that phone call in hard mode 20 chapter. He's definitely bragging about it.

Damn, I can't, that thing with Devildom food so funny. I mean, at first I thought that Lucifer was prepared something normal for them, but then I remember after this all daily chats, where bros buying MC Devildom's food. Boys?? It didn't bother you??? MC, what a criptyd are you.

YES, NOW I WANT TALE WITH DEVILMC, nyx cmon give us that shit. I mean some games let other MCs meet each other?I want this too in Arcana( Damn, after last chapter, I would... Like to romance Rime, FELIX I'M SORRY

Plus making old MC, you have a lot of material for them lolol that's I writing about Loki a few hundred years before Vesuvia, or after a few decades after canon.

OMG YES, I LOVE ARCANA'S DEATH TOO. They're so funny and chill, I would romance them too lol

I honestly can't remember if the other 3 know about it? I feel maybe Solomon does cause he's very close with Barbatos & Asmo and they both trust him so maybe? Luke would be so upset!? And I'm really happy that he doesn't know. I'm not sure how Simeon would react to be honest... I very vaguely remember one of them mentioning MC being Lilith's descendent at some point? Did that actually happen or did I dream that up?

I've touched on their death and Mammon's reaction to it in a few of my fics but never explicitly? But I do have an outline for one that goes into more detail on it, that I'll hopefully post sooner rather than later. While I'm 100% sure Lucifer & Beel would be devastated at MC's death I feel like (if the death was permanent) it wouldn't hit them immediately? Like both their first focus would be Belphie -

Beel because he adores Belphie more than anyone else in the world, and because Belphie has been hurting for so long due to what happened with Lilith and they never really spoke about it, and Because he didn't even realise Belphie was locked up in the same house as him for so long, and because Belphie would probably face consequences for MC's death and that would probably kill Beel - for them to be on opposite sides, knowing Belphie did something bad and hurt someone Beel loved but still wanting to help and protect Belphie and keep him close - just the angst of Beel hurting because of Belphie and feeling guilty because he'd think it's a disservice to MC's memory to care so much about the person who killed them

Lucifer because he'd feel the guilt of not being able to protect more people he cared about, thinking he 'failed' both MC & Belphie the way he 'failed' Lilith, feeling guilty about keeping Belphie and his intentions a secret from Diavolo, he'd internalise it all and think it was his fault and blame himself and he'd probably become harsher to his brothers because now he can't let them slip up even the slightest bit lest he lose another part of his family

Amsktjdks wanting to be praised by the perfectionist, condescending, hardass douchebag in charge is such a real thing.

Also falling in love with someone you swear is not your type again is very relatable

Belphie would be so fucking smug about that😂😂

Right!! MC's 100% okay with Devildom food despite it apparently being inedible to humans in canon?

Nyx Hydra would do such a good Devil! MC game!? I've wanted it for so long! Oh!! You know how The Arcana's MC met Sage? Pls consider Last Legacy's MC meeting Julian or Lucio! They're such a shithead that it would be absolutely hilarious

I don't think I'd be able to handle that much lore😂 I barely know what my Arcana MC was up to during their three years of 'life'

Death, Valdemar & Valerius routes when👉🏼👈🏼🥺

[2030kamenriders]

@nopedontknow said: Im two weeks late to this because of my own College Stuff ™️ but consider this: youre very smart and creative and this sounds very cool and i wanna see castle doran the game

Aw, thank you!

Right now, I still have 2 major assignments to finish, plus exams to study for. But it is definitely something I want to get to (perhaps during the summer break? I can't guarantee it happening sooner, but I really want to get to it at some point).

Right now, whenever I think of ideas I just write it down somewhere to save it for later. Again, right now it's a matter of asking "how much should I narrow this down?". From there, I can start to work out the more detailed stuff, like game mechanics and everything.

Anyway, with that being said: I'll post more about it when I get more time for it, and I'll let you know about it when it's complete!

No 2030, this is not a good time to be thinking of other solo rpg ideas. You have assignments. Don't even think about it! 2030 NO—

[popcorn-kitten]

new hiveswap info and development timelines just dropped on the Kickstarter ✌️

Over the years, a lot of misinformation, as well as deliberate disinformation, has spread around about the history of Hiveswap. The purpose of this post is to clarify these matters for backers who've been wondering what the truth is.

The Kickstarter was planned by the What Pumpkin business development team in mid-2012. One member of the team was a crowdfunding specialist who led the planning process and managed the contracts with the developer. Prior to the Kickstarter opening for pledges, What Pumpkin worked out a plan for a flexible game concept that could be refined according to how much the campaign ultimately brought in. As Hussie was still working on Homestuck full time at this point, the plan was to hand over his game concept and story outline to a development company that could deliver the project.

The crowdfunding campaign finished out at a gross total of $2,485,506, as well as a gross total of $207,930 from PayPal pledges. But because of platform fees, as well as the costs of producing and shipping merchandise to backers of the campaign, the effective budget was significantly lower than the gross pledged total:

The above deductions from the gross total do not include taxes.

After determining the final budget for the game, What Pumpkin signed an agreement with the contracted game company (hereafter “GC”) to develop Hussie’s game concept. WP and GC entered into a development contract on November 30, 2012, shortly after the conclusion of the Homestuck Kickstarter. WP paid $788,000 to GC in late 2012 for development.

Because there was an understanding that delivering the complete game development documents would take some time, during which it would be difficult for GC to make meaningful progress on the Hiveswap game build, GC inquired about getting involved with other Homestuck-adjacent projects to do immediate work. WP let GC know about the Act 7 animation plans. With an assurance that this work could be done in parallel with a flexible timeline and would not impact the development cycle of Hiveswap itself, Hussie and What Pumpkin saw this as a good opportunity to establish a working relationship with this organization prior to the start of development and agreed to contract GC to do animation work for the Act 7 project. WP and GC agreed that this project would have a separate budget from the Hiveswap Kickstarter money, paid for from WP’s regular operating funds. As the existence of this animation itself would not be revealed until its release in 2016, this was not publicly announced at the time. GC and the lead animator on the project specifically requested not to be credited upon release of the animation.

Hussie initiated the “Megapause” on April 14, 2013 in order to devote his full attention to finalizing the Hiveswap development documents. What Pumpkin soon provided its story documents so that GC could formally begin core systems development. In July of 2013 WP and GC mutually agreed to push back GC’s deliverable dates without penalty. Hussie would share an update in 2013 detailing the state of predevelopment:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/14293468/homestuck-adventure-game/posts/708686

In 2013 following receipt of WP’s deliverables, GC enthusiastically assured WP that it was positioned to begin development. GC would deliver its first prototype in early 2014.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qSXwWKD5Km1yL-3Cj_W5IevW-IA978zJ/view?usp=sharing

This prototype, linked above, was sent to WP on 2/18/14. At this point, it was becoming a significant concern among backers that WP had yet to show proof that the game was being made, so WP was looking for any sort of tangible progress update from GC that was suitable to share with the public. But Hussie and WP found the quality of the prototype somewhat alarming, and decided that sharing any shots from the game would only cause embarrassment for GC. Nevertheless, WP was still willing to assume that this was a very early draft of something that would develop into a more promising product soon, and gave GC some more time to improve on it.

But the improvements didn’t come. No other advancements on the prototype were ever made. After waiting weeks with no update other than assurances that progress was carrying on smoothly, Hussie initiated the “Gigapause” both to take care of personal matters and later to get directly involved in the development of the game himself. He decided to move to southern California from the east coast in hopes that working directly with the GC could help them overcome whatever obstacles they were facing with Hiveswap’s development. GC responded positively to the prospect of Hussie’s involvement, but when he made the move and tried to coordinate a time to visit the GC offices and meet, GC insisted it was a bad time due to office renovations and a busy schedule. Here is a timeline with quotes from emails exchanged between Hussie and GC:

May 12, 2014 - from Hussie to GC

“Just letting you know I actually moved to the west coast recently. I'm only an hour or so away from LA now.

I could drive down and check out the office, see how things are going with the game and animation in person some time soon. Is there a time that would work for you guys? In a week or two maybe?”

May 15, 2014 - from GC to Hussie

“That's awesome about being on the west coast. It'd be great to have you come to the studio.

Dev has slowed a bit on our end, as we wanted to take a step back and really evaluate what was needed and the best way to achieve the features that have been coming online in the docs. We're continuing to break that all down so we can build and plan most effectively moving forward. We also wanted to find some simple formats for input from your writing team for dialogue content and are getting that squared away.

The best time to come by would actually be right after E3. Things are a bit nuts until then.”

May 18, 2014 - from Hussie to GC

“[Name redacted], sounds good. I'll set aside some time after E3 to make the drive down. As we approach the date, just let me know what works for you.”

E3 was June 10-12, 2014. GC did not invite Hussie to visit at this time.

Hussie and WP representatives were in LA over July 4th weekend, 2014. When they inquired about visiting the offices again they were still not welcome. A GC representative insisted that they meet at a restaurant instead. Yet GC continued to telegraph that they were receptive to the idea of inviting Hussie to the office well into the summer:

Aug 18, 2014 - from GC to Hussie

“We'd love to set up a new time for Andrew to come to the studio as well as a skype chat to meet the other team members.”

Despite apparent enthusiasm about meeting with Andrew in their email correspondence, GC continued the pattern of refusing to meet at the office or supply any signs of progress on the prototype.

Over that summer, GC delivered several pieces of concept art that WP had been requesting since January. Hussie did his best to present this publicly as a positive development as WP felt it would be counterproductive to the project and harmful to GC to publicly detail the development troubles at the time.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/14293468/homestuck-adventure-game/posts/883860

There was no indication from GC that the Act 7 animation project was in any way in conflict with Hiveswap development. GC was enthusiastic about taking on this project, and bidded against other animators for the contract. They saw it as a useful tie-in to concept art work on Hiveswap, as GC leadership conveyed in an email to WP in early 2013:

WP also does not have any reason to believe that the Act 7 project in practice created a conflict that was not disclosed by GC to WP. Act 7 was a 2D animation project, and Hiveswap at the time was a 3D game, so it did not pull GC’s programmers or 3D artists away from work on Hiveswap. GC never mentioned the development needs of a separate project at all to WP, or cited any such reason as distracting from work on Hiveswap; GC instead repeatedly provided WP with various assurances that everything was still fine with Hiveswap.

Had GC communicated that they had scheduling conflicts or some other impediment preventing them from developing Hiveswap, WP would have terminated the contract even sooner.

WP moved to terminate the agreement with GC late summer of 2014, and Hussie pivoted towards establishing a new independent game studio while consulting with a designer who had stepped up into a leadership position during the GC development period. That individual lived in NYC, which is why that location was chosen to establish the new studio rapidly. They helped build the studio through a local network of professional contacts. While this “What Pumpkin NYC” studio shared a name with What Pumpkin, it’s important to note that all of WP NYC’s studio staff save for the aforementioned individual were hired without any prior affiliation with WP and thus had no association with the GC contract. WP documented this development on Kickstarter on October 30th, 2014. https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/14293468/homestuck-adventure-game/posts/1035099

At this point, negotiations were very amicable; both parties agreed the project simply wasn’t turning out to be a good fit for GC, and were both ready to move on. There were no signs given at all that WP was about to have trouble recovering the remaining funds.

WP is legally permitted to discuss details of the resolution of the dispute only under very specific circumstances. WP may make additional disclosures outside of this post to individual backers in accordance with legal obligations.

Following resolution of the GC contract, in Spring 2015 the WP NYC studio was running at full capacity on Hiveswap. The main problem was the fact that WP management was blindsided by the revelation that much less money would be coming back than expected. The WP NYC project manager had designed the schedule based on the good faith presumption that most of the development funds would be recouped. When it was finally revealed the return was far short of what was expected, and the repayment plan could in no way keep up with the schedule as currently drafted, it threw the project into a period of chaos as plans were quickly redrawn. The length of Act 1 was slashed, and other modifications were made to try to fit the rest of Act 1 into the newly shortened runway. But in the end, the revisions still weren't enough to save the game as it existed, and the studio needed to be closed in order to reserve what funds remained to finish the project in some form.

This may have come across as a sudden or spontaneous decision. Part of this is because the WP NYC senior staff and WP ownership were doing everything in their power to save the project, including injecting WP regular operating funds into the project, until it was determined that going any further would be disastrous for the future of Hiveswap. Another is that WP was legally unable to give any detailed disclosures about the financial troubles, even to many of the WP NYC staff.

It should also be noted that originally the NYC studio was not going to be permanently closed, but only frozen for a reassessment of the project. But during this freeze period, there were some dramatic events. One staff member behaved in a destructive and threatening manner. For the protection of those involved, details shouldn't be disclosed. But these events made navigating the post-freeze issues impossible. Communication between ownership, management and staff broke down because of these events, and the freeze turned into full closure. This version of the project was then abandoned for many reasons, including these events.

Some misinformation claims that at the time the WP NYC studio was shuttered, its iterations of Act 1 and 2 were complete. This is wrong. Act 1 was very far from a shippable state and absolutely no work on Act 2 had been completed besides some concept and 3D art. Here you can see a video documenting one of many major bugs with critical path progression in the final build produced by WP NYC, where it becomes impossible to re-focus on the Simon Says toy if Joey fails and then exits out of the puzzle:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1M2mmkMx8Wkwp1VU_5IpMKDvngmUFS0IG/view?usp=sharing

At the point the WP NYC studio was frozen it was still difficult to finish a full run of the critical path without the debug tool, and the UI was far from complete. With that build, Act 1 ended the moment Joey passed through the portal on Earth. The current version of Act 1, where Joey makes it to Alternia and meets Xefros, is more indicative of the original length of the NYC version of Act 1. Not only did it need to be slashed from what the original script proposed, the NYC version of Act 1 still wasn't that close to resembling a shippable product after those changes were made.

Because of the amount of time and resources already devoted to this project, WP was initially very reluctant to lay anyone off or scrap the work being done. It was for this reason that the studio stayed open for months after the contract with GC was resolved; WP made every effort to deliver a game with that team, but at the time WP NYC was shuttered, the funds just weren't there to keep the studio running at its current burn rate and schedule slips. The game was never going to reach delivery with the funds available. The studio urgently needed to be frozen for a full reassessment, and then it was closed after the freeze due to the reasons stated above. This was the only course of action that could have saved the project.

To WP's knowledge every artist whose work was used in the final release of Act 1 was included in the credits. The final version of Act 1 was in large part built off concept art and storyboards drawn during the WP NYC era, and many of the artists who made them continued to work on the team that produced the final version of Act 1; the roadmap for the completion of Act 1 was specifically planned because WP had determined that the existing 2D concepts could easily be refined into a final product that would both be visually appealing and more economic to produce. Unfortunately due to the transition to 2D WP no longer had a place for the 3D artists or the original 3D engine, and all of those assets were dropped. They were not used as a basis for the finished assets in Act 1, and visual similarities to WP NYC 3D assets are due to the fact that final Act 1 assets are in large part refinements of the original concept art. Any artist whose work was used incidentally was included in Additional Contributions.

Both the GC and NYC phases of Hiveswap were setbacks to the overall fulfillment of the project, but not insurmountable. WP reorganized the budget to establish a new version of the studio, and Act 1 was released two years after the closure of NYC.

As an addendum, WP has identified the primary source of a disclosure to a well-circulated document of the Hiveswap development process. WP has been aware of a pattern of false claims this former employee has made since the end of their employment at the beginning of 2014. As this individual was not present during the end of the development contract with GC, nor the WP NYC development period, all of the information they have shared is based on speculation and conjecture.

At this time, WP does not wish to invite more controversy into the lives of anyone previously involved with this project, and considers these matters to have been resolved long ago. The goal for years has been to turn the page on flawed attempts by earlier studios, and simply move forward and bring Hiveswap to completion without sparking the chaos, disruption, and threats to personal safety that would have resulted from disclosing many of the details stated above. Doing so would only make it more difficult for the staff to rebuild the project during these periods immediately following the termination of the GC agreement and closure of the NYC studio. Since preservation of the project was the primary responsibility to the backers, making destructive disclosures that put the project at risk along the way would have been at odds with that responsibility. This policy also served to protect individuals from personal or professional harm, including those who were responsible for serious setbacks with the project. Please respect the privacy of any persons affiliated with GC and WP NYC.

[coralcatsea]

pruk for that ask meme thing!

1. When I started shipping it:

At least by 2015 (based off posts I've made on other sites) if not sooner. I was roleplaying England on Chatzy when someone's Prussia muse randomly started flirting with mine, and that was what put the idea into my head.

2. My thoughts:

Quality ship. One of my top two. Their personalities go well together, they have shared interests, shared history, AND official interactions. Most of them are in the manga, but there's also stuff on Prussia's blog, and the Hetalia musicals are an absolute gold mine of PrUK content based on the various YouTube clips I've seen.

3. What makes me happy about them?

Just...everything. 😭 I'll try to list some stuff and hopefully it will be coherent enough.

-The famous Wedding March has PrUK origins. I made a post on it before if anyone wants to know details.

-They both harbour annoyance towards France and it amuses me.

-Peeps has yellow chicks and bluish-green bunnies. Think of the joke potential.

-Despite a few rough spots in history (which I'll describe under the next question), they managed to make up.

-In an older strip, Prussia was fretting over a war, spat out his drink when he received a letter from England saying he'd join him, then expressed immense relief.

-In modern day, they're on good terms, as shown in Prussia's blog when he goes to try England's cooking and not once insults him. Later, England expresses a desire for Prussia to visit again, invites him back over, and reminds him to bring an umbrella.

-In the strip about the end of the Napoleonic Wars, Prussia held an exhausted England in his arms and acted worried. There was also a random canon picture where Prussia showed concern for pirate England and a random canon picture of the two excitedly looking at something in the distance while Prussia rested a hand on England's shoulder.

In the musical:

-England expressed his decision to ally with Prussia by jumping into his arms.

-Prussia somehow identified England's butt through touch alone (he couldn't see it). Makes me wonder if he's touched it before.

-Prussia was cracking random jokes and England practically collapsed from laughter. When they had an actual contest to see who could make the other laugh, however, it was Prussia who couldn't hold in his laughter while England maintained a straight face the whole time.

4. What makes me sad about them?

The way the Anglo-Prussian Alliance ended. England stopped aiding Prussia once they got what they wanted, and when they were interested in allying again Prussia refused. Prussia then helped America become Independent, but fortunately England and Prussia made up and allied again during the Napoleonic Wars. Aaand then later on Prussia was dissolved. (Thankfully Himaruya came up with a reason for him to still exist. It's implied in his wiki bio.)

5. Things done in fanfic that annoy me:

People making content of the ship solely because someone asked them and then not putting any effort into it. If they're just doing it for the sake of getting it done, it's not really pleasant for the writer or the reader.

Another thing that kind of goes along with this is when people use the most basic of character traits to write them even though they're both very detailed characters. I understand not everybody will know everything there is to know about a character, and some people haven't been in the fandom long, but regardless of reason I'm still not going to find it fun to read fics where the two members of the ship have to be practically forced to interact and then the only thing they know how to talk about is like...beer.

6. Things I look for in fanfics:

Believable characters and interactions. You can stick completely to canon details or take some creative liberties, I don't mind – as long as the characters are interesting, recognisable, and not bizarre exaggerations of one or two surface traits.

7. My kinks:

Hahahaha. I assume this is asking for the kinks I think would be explored in this ship? Plenty. Mr. Erotic Ambassador is open to a lot, while Prussia might take a little longer to get used to kinky things considering how he was in the past, but I imagine it wouldn't be too hard for him if he's with someone that makes him feel comfortable. Plus, he was shown eyeing some questionable magazines when infiltrating the American camp with Germany, so he might not be...100% innocent.

8. Who I'd be comfortable with them ending up with, if not each other:

For England: America, Germany, or Belarus, preferably.

For Prussia: Hungary, Romano, maybe Lithuania.

9. My happily ever after for them:

Prussia lives on as the representative of the present region of eastern Germany, and though he isn't as powerful as he once was, there at least may not be as many complications in their relationship as there would be if they were both full nations. The two admit they were both in denial about being lonely and come to realise they are now much less so. Additionally, Germany can't decide whether his brother dating England has made him easier or harder to deal with. On one hand, he's happier and at least England keeps him occupied, but on the other hand, they're probably plotting to hold a punk rock concert in front of Austria's house again...