#standlone

[bookwyrminspiration]

I am not immune to the appeal of a sweet, quiet man with a secret mysterious dark past

[aesopsharpmybeloved]

To Leave the Abyss

Professor Sharp hates to recognise himself in your eyes.

&

A thirty something Auror Aesop Sharp is failing to come to terms with his predicament.

This was supposed to be a part of one of my WIP. But then I got into it and thought; oof, that's heavy. So it's a standlone. Gif amateurly made by me.

Note: Sharp, Hecat and Ronen knew each other in school. Ronen was oldest, Hecat was youngest and they were in the "I hate PNB" club before it was cool.

TW: Depression, Self-harm, suicidal thoughts, swearing

Sharp wasn’t usually fond of going to the Astronomy tower - the amount of stairs! Tonight however, he felt a certain pull towards the place, and he was glad that he did. It took him a long time to finally climb that spiral staircase, but once he managed to do so, he immediately noticed that he wasn’t alone there. Standing just ahead was a student, and he didn’t even need to guess which student it was. You were shaking like a leaf, your hand holding the handle of your broom in a vice grip, and you stood with your back to him. “What do you think you’re doing here?!” he asked loudly, making you flinch violently and turn around to face him.

The look on your face terrified him, haunted him, because he knew it all too personally. That wide-eyed panic, tinged with chaos and madness. You reminded him of a wounded, caged animal and he could almost feel you considering whether to just throw your broom away and toss yourself off the tower without it.

He remembered that look so well. 

—

He saw it in his own eyes, shortly after he was released from St Mungo’s. He moved around mostly on a wheelchair, using his cane only when absolutely necessary - to dress himself, get into and out of bed, sit on the sofa, use the bathroom. He drank heavily that evening. Like he did everyday since he got home, actually. He was just washing his hands, trying to balance himself on his good leg, the strong liquor making it even more difficult, when he made the mistake of looking up. He saw himself in the mirror. He saw the look. He saw his scar, red and angry and fucking painful. He saw his face. His face was overgrown, scruffy, and his eyes were red, the circles under them so dark they were nearly purple. His hair was a mess. He was a mess. A cripple. He’ll never be able to do his job again. He’ll never see his partner again. He’ll be forever haunted by the memory of seeing her with her wife and son, together in an embrace. He lost everything. He lost everything.

The pain in his leg seared, raw and agonising, and Aesop screamed. He brought his arms up in unhinged madness and he lunged forward, bringing his fisted hands against the mirror. There was a cathartic sound of glass shattering and he nearly felt relieved when he felt pain somewhere else than his leg and face. Blood. Blood was falling freely from his shaking hands. A few hard hits later, he was covered in it. He was trembling. With a final hit, he let his head join in on breaking the mirror. He saw red. Hot wetness ran down his nose, his cheeks.

Pain. His leg cramped up and with a shout he felt it give up on him, sending him plummeting to the ground. He sat there covered in cuts, in shards, in blood. He screamed. Aesop screamed as loud and long as he could, tears streaming down his face, red from exertion. He screamed even as his throat began to hurt, screamed until he no longer physically could. 

He didn’t know how long he sat there, head hung low, shards of glass all around him, some of the smaller cuts having stopped bleeding. The blood was drying up, becoming crusty. Tears still streamed down his face. He was filthy, his clothes were beyond salvation. His leg hurt like shit, so much he barely felt the glass cuts anymore. His hands were a mess. Two of his fingers were broken, protruding in odd directions. He was still shaking. 

One of his hands picked up a larger piece of what used to be his mirror. He observed the sharp edge of it. How long would it take to die if he was to slit his throat? How long would it take to bleed out like the pathetic animal he was, if he was to sever an artery. He unconsciously lifted the glass.

“Aesop Theodore Sharp, you put down that shard RIGHT NOW! ” He startled so much, he gripped it harder, cutting it into his palm. He winced and his hand released. It took a while before it hit the ground, having got stuck under his skin. Fresh blood started running down his arm.

Dinah Hecat stood before him, the look on her face terrifying. Her work injury years ago left her looking like an old woman despite being younger than him by two years. However, Aesop knew very well that she would have been able to take him on when he was in full health and strength. This was not a woman to be trifled with. “What were you thinking?!” she roared. The former unspeakable, current teacher observed him. He must’ve looked positively pitiful. “We’re going to St Mungos. You’ll be staying there until term ends, even if I’m to personally shackle you to the bed. And I won’t let you out of my sight during the summer. Aesop Sharp, heed my words, you are going to hate me before September comes!”

He didn’t argue. There was no point. He was as weak as a kitten right now and whatever Dinah wanted to do, he wouldn’t be able to stop her. 

He could not speak, when a healer in the magical hospital inquired about his injuries, his sore throat only producing strangle gurgling sounds. He drank so many potions, he felt as if his taste buds were permanently burned away. Wiggenweld, Blood-Replenishing potion, Skele-Gro, Calming draught, Draught of peace and of course Dreamless Sleep. A dose larger than he ever had before. 

When he woke up, he realised just what he’d done. He remembered everything. He sat up in the pristine white hospital bed, his whole body sore, his leg positively pulsing with pain. He put his face into his hands. He wept again. A warm hand touched his shoulder. Watery brown eyes looked up into the kind face of his former ministry colleague. Dinah stroked his shoulder, before moving her hand up to his face, to his hair, petting him softly. 

He cried into her shoulder that day, his hands laying limp in his lap. He heard a clock ticking somewhere to his left. He heard Dinah’s soft shushing sounds. He heard movement on the corridors - nurses, healers, patients, visitors. He heard his own heavy breathing, and he heard the beating of his own heart.

“Listen to me, Aesop,” she spoke later. He wasn’t sure how much time passed, but the sun was taking on an orange colour. Her hands were on his shoulder. “I am choosing to believe that yesterday-” her breath caught, but she recovered quickly, “yesterday was a moment of madness. Never again do I want to find you like I did. You have to realise that your life is not your own to take. Once you do, you’re not the one who’ll hurt. Everyone around you, your family, colleagues, your friends, they’ll be the ones to bear that pain. Think of your mother. You would really make her bury her son next to her husband? 

“You would have her suffer all alone until the end of her days? You would have her, and me, and Abraham, and your partner’s wife stand at your funeral? How could you be so selfish?” Her words were harsh, but Aesop felt he needed to hear them. He felt them grounding him. He felt ridiculous and pitiful. He wept on.

“Aesop… you won’t stay in this darkness. I know you won’t, because you won’t be allowed to. You’re one of the strongest people I know and you never knew when to give up. And now, giving up so easily? That’s not you. Get yourself together. I want to see that Aesop I know, that witty, brave, sarcastic, strong man, who’d always find a way to do what he felt was right. Even if it meant breaking a rule or two.” The broken man held his hands together in his lap, rubbing them slowly. Old habits die hard.

“What if-” he started, his voice still hoarse from yesterday. His throat felt numb. “What if I’m not able to… remember that man?” A smaller hand closed around his rugged ones. “Then you’ll have me to remind you. I’ll do everything in my power to help you, and if I’m unable to help, then you can be sure I’ll stand by you, every step of the way.” Aesop could have cried all over again.

“Okay,” he said instead.

–

Dinah did good on her promise, and really checked in on him every day of the summer. She was driving him up the wall, actually. She threw out every bottle of alcohol she found, and regularly made sure he didn’t buy any more. He started eating more, because not doing so resulted in the former unspeakable giving him an earful. He decided fairly quickly that it’s simply less of a hassle to get something into his stomach, than having to endure her wrath every day. He gained back some of the weight he lost, no longer looking so gaunt. 

She forced him to start walking, using his cane for support. It hurt like hell. It made him determined. He was not going to give up. Slytherins don’t just give up. Dinah made him go outside, being so obnoxious he was almost glad to get out of his house. The first breath of fresh morning air made his sore body buzz appreciatively. He didn’t walk far the first day, choosing to just sit in his little garden. The DADA teacher appeared with tea and sat next to him, looking awfully proud of herself. With a flick of his wand, he disposed of the dead plants on his herbology table nearby.

The next day he walked around the little hamlet. He tried not to notice the stares he received from his neighbours. He tried even harder not to notice their pity. He pushed his chin forward, proud and defiant, as he made his way to the merchant nearby. He needed new seeds. 

—

He wasn’t entirely happy to be in the Three Broomsticks, if he was being honest. But, once more Dinah pestered him until he agreed. That is, until he gave her his worst angsty-teenager ‘Fine!’ . He knew people were staring. The curious glances were easier to handle than the winces. A girl appeared at their table, taking their orders. She could have been fifteen, maybe sixteen. She didn’t look at his scar, didn’t look at his cane. She observed him as if he wasn’t a cripple, who’s obviously in pain. She just smiled and took their order. He was grateful for it. “That’s Sirona Ryan, one of my Ravenclaws,” smiled Dinah, “wonderful girl. She really came out of her shell once she embraced who she is.”

—

Having grown tired of spending his compensation money and the little sick leave pay he received every two weeks on buying potions for his pain, he soon started brewing his own. Wiggenweld, for a start, but also various other potions, as well as salves, each of which have had various success in diminishing his pain. He forgot how much he always loved this subject. He started experimenting, too, trying new ingredients, new combinations. The healers in St Mungos may have been convinced there was no cure for his ailment, but Aesop wouldn’t give up. 

When summer ended and Dinah could only visit him during the weekends, he was equally glad and disappointed. He thought he looked forward to being alone again, alone with his thoughts, alone without her constantly pestering him to eat something, to go outside, to shave, to cut his hair, to dress in fresh clothes. He found himself slightly lonely now.  

However, he found a rhythm, a routine. He’d wake up in the morning and go about his day. Aesop would do his morning hygiene. He’d make and eat his breakfast. He’d tend to his plants. He’d have lunch. He’d go for a walk, leaning on his cane. The pain never went away, but it was more bearable now. On most days, that is. He’d be hunched over his potions station long into the evening, brewing and brewing. He’d run his experiments. He’d fall into his bed, but not without taking either Dreamless Sleep or Draught of Peace.

Rinse and repeat. 

He ate, he wore clean clothes, he took care of himself and his home. He visited his mother, who always fretted over him. Then there was Dinah who would also fret over him when she came over. He saw Abraham a few times, the jovial man always full of stories. He let his hair and stubble grow in defiance. He was offered a different job in the Auror office. Auror recruitment programme… the very thought made him shudder. To think he’d be buried under parchment, dealing with children straight out of Hogwarts, who thought they were some heroes who would save the world, only for them to soon realise how horribly they were mistaken… Often brutally. Bloodily.

He didn’t want that. Such a job held no appeal to him whatsoever.

Aesop Sharp retired from the Auror office at 34 years old.

He still received a small amount of monetary support from the ministry every month, and he started selling some of what he brewed. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for Aesop. In any case, it was enough until he found something better to do, some new job that could fill him with fulfilment. Dinah came around, sometime during April with a smug smile on her face. She found him the perfect job, she claimed.

Four months later, Aesop stood before Hogwarts.

He found it rather funny. He didn’t want to deal with children straight out of Hogwarts who pursued an Auror career, only to deal with them in the school itself. If anything, he could make sure they were well prepared, that they were humble, that they knew everything they needed. That they wouldn’t end up like him.

He also thought about the vast expanse of Hogwarts library, of the Greenhouses, of the ingredient stores. If he was to find a cure somewhere, it would be here.

With every limping step towards the castle, he grew more and more sure that this was the right decision. That this was fate. 

—

The worst time of his life flashed before Aesop’s eyes. He saw your sorrow, your desperation, your pain. He saw you, entirely, and he saw himself, too. It was raw and painful and he hated it. He hated to see someone so strong, so ridiculously brave, so kind and selfless like you feeling this way. Damn ancient magic, damn the keepers, damn Ranrok and damn Eleazar for leaving you like he did.

“Come here,” he said, his voice so quiet you almost didn’t hear it. Not knowing why, you obeyed. Your broom hit the floor. You moved slowly, still shaking violently, tears already appearing in your eyes. It was Aesop who took the final two steps to you, and, without further ado, closed his arms around your smaller form, pressing you to him entirely, imprisoning you in his warmth. You’ve grown during the year, but being as tall as he was, he easily tucked your head under his chin. Sobs soon started leaving you. Gut-wrenching and raw like his screams were before. It seemed like a lifetime ago. 

He made it on time, he made it before you did something stupid. Like he did. He wouldn’t let you be like him. He held you tightly, stroked your hair, let you cry on his shoulder. He made soft shushing noises. In the distance he heard bells, it was midnight. You clung onto him, your hands gripping the fabric of his coat so tightly, your fingers went white. He was a solid, steady warmth against you, and you felt safe, protected, and you weren’t alone. When your sobs began subsiding, you felt utterly exhausted, numb, your throat was sore from crying so hard, and your head was starting to ache.

Two large lean hands grabbed your face, gently, yet insistently. The potions master pulled you back, tilted your head and looked into your eyes deeply. His face was so close, his large nose almost touched your own.

“You listen to me, (F/N)(L/N), and you listen well,” he started, his tone soft, yet very serious, “I know your pain. I know the darkness - you won’t stay in it. You won’t be allowed to. I won’t let you, your friends and teachers won’t let you, and you definitely won’t let yourself.” He remembered what Dinah told him, all those years ago, word for word. He never forgot. He never stopped being grateful to her. She pulled him out of that void and now he had to do the same for this young witch.

“You’re stronger than you know. I simply won’t accept you giving up, not after you single-handedly defeated Ranrok, after you saved this school. That’s not you. I want to see that absolutely brilliant girl, who excels in school by day and rescues beasts by night, who’s untamed and unafraid, and who’s always ready to defy anything and anyone, even me, in order to do what’s right. Whatever you need, I’m here. If you cannot bear to be alone, I’m wholly prepared to give you detention every evening until you graduate. I intend to pull you out of that abyss, even if you hate me for it.”

At some point your hands covered his own on your cheeks, and fresh tears rolled from your eyes. Aesop pulled you close again, grounding you, letting you fall apart in his arms and putting you back together with his quiet comfort. “I could never hate you,” you whimpered and clung on tighter, not wanting him to let you go. He wouldn’t. Just like Aesop was not alone, he wouldn’t let you be alone either. You were not alone. He was not alone.

Hello, I hope you enjoyed reading. You can also find this story on AO3. I appreciate your feedback!

[hungnitan]

Myriad Celestia Trailer — "Kyoden: A Cleave Across the Transient World"

THERE'S SO MANY HI3 REFERENCE HERE to the point that video alone could make a big money for standlone game !

For many HI3 reference, let those lore master handle the talk (lol). When AcheSwan video release I thought this "Mei" is HoT different AU if her Kiana died, which seems not so far fetched aside she become HoO. It's kinda ironic since HI3 Mei become HoO basically because of power of her love to Kiana and Elysia (let's simplified as that XD)

From pionner relics lore, I guess we can deduce that Acheron's Kiana I mean Frebass timeline is more backward than myriad celestial since it explained Frebass is just a 14 year old nameless girl. If we think they're same age, Acheron nowdays should be 18 or 20 ish.

Now into the interesting part, almost nothing explain about Frebass whereabouts in two Acheron videos ! So what's happened to the nameless girl diving herself into nihility ? One scene from Black Swan memories indicate the very same rooftop HoTMeiKiana scene which isn't a good sign...

And let me added something as that video showing a clear words that HI3 connected to HSR. Kiana is a human made person by Otto, meanwhile HI3 Otto already remove all branch of his existence as price of saving Kallen. Which means Kiana is special entity only at HI3, so there's possibility Frebass isn't Kiana but Durandal (real Kiana) like existence.

Now I watch the video I just feels grateful Otto doing so many things to stop honkai... if not for him, in one possible universe HI3 could become Izumo HSR

I only hope these missing piece will be explain in TB 2.1 !

PS : I guess HSR will cook really hard at 2.1 TB quest, with Acheron lore become like that it's all about how Aventurine past could beat Mei angst max level. So let's prepare lot of tissue and don't read it at public place (lol)

[lavellenchanted]

Hi! Do you have any comforting book/movie recs? Maybe with a sweet love story or friendship?

ABSOLUTELY I do!!

Books

Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn. This is a really charming romance about Meg, who does custom calligraphy, including wedding invitations, like the invites she did for Reid Sutherland a year ago. But now he's back, having spotted a hidden message she wove into his invitations warning him that his marriage was doomed. He wants to know how she knew, but Meg's got her own problems - but despite herself she feels a connection with Reid that's only growing deeper . . .

Everything Eva Ibbotson has ever written, especially her historical romances. My personal favourite is The Secret Countess, set in 1919, in which Anna, a Russian Countess, after fleeing from the Bolsheviks, takes a job as a maid in a young English Earl's household.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows - told in letters and the inspiration for the film, it's quite different from the movie in some respects but is just warm, gentle and a really cosy read.

Crosstalk by Connie Willis - this is a romcom with a slight sci-fi vibe; in the not too distance future Briddey Flannigan gets an implant to allow telepathic communication with her boyfriend so they can have a more open relationship, but instead finds herself connected to someone else entirely . . .

Attachments by Rainbow Rowell - this is such a gentle romance, set in the 90s, Lincoln works for a paper in their IT department and has been assigned to check emails that get flagged by their new system. One particular coworker, Beth, keeps getting her emails flagged and as he reads them, he finds himself falling in love with her . . . the only problem is he's never actually met her.

Anne of Green Gables (and sequels) by L. M. Montgomery - a true classic, that is just so joyful to read, and the love story between Anne and Gilbert is one of my very favourites.

The Boy trilogy by Meg Cabot - these are three of Meg Cabot's adult books, all loosely connected but they can be read as standlones, and are just fun, easy reads with nice romances that are really feel good.

Movies

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society - since I've plugged the book let's also plug the movie. It's gentle, it's warm, it's comforting, it's lovely and it's two hours of Michiel Huisman being charming.

The Shop Around the Corner - the original that inspired You've Got Mail, with James Stewart and Margaret Sullavan. It's lower stakes that YGM but still fun, romantic and really feel good.

When In Rome - this film is ridiculous but I love it, a romcom with Kristen Bell and Josh Duhamel where she takes coins out of a fountain in Rome causing four men to fall hopelessly in love with her.

The Longest Ride - this is based on a Nicholas Sparks novel and one of my comfort films. There's two love stories, one in the present day and one historical being told to the heroine by Alan Alda, and they're both really sweet.

Your Name - an anime film, I watched this a few years ago and it instantly became one of my all time favourites. It's so beautifully animated, and the romance in it is top tier.

When Fools Rush In - Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek have a one night stand in Las Vegas, but when she gets pregnant he proposes marriage on a whim and they try to build a life together. A stellar romcom and Matthew Perry said it was his favourite of all his films.

Belle (2013) - absolute peak period drama romance, and a truly underrated gem of a film.

Take the Lead - inspired by a true story, Antonia Banderas stars as a ballroom dancer who teaches a class of inner-city kids to dance. Beautiful, charming, romantic.

The Jane Austen Book Club - a group of women form a book club to read all the Jane Austen books, and find they help with their own problems. Lots of friendship and a bit of romance on the side.

And since it is December some special Christmas comfort movie plugs . . .

While You Were Sleeping - Sandra Bullock saves a man from an oncoming train, but gets mistaken by his family for his financee and then starts falling for his brother. A+++ rom com.

Christmas in Boston - two penpals finally agree to meet after writing for 13 years. The catch? They both sent each other pictures of their best friends and pretended it was them.

Dash & Lily - a series rather than a movie but super cute. Lily leaves a notebook with some challenges in a bookstore, Dash finds it and does them, and leaves her some of his own in return, and thus an unlikely friendship is born.

Midnight at the Magnolia - radio hosts and childhood friends Maggie and Jack fake being a couple to drive up the ratings on their show.

Miracle on 34th Street - both the original 1940s version and the 90s remark are great, in which a lawyer and a little girl have to prove that a man claiming to be Santa is the real thing when he's put on trial.

The 12 Dates of Christmas - woman set up on a blind date on Christmas Eve has to relive the night over and over until she gets it right.

I hope those will do you for a while and that you enjoy them!!! Shout if you need any more :)

[khorren]

And a one-off standlone, because she's just so neat to look at. *chinhands*

[re-ikrmso]

standlone versions below:

but yeah got drawin got doodlin got to blue

all my characters are decently personal but blue is personal in a different way, its strange. nameless/named, mangie, ikari are still like insanely personal but blue just makes me sad/angry

its not really like my analogy of dripping oil like anger, but blue just makes me feel. they're genuinely so nice, they did their best and that tore them apart as much as outside forces did

also, i drew nameless cause i feel like mangie's getting too much attention wahhh give the other two of the trio more time

but yeah. blue is that unwavering belief in the goodness of people. they just can't recognize when to stop believing. its a bit more than that but still.

they're also very fluffy and cute, raughh.

[severalowls]

Childhood VHS tapes:

Best Of 1970s British Childrens TV

The Aristocats

The Pagemaster

Aladdin but I wasn't a fan

Grandparents House:

The Brave Little Toaster (recorded off TV)

A series of loosely Garfield themed animated shorts

The Wrong Trousers, A Close Shave and A Grand Day Out (recorded off TV)

The original standlone Creature Comforts (recorded off TV)

Later:

Two episodes of Simpsons Treehouse of Horror

[forcesmajor]

VIES DE MAJEUR

Lives of Májor

1) Heath DeLuca (STANDALONE)

Handle: @FORCESMAJOR

2) Sergey Kirillovich (EAT THE YOUNG by Viff)

Handle: @FORCESMAJOR

3) Kit Knox (STANDALONE)

Handle: @FORCESMAJOR

4) Neil McCaulay (Head-canon Michael Mann's 'Heat')

Handle: @FORCESMAJOR

5) Claudé Santini (CHAINED BLACKBIRD by Argale)

Handle: @CHAINEDBBEAGLE

6) Isai Egorov (EAT THE YOUNG by Viff)

Handle: @ISAIYVEG

7) Nathaniel Coppola (STANDALONE)

Handle: @NateCoppola

8) Lytonn Silvestri (STANDALONE)

Handle: @LyttonSilvestri

9) Thomas Shelby (Head-canon's BBC 'Peaky Blinders')

Handle: @FORCESMAJOR

10) Wang Ha Kyun (STANDALONE inspired by BOYS OVER FLOWER)

Handle: @WangHaKyun

11) Emilio DeSanctis (STANDLONE connected to Lytton Silvestri)

- GMT -4

- Cyber account: @majorsland

All that generated here—constitutes fiction made by Májor. Certain elements are derived from films I've seen, such as Heat (1995), Sicario (2015), Black Hawk Down (2001), Crash Landing on You (K-Drama), Boys Over Flower (K-Drama) and Identity (2003), yet in essence, it is solely for the purpose of delving into the depth of my fictional characters. Nothing about the aforementioned movies is meant to be disparaged or discredited. The fact that these representations are entirely imaginary must be emphasized, though. I advise using the blocking tool if someone feels uncomfortable communicating with me.

Love, Májor.

[comiiical]

@flexhub

freedom was something that he wasn't unused but down to the point where he could walk or lay naked on a towel on the beach? yes. the day after the wedding, he had left his husband laying within the bed in the standlone house that the island had, leaving through the door on the side, walking through the side of the small pool and to the light bright sand that surrounded the area of that private place. as he had woken up, he had laid down: free with his skin exposed to the sand and the comfort of knowing his whole body could cleanse away the remnants of alcohol that run through his veins after the celebratory drinking. santiago felt nothing other than ecstatic, not just for the view, the sea, the cold air or the lack of car noises, but the awareness that he had woken up a new man that day. someone else's man in away that he had never experienced before.

[bookworming-101]

Incoming~

Now You See It by Richard Matheson is up next!

**Don’t mind the lackluster picture, this is a reread and its age shows**

In Now You See It, the prolific master of suspense and screenwriting (I Am Legend; The Incredible Shrinking Man) delivers a knock-out tale the likes of which have not been seen since Henry Clouzot's devlilish thriller Diabolique.

Some years ago, the Great Delacorte, a famed stage magician, came down with a stroke that left him in a vegetative state, able to move only his eyes. The entire action of the novel is witnessed through these eyes as Delacorte sits in the Magic Room of his country estate, a room custom-tailored to display stage illusions. Delacorte's son, Max, has taken his name and place as an illusionist in every effort to replace his father. Max is supported by his wife Cassandra and her amazingly identical lookalike younger brother Brian. But for the past year, Cassandra has been poisoning Max's food with arsenic and a sleeping pill. She wants the act all for herself--but Max has his own ideas, and his revenge is the big dish that Matheson sets before us in this dazzler that offers top-flight fun!

[writingmoth]

imma throw a murder mystery in fantasy romance wip

[oneawkwardcookie]

Because we are always clowning and because it’s Evan Buckley week and Pride Month and, sometimes, lens flare isn’t entirely awful

[tickle-bugs]

@bigirlgiggles that is very on brand for him lmao. ‘Aw you remember the literally unforgettable thing I did?’

Sir. Sir. How could I forget the Everything about B&C?? Clyde is so hot?? SIR??

[zekesplayground]

If only

I am wishfully thinking that there'd be a story dlc about Sam and Rafe teaming up for those 2 years before the events of Uncharted 4, where they go around hunting for the 2nd St Dismas Cross and other treasures. A standalone dlc story, starting from the time where Rafe gets Sam out of prison, about 2 unlikely partners where you can play as either Rafe or Sam, but mostly as Rafe. I would buy the shit out of this. 

[luigiblood]

What's the deal with the GB/GBA Emulator Leak?

On April 18th 2022 on 4chan's /vp/ board, 3 links have been posted:

0100d870045b6000_dev.nsp: A NSP file containing a NES Nintendo Switch Online build.

hiyoko_unsorted.7z: Various builds of a Game Boy / Color Emulator for the Switch in seperated NCA files.

01008bf00a1c8000.nsp: A NSP file containing a Game Boy Advance Emulator for the Switch.

No additional context has been given other than four screenshots of the GBA emulator.

All of the files are signed for Switch development kits, meaning that they have to be resigned to work on a retail unit.

All of these things were developed by NERD (Nintendo European Research & Development), responsible for many things, but are more recently known for their emulation work since the Nintendo DS Virtual Console emulator on Wii U.

I'll try to explain what each of these things are seperately, and why I think they are legitimate.

NES Nintendo Switch Online

The first link in the post links to a build of NES Nintendo Switch Online app dated October 4th 2019. This would be a month since the release of SNES Nintendo Switch Online, and when the monthly updates of additional NES games would have stopped.

It contains all of the games in order of Switch release until August 21st, 2019, then continues with the games that would be released on December 12th and later, and quite a few that have yet to be released, if ever.

Noteworthy unreleased games include the entirety of the Mega Man series, each including their own Special Versions, Castlevania 1 & 2, Adventure Island, Galaga, Pac Man, Kung Fu, Lode Runner, Tetris, and a few more.

All of them are playable, some even including multi language descriptions. There isn't that much more to say about it, it is really just the usual user interface, but with more games.

Technically, anyone can add more games to this, people have done this before. All of these games have unique identifications too, someone could just take the information we have of these IDs, and somewhat appear legitimate if you include nice scans of box arts.

However this would mean someone took the time to write unique descriptions in multiple languages, too, and when you include the rest of the leaked files, there's I think more reasons for its legitimacy.

Hiyoko - GB/C Emulator

Hiyoko is a name that we have seen since the NES Nintendo Switch Online 2.0.0 update, dated December 2018. It had accidental inclusion of SNES game descriptions, which news sites have also covered at the time. Other people have also noticed a couple names as well, part of an emulator type enumeration which I will list:

EMULATOR_TYPE_CANOE

EMULATOR_TYPE_KACHIKACHI

EMULATOR_TYPE_HIYOKO

EMULATOR_TYPE_COUNT

Canoe is known since the SNES Classic Mini as the SNES emulator, Kachikachi is also known since the NES Classic Mini as the NES emulator. Then there's the mention of Hiyoko, and Count.

Count is nothing more than for keeping count of how many emulator types there are, this is pretty standard practice, we can safely say this is not the name of an emulator.

But Hiyoko was an emulator name we haven't heard of before, and lots of speculation arose on what it could be, if it was a Game Boy emulator, a Nintendo 64 emulator, and so on.

Eventually the N64 Nintendo Switch Online app would exist, and takes on the name "Hovercraft". Then we also had rumors of a Game Boy NSO service coming from several reliable people, which could have suggested that Hiyoko could be the GB/C emulator. Turns out that was it.

The archive contains 15 different title IDs, for a total of 23 builds of Hiyoko, each a different standlone app including its own ROM. Only the following games were used:

Super Mario Land

Tetris

Qix

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX

Most of the builds are just optimized builds, and 3 of them are debug builds including pretty much every information necessary for debugging, which also gives us precious information about its development. Those debug builds can't seem to be used at the moment because of a corrupted SDK file? There's also a bunch of weirdness to the files, many Meta and Program NCAs, but an odd amount of Control NCA files…

The version of one of them seems to be v0.0.20190306.dev. When pulling out the third value, the code specifically seperates 2019 03 06, so there's our potential build date here.

So this Game Boy Color emulator has quite a lot of features, and I will try to be clear about them:

Emulates different types of Game Boy screens, like the original Game Boy, Game Boy Pocket, and Game Boy Color, including the screen ghosting effect.

Emulates the Game Boy Advance's GBC Mode, which certain GBC games can detect and unlock features.

Emulates MBC7 partially, the Memory Bank Controller famously used for Kirby Tilt 'n Tumble. The GBC emulator on 3DS Virtual Console would not even boot this game. The tilt sensor and the save is not emulated, but the base code is solid for more.

Supports emulating two Game Boy / Color systems locally with link cable support, enabling local multiplayer on the same system.

Supports rollback with prediction multiplayer netplay.

Supports asymmetric netplay. (I don't know exactly what that means.)

What this essentially means is that NERD seems to be making a pretty robust emulator, the builds we have are a bit buggy, but shows real potential for a better emulator than previously made. The naming also suggests this emulator was made from scratch.

The debug build shows a lot of the way it is programmed, and I have very little doubt in my mind that this is real, this does not correspond to any emulator you could find online.

While I could only try on Yuzu, the Nintendo Switch emulator, which means I won't necessarily have the best performance to play, the emulator seems really legit at first glance.

Sloop - GBA Emulator

Sloop is an odd one. The naming would definitely confuse most people who doesn't know it is a real english word for a type of boat (It did for me). This isn't the only emulator from NERD with this kind of name, I think Canoe, the SNES emulator and Hovercraft, the N64 emulator. Both of them are actually based on other emulators, specifically the Wii U Virtual Console ones which came from other developers than NERD.

The emulator contains a menu made with Dear ImGui, an open source IMGUI library, and used as industry standard for quick debug menu implementations. The menu is seperated into several groups:

Single-player games (1P)

Multi-player scenarios (2P)

ROM patches (monitor bugs)

Image Filters

Selected features

Accuracy testing samples

Clearly, this is meant to be a showcase of features, possibly to higher ups for judging or a proposal of sorts. It supports the following features:

Gamma Change: Lowers the gamma of the screen to alleviate the very bright colors intended for the original GBA screen with no backlight.

LCD Persistence Emulation: Emulates the slight ghosting of the GBA screen, some games actually uses this for certain effects like transparency or anti-aliasing.

ROM Patching.

Supports rewind.

Supports emulating two Game Boy Advance systems locally with link cable support.

Supports netplay with random matchmaking.

The menu shows many ways to make use of these features, the link cable ones are pretty interesting as they show regular multiplayer for a couple games, Trade with Pokémon Pinball, Single Pak Multiplayer exemple so you can play with other players who don't have the cartridge, Golden Sun Clear Save import into Golden Sun The Lost Age.

The ROM patches are mostly the anti-epilepsy kind with less blinking and flashing.

Image Filters shows off the LCD Persistence emulation and Color gamma comparisons with specific games.

Accuracy testing samples includes Nintendo's own test (AGS Aging Test), but also a bunch of open source ones to guarentee accuracy testing. The regular Nintendo test is also a very good test for accuracy in general, and turns out that Sloop actually passes all of the tests except one, which not many emulators can actually do.

Selected features shows features like replays, save importation, the ability to record with rewind supported (TAS?), and the most controversial of all, exporting a save state to the EZ Flash format; Nintendo has been very vocal against flashcarts public, but the developers don't seem to be against using them.

After all, using old development kits with different standards nowadays, can be very annoying and cumbersome. Some would doubt the legitimacy of this because of the mention of illegal flashcarts that Nintendo fought against in public.

I think the emulator's uniqueness is essentially what makes it potentially legit anyway: We haven't yet found any references to other emulators, even the AGS Aging Test results are fairly unique to the emulator.

Inside the emulator files, we find somehow a Git repository with quite a bit of logs from a NERD employee and a Panasonic Vietnam employee for some reason, just for menu, ROM files, save files, etc, the most recent being August 19th, 2020, so this might be our build date, or at least the closest to that.

It is something that can be faked, but god would it require a lot of time for little payoff, honestly?

Conclusion

The thing about this leak, it is very weird that we randomly get builds of official emulators that are dated 2019 and 2020 only now. It makes me question who the heck leaked this.

Because of these build dates, it is not really possible to extrapolate to a potential nearby release regarding those, as they're quite dated by now, and may have changed a lot since in terms of features and stability.

We can't really use this as evidence of those systems and games coming to Nintendo Switch Online in the near future as a result, so I'd just suggest to treat these builds as an exemple of what Nintendo has internally, without any goals in mind. It is not new by Nintendo's standards to keep stuff under wraps until they really need it, unfortunately.

Personally though, due to the uniqueness of the GB/C and GBA emulators, if it was a fake, then someone took a lot of time, and also a lot of knowledge, just to fake us. There's a lot of believable fakes sometimes, but this isn't a fake made with good use of art tools, this is a real thing with serious development put into them. I think all of these builds are legitimate.

[whateverthedragonswant]

I feel like Walker: Independence is like a mixed bag of so many fun treats. And I am loving every single one:

Kat and Katie have so much chemistry. I am so glad that Abby appears to have a friend in the making. I know who Kate is and I'm sure that either is playing a role in this whole thing or (and I think more likely) that may come into play later on. Especially since we've seen that she takes care of the dancers. I think if she knows that Abby is Liam's widow, she's keeping that to herself...for now. Katie has really come into this and made this character her own, and it shows. She is perfect to play this part, and damn if she doesn't seem to steal every scene she's in.

I cannot begin to tell you how much I love Kai. I am so happy to see for once a Chinese character representing the Chinese faction of the Old West in media that is not portrayed as the typical stereotype we've seen in the past. Kai is very much involved in the story as is every other character, he is essential to the story and not just there to further other characters' stories. I am excited to see how his story unfolds, including his crush on Kate and his connection now with Abby, Calian, and Hoyt. And can I just say, Lawrence is so cute!!! I love him so much.

I cannot put my love for these two characters into words. Justin and Philemon are knocking it out of the park. I love that there is a semblance of trust between these two starting out, making it evident that these two have some sort of history. It's obvious that Calian does not trust easy (understandable, especially given his treatment at Hagan's, which in itself is accurate in its portrayal), and the fact that he believes Augustus to be a good man and needs to ensure it for himself when it's called into question...there's definitely a history there that I look forward to learning more about.

I have to say that I do enjoy Hoyt's character. He's dynamic and so much fun. Typical rugged, sassy, gunslinging outlaw but obviously with a heart. I've never seen Matt Barr before but I can see why Walker fans and producers alike loved him. He's got that something. I love that he already has a relationship with Lucia when the show starts and that even though it's not in his interest to help Abby, he does it anyway. I'm curious to see what happens when Hoyt has to go into that mode that we only saw a glimpse of in that card game in the pilot.

This guy. This guy, this guy, this guy. I have never seen this actor before but holy smokes. He definitely embodies everything that one hell of a character from a time period piece like this should. I don't know quite how to explain it but it's like Greg takes the Old West and cloaks himself in it, in each scene he has. There's something about him, even in his push and pull dynamic with Abby, that just flirts with danger (besides what we already know in the story about him) though we have no idea to what level that danger would be. It feels like there's a lot simmering underneath the exterior and I am eager as hell to find out what happens when it comes to the surface.

Imo, one of the best parts of the show. I love how he is not swept to the side and just used to further the story line. I also love how staunchly Abby defends him, and it's obvious how much she trusts him. Ngl, I do love me the bit of Abby/Calian vibe I'm feeling, but as a standlone character, I am looking forward to finding out more about Calian. I am hoping we get to see more of him soon. And Justin was the perfect choice to bring this character to life. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE him.

This guy!!! Omg, I am in love with this guy. There is so much potential with this character and it's almost like in the last episode, we got to see behind the curtain a little bit, and beyond that curtain lays so much promise to his story and Philemon's portrayal. I don't know how to put it into words but I am beyond excited every time he appears on screen. I feel for him that he got passed over and now this new person comes into town and takes over in the position that should have rightfully been his. I'm hoping that at some point in the future this gets rectified but man am I going to enjoy the ride to get there along the way. I really don't know how to properly articulate it but SO. MUCH. PROMISE with his story. And Philemon is just absolutely amazing!!! I may have squee'd like a fangirl in that shot in 1x02 where we see that he was the one holding the rifle after stopping the fugitive. That whole damn sequence was phenomenal!!!! So yes, I am very, very, very excited to learn more about him.

While we don't know too much about Lucia yet, what we have seen so far is amazing. I am looking very much forward to her story unfolding especially since her family owns that ranch. That part of the story alone is very intriguing to me, and I hope we either get to see the dynamics of her family soon or a few scenes at the ranch. I also would love to find out how she and Hoyt met and get to know more of their history. Gabriela does a fantastic job and just like with many of the other actors (and characters), it feels as if there is so much more waiting behind that curtain that we only have gotten a peek of. I think Gabriela (and Lucia) is going to be a tour-de-force.

Kat, Kat, Kat, Kat, Kat. I have loved Kat for a long time (though I've never seen her in Shadowhunters, I've seen her in other projects) and to be completely honest, other than the western genre, she was also a big draw for me to this project. I admit, I was bummed when CW decided to ax The Green Arrow and The Canaries, but if this is the trade-off, I am here for it. Kat does a wonderful job, as she always does, and I am beyond impressed with her (like usual lol). She was the perfect choice to play this character and I think she proves it in every scene she has. She appears to have great chemistry with each of the ensemble cast and it's obvious Kat is giving this role her all. I really feel like the show got it right when they hired her for this project, especially now that we've begun to unfold Abby's story and we've seen Abby interacting with every other main character. I think she's amazing and we've only just scratched the surface with what Kat can do as Abby in this series.

Overall, I think this show is brilliant. Imho, they're living up to the diversity they promoted while also telling a very compelling story set in a time period that is still rife with many untold stories that are still begging to be told. This may be part of a fictional universe but the era is not and I am glad they chose to tell this particular story in this way. I've seen many CW shows over the years, but nothing like this. And this is exactly what is needed for that network's viewers right now. It feels like this is an appropriate addition to the genre while maintaining that connection to younger generations and helping to solidify a new way of telling this type of western story (right along with the other new projects on the way that are also of this genre). I've never seen an episode of Walker but I don't find that I need to. This is a standalone (that may or may not call back to the flagship series from time to time, like I said I've never watched it) that is meant to tell a completely different story while also appropriately filling in the blank pages of the Walker family history (along with some others). I think this is going to be a phenomenal ride and I am excited to take it.