#tbh every dynamic in this story is hitting for me i feel like. like i am enjoyng this project so much

[juniperhillpatient]

pov all ur friends only like u for ur murder board :(

[stackslip]

so after a second watch, the thing with arcane s2 so far is that near all the plot beats are really good and exactly what i wanted, but they also almost all desperately needed more buildup. it's like we're missing 10-15 extra minutes an episode for the scenes that would really flesh out a lot of the characters' motives for the choices they make and to build up the world! it's so painfully obvious that they're craming in plot bc they're missing a season or have cut time per ep, and as a result while im ecstatic at a lot of the developments v few of them feel earned!

vi choosing to become an enforcer, her agonizing feelings re jinx in particular feel like they're missing. we should have seen the moment cait chose to use the vents to target the undercity and others' reaction to this, especially vi. it's great to see the hole silco left, but we needed to see the underground falling apart in something that's not a shiny league amv. we needed to see the kid spend more time with jinx for her choice to defend jinx to hit harder. we needed to see more of jinx's suicidality and her voices disappearing. i would have been so grateful to see mel trying to do more to rally to counter her mother's influence and being foiled at every turn. more hints of ambessa's manipulation too! would have loved to see ekko and his peers rescuing undercity people and dealing with the aftermath of the war there directly!

and like tbc i think they v clearly considered what they did have the time with and chose to trim or cut off near anything that wasnt a super cool fight scene or important plot beats. the ACTUAL beats are near all a win to me tbh! i am ecstatic about cait's character arc, her using the vents made me gasp; the mel and ambessa situation is sooooo fascinating and fucked up; i love the revelation about hextech poisoning the ground; sevika and jinx dealing with the gaping wound of silco's death is so good; viktor's ominous messiah arc is hitting for me; i loooooved cait hitting vi and vi just breaking down.

in terms of missteps, i wish ekko didnt feel like he's just being explained plot at (i like his dynamic with jayce so far tho), i think vi of all the characters suffered by far the most of the sacrificed time to make her choices and words mame proper sense, caitvi kiss felt far more like they had to kiss before they broke up but in context did not work, and made me roll my eyes so hard, we did not need a five minute cait angst montage, i did not care for how "league" the zaunite chembarons felt instead of an organic part of zaun like they did in s1, half the songs are a complete miss to me, etc etc

i dont think the season is a loss and again im interested in the actual beats, and tbh i kinda feel sorry for fortiche and the writing team bc it's obvious that this is less like, active clumsiness on their part or shite writing and far more that time was a deeply limited resource for the story they wanted to tell and they had to make choices. you could argue if it would have been better to drop some plot threads entirely and focus more deeply on others but imo it wouldnt work for a series like arcane where the cast' actions have such massive ramifications on each other so. i get it. it's just really unfortunate considering how tightly written s1's tragedy was

[moonlitbeth]

the Valleydream Bloom yapping session, hear me out on this one please. share your thoughts, too!

as someone who lives for lore and every little reference, i'm always picking apart each piece of content we get in the game. but tbh, i mostly do it in my head, since my brain's too overwhelmed to turn those thoughts into words. it's basically a cliché detective board with red strings connecting one clue to another (you got that It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia reference).

but i can't stay quiet after finishing Valleydream Bloom. perhaps it's becoming a bad habit to say that each new Sylus' card is better than the last, but honestly? that's a pretty logical conclusion given how their relationship keeps evolving.

after Where Hearts Live, i saw some discourse popping up abt the recent cards starting to feel "repetitive" — flowers, grasslands, them lying in said flowers and grasslands. but here's the thing: when you have one limited myth and one anecdote, with scattered hints and fleeting phrases open to a thousand takes, there's only so much room to work. and yet, Sylus' team keeps delivering and adding new layers to his character, expanding old themes into fresh ones, and leaving more clues for future content. that's top-tier writing and clear devotion to his character, my dears. ppl have gotten used to fast, easy-to-digest content that's stripped of any real depth. a nod to a character’s core topics? that's gold, not just some shiny fluff. and Valleydream Bloom hit me with such raw honesty and bittersweet ache that i needed to reread the story three times through tears.

we got everything we wanted, from the story itself to the kindled part. the main story Sylus is back, delivering this perfect power couple dynamic with MC — playful and so well balanced with the Sylus we see in the beginning of the card, who goes to the movies and puts his beloved's comfort over his own (tho i can't help but laugh imagining this grandpa grumbling abt his knees after).

and the part where he buys the castle after the mission? that detail isn't even abt his absurd wealth, it's abt his long-term intentions and faith that what’s deep-deep inside matters more than what’s outside. that someday, once MC's memories return, they'll both share the true meaning of that castle and the secret spot next to it.

🐉 and now to the main course... (the course is quite chaotic)

Sylus repeatedly cut off parts of himself that defined who he was, but now, he's embraced every piece — the "dragon" parts of his attire, the book of myths, and the undeniable traits of his true nature. but most importantly, the words he says:

"This is the perfect place for dragon tales. Dragons make homes in flower-covered valleys. If a dragon knows it will die soon… It flies to a valley far from its kin and waits alone. In the dragon's final moments… flowers will bloom from its body. Only when the flowers cover every bone does the dragon pass away."

it's not a dragon tale, but his tale, his story. at least the happiest part, wrapped in careful metaphors, told in a place that mirrors his final resting spot, where he died in MC's arms. the valley of the past has become the valley of the present.

and please, this? It flies to a valley far from its kin and waits alone (present) — We fly over the black obsidian chapel and crash into a valley filled with blooming datura (myth).

it hurts. even in their shared dream in Abyssal Blossom, before "justice" was ever served, he showed her this valley, almost as if he knew what was coming. and right before his death, he took MC there again to share the solitude of death with his beloved.

also, the idea of death that gives birth to new life — flowers that bloom from the dragon's body. his body nourished the soil and turned death into beauty. given that, it feels like the whole Blossom Escape event fits Sylus so perfectly (i mean, this man's soul smells like flowers).

this post is getting so long and chaotic that i can't fit all my thoughts in (i did warn you). but i'll say this — the card is a major piece and not a filler banner. huge kudos to the writing and dev teams, they deserve a round of applause, while we deserve a solid pat on our backs, because i can't stop thinking that smth painful and heart-wrenching is coming soon for us, Sylus mains 🐦‍⬛

[starryskiesahead]

So…

I may have just found a new anime to obsess over.

Yep. The Case Study of Vanitas is easily one of my new favorites.

My goodness, I don’t ever think I’ve fallen in love with a piece of media this fast. From the first episode, I adored every second, every minute of it. I fell in love with the animation/visuals, the music, the character dynamics, the worldbuilding and lore, the story…I’m just so invested in it and love it absolutely. Noé and Vanitas have an absolutely amazing dynamic and their relationship is one of my favorites that I’ve ever seen. They have easily earned their spot in my Top 5 fictional faves.

Parts of it actually kinda surprised me? For one thing, it's a lot more comedic than I expected. Like I mean. A lot of times it gets dark and fucked up bc all the characters are traumatized and have their own tragic backstories that are made of their trauma and suffering. But it's also not all serious and grim all the time like I initially thought it would be based on my initial assumption. There's a lot of cute, comedic chibi moments (iconic tbh), which I didn't expect from this anime. Also the OP, which I expected to be chock-full of darkness and blood and symbolism and motifs and action and angsty visuals, is essentially VaniNoe going on a date.

In that aspect it's completely different from what I expected but also not too far off from what I've expected, a guy and his soulma-er, partner going on dark fantasy adventures around 19th-century-steampunk France. I really like the concept of Vanitas being a doctor curing the curses that corrupt vampires' true names into malnomens, turning them into forms like monsters - when he pulls out The Book of Vanitas and activates the magic grimoire, it sends a flurry of beautiful, sparkling magical constellations to purify the afflicted like he's a magical girl in a mahou shoujo anime using her special attack to save the day from the monster of the week.

ALSO also... holy shit never before have I shipped ANY fictional pairing as hard as I’ve shipped Vanitas and Noe. I don’t even ship hard 99% of the time AT ALL, the closest was two of my OCs, who are my own original characters so they don't count.

BUT THESE TWO?

THEY’RE JUST SO PERFECT AND BEAUTIFUL AND AMAZING AND AWESOME TOGETHER AND WHY THE HELL AREN’T THE TWO OF THEM KISSING YET?!

like.

I mean I get that Vanitas x Jeanne is canon (don’t care for the ship that much, but I can accept it I guess though I’ll never be super into it) and Noé could have a thing with Domi, but honestly? They’ll never hit the way Vanoé does for me. Even if they never become canon in the end, their relationship, while not necessarily romantic, is nonetheless a dynamic I treasure and the way their personalities play off of each other is my favorite part of the series.

(And even if you disagree with me and don’t see the romance you can’t argue that their relationship certainly did come off that way to a good deal of the fandom, judging by all the Vanoe content I’ve seen. Honestly with the dancing scene, the way they look at each other and are super pretty in each other’s POV, the fact Noé wants a taste of Vanitas’ blood so much when blood-drinking is usually framed as a sexual thing in this series, the first ending song being them reaching out to each other while lyrics like “you made me whole” play in the background….yeah I think someone has to definitely know what they’re doing at this point, right?)

This anime was a blast from start to finish. I was instantly entranced, enthralled, enchanted by it, and I simply can’t get enough, so I ended up binge-reading the entire manga in one day. And I loved and adored it as well! The cover art with all the watercolors is so *chefs kiss* stunning, lovely and beautiful and the mangaka did amazing with it. So talented, wtf?

Love it! 💙🩵💜💖

I do have some criticisms such as I feel the story (mostly in season 1, I feel like it got better around season 2) is kind of…jumping around between plots a bit? I was expecting the main conflict to just be. The problem of cursebearers that Vanitas and Noé mostly go around curing, with a few extra shenanigans here and there. Like the whole thing with Roland and the Chasseurs and the whole encounter at Dr. Moreau’s lab felt like it was a bit rushed or resolved kinda quickly for my tastes? and the ending of S1 with the encounter between Lord Ruthven and Noe right about as we’re about to begin the Gévaudan arc, and just an episode after Jeanne and Vanitas’ little date…And like I mentioned before, I don’t really care for this pairing - though I like both of them as individual characters, and I can accept that this is canon, but I don’t particularly have too much investment in the ship. No hate to anyone who likes it though. And well it’s important enough to the story to not be really ignored, it’s also kinda just. Okay. They like each other. At least it’s a subplot and there’s other things going on, so for me I don’t have to be too into VaniJeanne as a pairing to enjoy the story. Also I’m personally really not fond of the fact both of the times they kiss were forced on each other. But that’s just my two cents. (Toss in Noé and Dominique into the equation and the shipping/romance love square does get more messy/complex, though like I said, I’m glad it’s not a constant will-they-won’t-they love drama thing all the time (no hate to ppl who like it, but not personally fond of those). Relationships are definitely a very important part of this series, and that includes the romance stuff but at least to me it doesn't feel like constant dragged out melodrama all the time.) Also I lowkey do wish Jeanne and Domi got more chance to shine in the first season outside of their connection with the guys. They do get good character development in season 2, and though a good amount of said development does seem to be pretty linked with their relationships with Vanitas and Noé respectively, I can forgive it as after all, the relationships and dynamics are an important part of this series and at least they have entertaining, fun, and likable personalities and their own backstories and lore outside of just being "the girls who are there to be the guys' love interests".

Honestly the pacing to me feels much better in the manga than in the anime - idk if it’s the different format and the fact that I can read it at my own pace, but it just feels less fast and easier to understand. I know for the anime some people found it a bit confusing, and while I partially agree/can see it on some parts it’s not THAT confusing for me and I can still understand the plot okay. But that being said, I think the manga is a bit better at this and in some ways, easier to follow than the anime.

Also, while I love the chibi comedy moments, I feel like sometimes they can be a bit overused from time to time? Especially when it's shortly after a mostly serious moment, it kinda throws me off. The truly serious, dark moments, focusing more on the characters' backstories and trauma, at least don't get interrupted randomly by the chibis, but still it does feel a little jarring when the style randomly switches.

That being said, the problems or flaws this series has/my criticisms don't really take away my enjoyment at all, and I still loved and enjoyed the experience as a whole even when there were somethings I wasn't too keen on , so I can honestly still say that it was such a wonderful, magnificent experience for me. I do hope there'll be Season 3, but I think there's not enough manga chapters to adapt into the anime and the author is on hiatus I believe. Either was, this series has sunk its fangs into me and won't let go, and I look forward to seeing it the whole way through and being there for this journey, beginning to end, I am TOTALLY hooked.

I'm totally along for the ride, and until then, will be looking at all the fabulous Vanitas and Noé art by all the amazingly talented artists out there (keep up your good work, love you!)

(Also Noé might now be my #2 favorite character of all time, up there with Arlo from Number Days. Yes, he's simply that powerful.)

[stickandthorn]

Finally finished Arcane and tbh cannot say I super liked the second season. There were some good parts and I understand those who did like it, but thematically it just did not hit for me. The very first episode of the show embeds class struggle as one of it’s core themes, opening by showing the devastation of the Enforcers when the Zaunites tried to cross the bridge. The entire plot of the show is kicked off by a robbery founded on necessity because the elite class of Piltover neglected and abused the undercity. The entire first season was based off of class warfare and the tragedy of dire circumstances and the cycle of violence.

And yet this new season ends with the status quo being upheld and no real change being made. Zaun gets… added to the council. One of the main villains at the end is the only undercity character we see work his way up to Piltover who was constantly sidelined every time he tried to help the place he came from. And he’s saved by the love of the rich council boy. Indeed, Vi, a character to whom class struggle is also foundational, has her happy ending with the rich nepo baby ex-cop and former dictator. The rich interpersonal story about class and systemic oppression is hastily restructured to be an epic magic battle where the good guys win and also the good guys all happen to overall align with protecting the oppressive status quo (with only minor changes. Zaun has a seat at the table now. See? We aren’t going to address how badly they were fucked over before. Or how it’s a 1 to however many other councilors there are now ratio in terms of vote. Or how no one who did bad things in power before the events of the show were actually removed. Or anything even approaching that). The cycle of violence is broken because those little fuckers in our oppressed class finally learned to stop punching back, and in return we let them participate a little more in the system that oppresses them.

Also in terms of arcs, I feel like the show lost focus on the interpersonal drama that drew me in in the first place. Now that’s just more personal taste than anything, but in the first season it felt like every single action was part of a domino effect that began in the first episode and leaves a wave of tragedy in its wake, whereas the second season feels like they keep throwing in new elements and complicating the story and giving the beats of character growth and changing dynamics to room to breathe. And I had no grasp on the stakes when characters can die and come back or mysteriously survive what looked like a fatal attack at a moment’s notice without much rhyme or reason. But that’s just me.

overalll… idk I miss season one.

[oh-my-may]

LET'S TALK HSR PENACONY 2.1 (or rather, have my impressions and thoughts on the main quest and some other stuff)

First of all, I went out of it with so many thoughts and emotions. This is not gonna be spoiler free (duh).

ACHERON IS SO FUN TO PLAY. Like, really really fun. Finally Simulated Universe is not an annoying pain anymore, and much quicker too. Thanks to a good friend of mine her relics aren't too bad either. She's already so fun to play with Black Swan, can't wait for a Kafka rerun now 💀

Aa for the story now: I FUCKING KNEW MIKHAIL WAS THE WATCHMAKER. I KNEW IT. Now to wait for them to confirm that Misha is connected to him, either as a ghost of his past self or a child or some sort. It's the only way.

It's also really refreshing to see that HSR is giving 4star characters significant roles in the story. First it was Tingyun, now it's Gallagher (and maybe Misha? I'll die on this hill).

Loved the pacing. Story was quite long and lots of gameplay but didn't feel overwhelming at all, probably because we didn't just stick to the MC the whole time. The characters split up and we didn't just follow the express crew but also Aventurine, I really loved that. It felt so dynamic and immersive.

WELT AND ACHERON INTERACTION. BRO. The way I gasped the whole time. We still don't have a canon confirmation of how Raiden Mei and Acheron or just generally HI3rd and HSR are connected but it's sp clear that Acheron is by far the closest connection yet. So sp excited to find out more about this. Raiden Mei, I'll love you in every universe.

Aventurine and Ratio are also very interesting to me. What does Ratio gain by involving himself in all of this? What does he get out of it? Anyway, their little journey through the mansion was nice. GIGANTIC RATIO. The kinda stuff my dreams are made of tbh.

Generally the whole Aventurine story got me right from the beginning. He's generally one of the most interesting characters to me (although this game has plenty of them). I gotta admit of course I was suspicious of him (as one should be of all Penacony characters) but I liked him nevertheless. This patch supported my feelings, my GOD HE xkdjjdjdjd. The way I cried. Since I played the story so late ofc I saw some spoilers/screenshots of his backstory but I never expected it to hit me this hard. Just wow. His ending, too. It's so bitter. Kinda hope we get to see him again, since he'a mot really dead, right? Just in some limbo.

His boss fight was really something. Not a lot of different patterns, but I still had to try a bunch of different teams, since you're kinda fucked even with just a single single target character in your party. Had to unbench Clara, and I gotta say, she came through for me. I might not have used the most meta team, but it worked soooo...

And just as I was glad I had managed the fight they hit you with that big cut scene, woah. AND THEN WITH THE FIREFLY SCENE? AND SUNDAY????

First of all, apparently it was common knowledge among the community since last patch that Sam was Firefly. Yeah, I gwt it bc of the leaks and stuff. But I'm just so confused as to HOW. Like HOW and WHY and just generally HUH. I can't wait for them to explain this connection (if you're reading this and you wanna spoil me with non-confirmed stuff then leave it, please, I might as well wait another 3 weeks).

And then Gallagher and Sunday... Just as I was admiring Sunday's beauty because he might legit just be one of the most gorgeous male character designs... THEY KILL HIM. When I tell ypu I was SHOOK. Mouth agape and all. Didn't know what to do. What a cliffhanger.

Now I don't have a real theory as to what I think will happen. If I remember correctly they said the main story will stretch until 2.3, right? I really wonder what else will happen, the story already seemed so huge this patch and I really wonder how it'll conclude. There's still so many questions and stories. Might add on to this post later when I have more thoughts.

Also Aventurine's banner just dropped but as of writing this I haven't pulled yet. Might add a little post later about it.

For now, have some screenshots I took during the story:

ALSO I GOT AVENTURINE. SECOND 50/50 WIN IN A ROW IN THIS GAME HAVE I FINALLY BROKEN THE CURSE. Now for the long and treacherous road of farming his trace mats and relics ... Since I never really prefarm 🥲

A pic I took in my excitement. Forgot the screenshot button exists.

[angeart]

hello!!!! Just wanted to drop in and tell you that I LOVE your fic HMTB and it was one of the first HC fica I’ve ever read!!! I’m not big on having a social presence on the internet but recently I’ve found myself in a Desert duo resurgence and hermit craft in general; I’ve found that I have this desperate to create my own art and stories that surround grian and scars dynamic bc it’s just… SO good. Like, idk how but there’s so many themes and details and symbols that you can draw from both their characters that isn’t even intentional!!!! It’s so cool!!! But I’m pretty scared to post anything or make an account dedicated to it. I’ve had this problem before, but after years and years of just following and lurking on accounts I feel like I might be able to handle it. Tbh I’m just anxious of what will happen if I do go through with it.

either way I don’t mean to bother you! Just wanted to tell you that I’m a long time enjoyer of your content and I’m glad to see you creating!! ty!

awwww hi!! thank you for coming here to tell me!! 🥺🥰💕

i've also been swallowed up by an urgent craving to create things about scar and grian :3c i know how that is. they're soo fun! and if you want to make things, you absolutely should! it's important to indulge in things that we enjoy doing, and creating stuff in particular can be so enriching!

i've sort of just. fallen into this hole myself. i remembered fanfics are a thing that exists, barely read a handful before i was hit by a sudden itch to make something myself... and boom, hmtb was born! just because i gave in! and i didn't know what to make of it or expect. it was just indulgent, born on a whim, but i put it out there anyway.

and then i remembered tumblr exists, and promptly went to look at scarian art :3c ... and bayum another itch later and i had an art account, and i also had no idea how that'll go or turn out!

and here we are.

opening up can be scary. but hey— think of it this way. if you make an account for things like that, you can always change your mind and pull out. it's easy. you can stop posting, or delete things—it's all yours. you control what you put out there.

i have met so many amazing people because i put myself and things i enjoy creating out there. it's been a wild ride—it's been, what, two years now?—but all of it is such an wonderful experience. (and yet somehow i continue to be surprised and so grateful and happy for every new positive interaction. like your message! <33)

if i never took that first step, i wouldn't be here, like this. i wouldn't know these people, i wouldn't have made these friends, i wouldn't have gotten back into rping, and i wouldn't be so continuously encouraged and inspired and excited to keep making more things! personally, i think sharing things is so fun. like, so so so fun. it's my favourite part. the mutual hype, inspiring each other, boucing off ideas, and feeling connected.

sometimes all it takes is being a little bit brave and taking a chance. taking that first small step on what might be a stroll to the end of your garden and back, or end up being a long, unexpectedly wonderful adventure. (yes okay i might be thinking about bilbo baggings here shhh—)

[hatsunemimikyu]

Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition First Impressions

Started playing yesterday after having it sit on my Steam library for years and thought it would be fun to note down my first impressions of the game!

Tales Experience

For note, this is not my first game in the series. I've played a significant part/finished Symphonia, Abyss, Zestiria and Berseria, and also played a bit of Phantasia and Arise. My favourites are Abyss and Berseria!

The Plot

I've gone up to Shaikos Ruins by now, so I haven't seen muuch of the plot, but knowing Tales I can predict some conspiration of those in power that relates to the ancient technology lol

I don't mind most Tales games sticking to a tried and true formula as I think the best part of those stories is how they tie to the development of the characters. And talking about characters...

The Characters

I already like Yuri a lot tbh. I love how he's simultaneously too tired for this shit but also cares too deeply to not help others in need. Combat-wise he's your sword main character(tm) which I always appreciate since I'm not that good at combat to play with the more intensive chars lol. Cool dude 10/10.

Omg Estelle is another one I'm loving?? She's kind and sheltered but she's also funny and a book lover. I love her dynamic with Yuri, sheltered noble x world weary (ex-)military makes me think of Luke x Tear who I have always liked a lot. I also love her dress, it looks like a flower!

Extra notes on her and Yuri's relationship, I'm curious to see how Flynn will play into it but I'm already envisioning the "this is my boyfriend Yuri and this is my boyfriend's boyfriend Flynn" thing lol

Also she and Yuri already had the "would you still love me if I was a worm snake or frog?" conversation and I love that for them tbh

https://youtu.be/RIlLpX4fmVY?si=4kR0_lmSoKr9YEpS

Mechanically she's a healer so... sorry girl, probably not going to play as you so much :'D and please stop using sharpness on yourself!!! Still 10/10

Doggo/10, what's more to say?

Ok but Repede is really cool! The only part of his design I'm not a big fan of is the electric blue fur on his head. I'm pretty curious on what's his story with his previous owner and how he came to hang with Yuri (I'm pretty sure the pipe is a memento?)

Mechanically he's the faster but frailer guy which is... ok I guess lol

He's scared as fuck and he has a big ass tote so he's very relatable lol I'm pretty sure him knowing to lockpick will be significant somehow, maybe a hint of his past? 8/10 let's see what he has in store

Mechanically he's the big swing guy which I always enjoy playing as even tho I'm bad at it

Smartass ass lil lady/10. This is a "type" of character I always like in Tales so happy to see her there lol. Still have to finish the ruins to see how will she decide to tag along the party. Mechanically she's the offensive caster, found her nice to play at but I don't like to stay still for long so I don't play caster very much.

Now that I'm done with the characters for now, let's get to...

The Gameplay

This is one of the Tales with the lanes + free movement duo. I'm playing on normal bc I'm a scrub, but I still feel that blocking at the right time/free moving to reposition is pretty important as some enemies can hit quite hard. Usually it gets easier with time bc you get more characters/spells, but for now I'm feeling the difficulty is in a nice place. Skills being learnable from weapons adds some more levels of choice (do I equip every new stronger piece of equipment or do I wait to learn skill X?) which is interesting. I'm glad I'm playing on my Deck as I don't have to worry about save points since I can just put it to sleep.

Now for the last part...

The Visuals

As I've stated before, I'm playing this on a Steam Deck, so I can't comment on how this would look on a giant screen, but for the Deck at least, it looks pretty good! The art direction is pretty strong and all the environments I saw up to now have been distinctive and very nicely crafted. The characters also look pretty good, and the overrall effect is like you're playing an interactive anime. Really shows how a good art direction makes a game look good no matter how old it is.

Anyways having an overrall nice experience with this one! I'm curious to get more characters and see how they develop. Idk if I'll write any more of this but it has been fun to ramble about lol. If you read this all thanks for reading lol have you played this game?

[simplylove101]

2024 Horror Challenge: [89/?]

↳"I thought I'd lost you forever.

"Lose me? No. You can never lose me, Laura. I'm your monster.” Your Monster (2024) dir. Caroline Lindy

Plot: After her life falls apart, soft-spoken actress Laura Franco finds her voice again when she meets a terrifying, yet weirdly charming Monster living in her closet. A romantic-comedy-horror film about falling in love with your inner rage.

Starring: Melissa Barrera, Tommy Dewey, Edmund Donovan, Kayla Foster & Meghann Fahy

Yes, the annual challenge is technically over since I always declare Halloween as the last day of it, but honestly, I might just have to keep it going on the whole year from now on at this point because, let's face it, horror movies still get released after October. And well, I have thoughts to share about certain ones. lol Now I'll watch older movies for the first time during this little limbo between challenges and not type up a review just because that's gonna slip my mind tbh. And it's not like I have a real audience for this thing anyway (despite plenty of people liking my reviews) so what's it matter, you know? That said, these newer movies, I have thoughts to share, and it only makes sense to get those thoughts out here where I can ramble for myself. Anyway, I kept hearing about this movie but felt like I wasn't getting the clearest idea what it actually was. Having watched it, I do get why. It's a very genre-bending movie that isn't necessarily going to be for everyone, which I think is why its rating keeps lower little by little each time I see it. I can't say that it's a complete 10/10 for me, but I actually think it mostly worked for what it was. I'm sure people went into it expecting a pure romcom since yes, its plot certainly had its inspiration from Beauty and the Beast, and it has plenty of that vibe, but it does also focus on Melissa's character outside of that where it's more about her dealing with her prior heartbreak & wanting approval from her ex, and then, without spoiling the ending, it takes the narrative a step further in a way that leaves some things up for interpretation for its audience. I personally didn't hate that the story went that way. I don't know if it necessarily stuck the landing when that happened, but I think Melissa sold it very well. I saw someone saying she was miscasted, but I actually liked getting to see her play a much softer character than I'm used to. It felt refreshing. Now again, I don't know if I'd say she hit every beat perfectly imo (I'm thinking more when her character was crying, and yeah, I know it was meant to be funny, but it did get a little shrilly at certain parts), but I think it was a great career move on her part. It was a good chance to show her range as an actress and she made me laugh. The strongest part of the movie for sure was her chemistry with Tommy Dewey as Monster. I think he really helped her make this movie work because he's so present in his scenes with her, and he definitely had me dying with laughter at certain parts. I really enjoyed their dynamic. Also gotta mention, I love that Meghann Fahy is finally getting some proper love lately since I adored her on The Bold Type, and while she doesn't necessarily get much to work with here, she was perfectly cast since ofc everyone's gonna love her. lol What's interesting is you'll watch it and wonder, so where's the horror element beyond him being a monster? Well, it comes near the end, but I promise there's something. It's not a scary movie by any means, but there's a bloody sequence, that's all I'll say. I know this movie was probably a hard sell to producers, and that's why it got the small theatrical release, but it's a solid enough indie movie that was trying to be a little different. Overall, I enjoyed it. If I had to place it in my earlier rankings, I think I would have wanted to put it in my Honorable Mentions category. I feel like it worked enough for me that feels right as a placement.

[1425fivefive]

Hiii i’ve just binged all the afterburn snippets u posted (no idea why tumblr hid these from my timeline btw kinda mad about that) and im feeling feral! U don’t know just how excited i am for it!! It reminded me of learned behavior and honestly who cares about a uni degree and quizzes and shit when i could spend my time rereading and analysing every sentence in that masterpiece of literature!

I was just curious, since you’re a writer i look up to as one of the best in fandom space in general, what’s your writing process? Like do you just get a vague idea and build it up as you write with more vague ideas of how it’s supposed to go? Do you make a proper outline and plot out scenes and major plot points/character arcs? Like what is your writing/editing process?

I’m just curious to know tbh i myself have been writing in fandom for a few years now but i feel really stuck and frustrated where i am, so when i see writing as good as yours i am in awe and wanna like dissect ur brain (in not a creepy way i swear!)

Sorry for the long ask and you don’t have to answer but thank youuu for writing for this fandom <3

hi!! this ask is so lovely, i love talking about the writing process

for me, it really varies by fic. most of the time when i'm writing a short fic (capybara cupid, intricate rituals), i'll have a premise or a line of dialogue, and then i'll just see where the fic takes me. i don't have any outline or "plan" going in other than wanting to explore a particular concept or theme. i'll maybe do one edit for spelling mistakes/grammar and then hit post

with long fics, it's very different. i'll talk about afterburn just because that's the one that's freshest in my brain. i went in knowing i wanted to write about (1) oscar signing a long-term contract with mclaren and (2) lando leaving for ferrari right before 2028. i then sat with it and thought ok, why does lando leave. what happens over 2025-2027 that leads him to the point where he'd actually be ready to leave. and i started thinking through championships and races and oscar's characterization more, and then i started writing with a vague idea of the major "scenes." i knew abu dhabi 2026 and singapore 2027 was going to be big races right from the start. i knew something happened at zandvoort in 2027. but the specifics were sort of vague to me. once i start writing, usually, i get a much clearer idea of everyone's dynamics and how a particular scene will work. often i end up abandoning certain pieces of dialogue i'm really attached to just because once i actually start writing, the dialogue doesn't fit with the characterization. i'm extremely, extremely ruthless in cutting things i think aren't working

anyway, once i have like 60-70% of the fic done, i start going through and editing more substantively. i'll move scenes around, scrap scenes, add new ones where i think they're needed. i think it's really important to let go of things that feel "wrong" even if you like the writing or scene conceptually. just put it in another tab of your gdoc and save it there. you can come back to it later and maybe rework it into something that suits the fic

i also think it's really valuable to think about paring your writing back to its essentials. so often i see fics that are extremely long where essentially nothing happens. that's totally fine if that's what the author's going for, but i think trying to get your writing "punchier" is a good exercise in figuring out what words you "need" to tell a story. i was talking with a friend recently about how i try to stay away from metaphors and similes most of the time because i think it slows down pacing and often dips into cliché

so anyway, my writing process for long fics is: premise -> vague ideas of scenes -> start writing -> start writing a more detailed outline -> keep writing -> read through the fic to figure out if scenes are working/what needs to be deleted or added -> keep writing -> final edit

i hope this is helpful-ish!

[wonderousmonarch]

Definitive Thoughts On Kamen Rider 3 (i think)

SPOILERS FOR KAMEN RIDER RYUKI, KUUGA, AND AGITO BELOW

ooh baby a new batch of series

Ryuki 

This happens every time i look in a mirror

Plot/Concept: 8/10

Mirror world stuff is always cool, i‘ve said this before but i wrote a Persona TTRPG Campaign based around the same idea. I’m always down for Kamen Riders fighting each other, though to be honest I wasnt sure how much i’d like the cards. 

Execution: 10/10

Oh my god this series was peak. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, i adored how continuous the story felt despite also being a standard monster of the week (or rather, two weeks) story structure. Around episode 35 or so the plot came to a screeching halt so that we could watch Kitaoka could fumble a bad bitch in real time which was kinda odd, but it picked back up right away so i forgive it. And that ending was fucking crazy, there was no world where I predicted what was going to happen. I loved the hell out of it.

Characters: 9/10

This show had a pretty good roster of characters, and even the ones who didnt stick around as long felt fleshed out and interesting. I would’ve liked to have seen more of Kamen Rider Sicssors, but even his short arc was incredibly interesting to me. I’m happy they didn’t go with the “Fight Every Kamen Rider One After Another” plot that i thought they were going to at first, so we got to see all the other characters complete their arcs.

Character Designs: 10/10

GRAAAAH i fucking LOVE the suits in this series. I love the masks in particular, the knight styled grill for the faceplate is such a vibe. Each character had their own style outside of suit as well, which made them even more enjoyable. 

Music: 11/10

Listen to Revolution and you’ll understand.

Seriously though, this show’s soundtrack is something else. I’ll echo this sentiment in the Kuuga and Agito sections but the music for this series was alot darker and more “grounded” in a sense, which fit the vibes of the show perfectly.

Overall:10/10, top of S tier

Kuuga

I’ve been hitting the👍alot more after watching this show.

Plot/Concept: 5/10

TBH I wasn’t the most impressed at first, I kinda knew the formula would be alot simpler this early on, but it was just the standard Monster Of The Week show for a bit. Still interesting, but not the most unique right away.

Execution: 9/10

OOOOH BABY this show got hella good really fast. I loved how many moving parts there were to the story, how active each Gegeru felt. Probably one of the better ways the MoTW formula is used, and seeing the logic behind each game and what was going on was so cool. I loved how Kuuga developed and evolved throughout the plot, and the concept of him using objects found around the world to use as his weapons was awesome. Also the final encounter was raw as hell.

Characters: 8/10

Godai X Ichijo 100 years baby. I loved the dynamic between these two, and in general I loved how active the supporting cast felt through every episode. It’s never really felt like characters didn’t have anything to do - the way they had to decipher the clues behind each string of killings, decipher the text about Kuuga, or discover what a specific artifact did made them feel like a constant and important part in the show, unlike later series where the supporting cast will just stand there and look dumbstruck (looking at you Rinko)

Character Designs: 6/10

I didn’t fuck with alot of the monster designs tbh, but the designs for the human characters was pretty good. Ichijo could’ve mogged every Gruongi out of the room if the plot was about him. Speaking of, the Gruongi’s human forms really felt like they were the “Enemy Stand User In A Crowd.” 

Music: 6/10

Honestly the music didn’t start getting good until later in the show. It was pretty solid for most of it, but I never started catjamming until around the latter half.

Overall: 7/10, A Tier

Agito

Wet cat simulator 2001

Plot/Concept: 7/10

Big fan of how it continued after Kuuga. Even though it wasn’t a sequel in the way you’d expect, the references to events in Kuuga were pretty cool to see. Besides that though, I vibed with the mysterious artifact, i vibed with the strange signal hitting Shoichi and Ryo - i vibed with the whole thing.

Execution: 8/10

Truly, what does it mean to be human? This show rocked from start to finish, even MORE moving parts and loose threads than Kuuga, and although I was a little disappointed/confused by alot of the reveals and revelations, I still enjoyed the series as a whole. It was very Shin Megami Tensei which I of course fucked with so so so heavily. Love it when two godlike beings play with humanity like they’re action figures. I don’t really know what else to say about the story as a whole, it was just like, really fucking good. The ending was a little dry, but yknow i’ll excuse it. (also now that I think about it they just didn’t finish the plot point where Kana was becoming an Agito, like what the hell happened there)

Characters: 8/10

Pretty good. I loved all the main riders, I enjoyed their dynamic. The whole “secret identities” thing was kinda dragged out at times but honestly I get the idea behind it. The Lords were pretty cool, I loved how they were just kinda angels, and while I understood what their motivations were pretty quick, it never felt boring. It was kinda funny that Tetsuya and Shoichi just swapped names at the end, although kinda strange that Tetsuya took the name of his dead girlfriends brother???? Before he even knew what had happened to him? Like what was the thought process there. I mightve misunderstood tho idk

Character Designs: 8/10

Monster designs were pretty cool this time around. Dont ask about the BDSM Raven Monster. 

I liked the different kinds of Agitos we saw, how Shoichi was the “purest” form of Agito and the others were more proto/distorted versions of the original. The G3 and G3-X were super cool as well, I love the concept of people making a whole suit modeled after a Rider (in this case, Kuuga) in order to fight the monsters.

Music: 9/10

Fucking Bangersauce. I loved every aspect of the music in this show, and like Kuuga and Ryuki i felt it really fit the series well. Not much else to really say tbh

Overall: 8/10, S Teir

hella good seasons, and im very excited to start Faiz

[bragganhyl]

Can you do kana for the character thing please? And Eder if you want 😘

I sure could, thank you :D

How I feel about this character: Sweet angel boy, too good for the world, I learned so much about different chanter builds just so I can keep him around along with my chanter Watcher lmao but also his arc hits harder with every replay

All the people I ship romantically with this character: As I recall, he only ever shows interest in Maneha and well she's obviously not interested. So... idk at most the Watcher, I bet a romance would have been very cute and very - for the lack of better word - romantic with him.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Hiravias, I'm probably repeating myself but I do very much like how Kana brings out his more scholarly side. Hell, I'm pretty sure Kana is one of the very few people if not the only one (aside from the Watcher potentially I mean) who sees and treats him as an intellectual. So yeah I like their nerd dynamic a lot.

But also Maia, ofc, just... give me all the Rua family interactions, it's fun, it's tense but the love between them is undeniable still.

My unpopular opinion about this character: I feel very ambivalent about his post-Crookspur cameo in Deafire, because on the one hand I'm always very happy about more Kana but why did he have to join the navy 😭😭😭 That's not what I meant when I told him that Rauatai should seek common cultural links with other nations, babyboy nooo 😭😭😭

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: This might be obvious but he should've been in Deadfire more. Tbh I think the faction companions could've worked better if we had 2/faction and we could see their different attitudes and maybe see them play off one another but that may be just me I definitely would have liked if I had both the Rua siblings on board and see their friction more. And ofc see how the last 5 years changed Kana - aside from him joining the navy I mean

I'm putting Edér under the cut bc it's getting long

How I feel about this character: Do you need to ask, Anon? I love himst, I love him so much it's not even funny at this point 😭

All the people I ship romantically with this character: The Watcher, like... a lot. His devotion for them is through the roof, the Watcher is in some ways the light of his life who pulls him out of the dark and apathetic mental space where the Saint's War and its aftermath placed him. Like how am I supposed to be normal about them? Especially if you throw in lines like "I wish [the gods] knew you like I did" or the personal +5 to deflection line seriously who's idea was that and why does it sound like that

also if you've been around this household then you might know that I also like the Team Gilded Vale throuple but like a) i'm not ready to submit that 5 page long essay rn and b) I kinda can't separate the dynamic from my Watcher in specific rn so yeah ask me about that some other time I'm very sorry my brain is a mush

My non-romantic OTP for this character: Tbh he's got good chemistry with like most of the companions in either games, but ngl I do like the idea of him befriending Grieving Mother a lot. They only interact once but even then Edér calls her a "nice, stranger lady" - despite GM's aura of unpleasantness - and GM seems really heartbroken over being unable to help him during his personal quest. And they both end up in Dyrford potentially, I'd like to think they end up bonding between games.

My unpopular opinion about this character: He's not a himbo, he's not dumb enough for that tho deadfire does dumb him down ngl and he can be very mean at times too so... yeah.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: Elafa should not have died. It does her dirty because obviously. It does Edér dirty because he ends his story still holding onto a version of Elafa that hasn't existed since the Saint's War. In some ways it even does Bearn dirty because the only way to establish a substantial link between him and Edér is to navigate the boat scenario in a very specific way that most players won't even think to aim for (you need to run out of convo options with Bearn while he's still undecided to push Edér to talk him down himself)

[atopvisenyashill]

do you ship theonsa in the books as well?

yes.

idk if you want my theonsa manifesto here or not aksjdj but i guess i’ll say while the show obviously played into the dynamic (bc sophie & alfie had good chemistry) and also kinda had to play up the dynamic because they replaced jeyne with sansa, the show definitely gave me more to work with, but i’ve shipped those two since i read adwd in high school lol.

idk, i think both of their stories hit on really similar themes, esp in the way those two handle trauma, and the allure of them meeting again, pushing on all those old bruises, and trauma bonding over it is really appealing to me. like, they don’t have to tortured by the same person to have that connection to robb, to identity, to being a child hostage, to struggling with dual identities & feeling worthy of affection, to have experienced trauma they can bond over ya kno, i think the wo5k has been highly traumatizing to both of them on its own without the added show stuff! tbh, i actually wish LESS content centered on show stuff bc i do think there’s something there for their book versions but alas. this fandom will ship sansa with every character but the characters i want her to be with aksksjs

[foli-vora]

OKAY I AM BACK FROM EARLIER AFTER HAVING READ CH.8 AND OH MY GOOOOOOD. SMILE INDEED PUT ON FACE WILL TO LIVE INDEED PUT IN SOUL

There were so many moments reading this chapter where I just sort of stopped breathing because of how strongly you'd built the tension. You could feel the intensity of their feelings and the fragility of their circumstances through every word.

The flashbacks ARE YOU JOKING NO NO NO BE SO FOR REAL ARE YOU ACTUALLY SERIOUS. I clenched my teeth so hard I almost passed out. I want these two to have a happy ending so bad but I can't lie the way you write the angst is so delicious. Especially when Marcus is tortured so beautifully. It's really interesting to me the way that this happened after his relationship with Lisbon ended. Because I'd argue there was significant deceit in how she handled and ended their relationship (obviously very different to his relationship and deceit with Scribbles but still) so he knows the heartbreak that causes and the feeling that all your plans, seemingly everything you'd built the foundation of your love on was a lie/pulled from underneath your feet. His guilt must be multiplied, having caused someone a pain that felt so harsh when he was on the receiving end of it. You utilised that so beautifully in this chapter!!!

You give them a moment where Marcus shows how much their dynamic has shifted, where he displays trust in her to an extent that could be detrimental to himself, and then you have them say goodbye? You enjoy torturing me huh??? You enjoy giving me SEVERAL heartattacks?? You enjoy making me cry with the poetic timing of it all? DO YOU??!

Hey uh soo... that ending... it's so good... and so interesting... and I am DYING to know... is this gonna be the link to the little "present" secrion that opened up the whole fic? Because I have been dreading that and need you to tell me how girded my loins should be going forward!!!!!

AMAZING chapter, as always. Your writing always hits just right

this ask slapped me across the face, walked around the room twice and then slapped me again for good measure. you are way too fucking kind! the amount of joy i got from this ask and your prev one is immeasurable. THANK YOU ❤️❤️❤️

marcus is just an absolute mess. the guilt he feels is insane, and being such a hopeless romantic softie himself, it kills him to have broken someones heart like that, especially from carrying his own heartbreak from before her. i live for the emotional agony!

we're definitely leading up to the story opening and tbh i'm getting nervous about it lmao. my man's about to get fucked up and as much as this story makes me dislike him, it'll still suck when it happens! so i'd say begin to gird your loins from here.

thank you for being here and for all of your love! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

[youremyheaven]

"GIRL I FEEL YOU, i don't find this romantic either. I think relationships are build over time and it's possible to build something with someone WITHOUT love bombing them???"

yess omg, you get me - idk if you know the sitcom 'the Big Bang Theory' but it reminds me of the dynamic between Leonard (played by a very Venus dom dude) and Penny. She's this bubbly, pretty popular girl who dates lots of guys and is very friendly but can be viewed as shallow, and he's like this nerdy lovesick loverboi with mummy issues.

He pines for her throughout the show while she dates numerous other guys and I think it's almost like we're supposed to feel bad for him, like 'damn poor Leonard, if only she'd be less shallow and give him a chance 😔' but it's like, in reality she's doing nothing wrong by not being that into him and he's kinda being entitled by going 'woe is me' about it.

She was painted as very oblivious to how he felt but tbh (I know it's just a show) but I always think it's more likely she just acts oblivious so that she doesn't look like a b* for turning his lovesick ass down.

Then later in the show they actually do get together - I think she does develop genuine feelings for him, but it's more that they've been friends for so long and have that history. It ends up a running joke that people will go 'wow man, how did you get her!?' and she goes 'he wore me down' lmaoo

it's a comedy so it's not that serious but yeah it never felt right in a way because it's supposed to sound like a sweet story: 'yeah he wanted her for yearsss and years and she finally gave in' but lowkey it's not that sweet, it feels a little more like she was emotionally strongarmed into ending up with this guy.

Venus men are also kinda self sabotaging I think too, they're the kinda dudes to purposely make everything seem so tragic so that they can play 'tortured artist'. They PURPOSELY create this dynamic, almost like being a cuck lol

I've watched the early seasons of TBBT (it used to air on TV all the time in India)

Omg Leonard & Penny's relationship ALWAYS gave me the ick 🤡

OMG ACTING OBLIVIOUS to not seem like a bitch is me with men 😭😭 I play my bimbo card whenever they try to hit on me bc men do not take rejection lightly 😔

Yeah the "pursuing someone until they just give in" is very Venus men coded 😭 I've had major situations with a couple of Venusian men and they've all been persistent as helllll, meanwhile my Nodal ex basically disappeared from my life. These men, no matter how many times you turn them down, idk if they don't feel humiliated or embarrassed or what it is??? but lovesick is the right word. They just keep going at it??? the word 'no' means nothing to them 😭

OMFGGG the tragic image they paint of themselves is crazy accurate 😭😭 every Venusian man I know has pulled the "I've wanted you for soooo long, please I beg of you" type strategy,,, like they're SO willing to look pathetic, it's crazy??? I always thought it was surprising bc they're all otherwise dignified stoic seeming people but suddenly they act like pathetic fools in love and now I see it as how they see themselves as lovers, i.e, they think of themselves as doomed tragic heroes who just love a girl too much without concern for how she feels 🤡it's like they LIKE pain (which is obviously very Venus coded as well) they're masochistic lowkey

[ddeongies]

.....wow

i mean... what else can i say. this chapter (the whole of choreo au, really) was beautifully written. like it really is just a character study under the guise of smut, and u pull it off so well every time. i love how much emotion is ingrained into everything, their words, their actions, their thoughts, even the narration

the strap bit was so good, i love the specific way you write yeji kind of gnc, especially in these parts. it's so fun (and also makes me look very bigly at succubus au for. reasons).

i also love the little bookending with the first line "ryujin thought she'd prepared herself for hwang yeji. she was wrong" and the last "nothing could have prepared ryujin for hwang yeji", i love when stories come full circle like that. i know we're getting an epilogue chapter but even without it this is still such a perfect place to end this story

on a completely different note. biting yeji's stomach........ im so glad we are all on the same page AGH. i will be normal. she. ohhh the yummy...

-🖤

i'm so glad you enjoyed the chapter/fic!!! 🥰 choreo is definitely as horny as it is... not LOL. it's obviously a smutty fic, but the smut is really there as another device to examine and progress the dynamic and the characters. i honestly didn't know what this fic would turn into when i started writing it tbh... i wanted it to be like kinda toxic kinda angsty sexy ryeji and then i ended up with this! and i'm very happy about it tbh!!

the strap bit was so important as a final scene tbh like it's kind of the definition of choreo. like it's smutty as hell but there's something much deeper (pun not intended) going on there and it hits as hard as it does bc of all the internal shit like... imo it wouldn't be half as hot without the 40k of emotional shit that lead up to it! (i love gnc/Not Cis yeji..... i am also looking bigly as succubus au like can ddeongies just write that already 😭

i'm addicted to bookending in fic. i try to do it in all of them (sometimes in more subtle ways than i did it here) i really really wanted this chapter to feel Final and Complete. like i'm super excited to write the epilogue and i've already got a lot of cute and hot ideas cooking for it :D, but i really didn't want to leave anything hanging after this monster of a chapter. like if i couldn't wrap it up in 20k then LOL

yeah the body worship scene was... a journey to write. like genuinely ask @lonewolflink she was getting so pissed at me bc i literally had just the yummy part to write for maybe like 2 weeks bc i just couldn't do it it was actually so hard it made me feel CRAZY (i have clearly decided to not be normal pls join me)