#team treasure trials

[ararozu-art]

i drew this a year ago

i'm surprised i never posted it here until now

Left to right -> Selene, Storm, Fuschia

[batshit-auspol]

For those that aren't in Australia right now, we have the funniest scandal going on.

Firstly let us introduce you to the eye of the storm: Sam Kerr. Sam is a women's soccer player who has in the last year become one of the most famous and beloved athletes in Australia. Captain of the women's national team, Sam became something of a cult figure after the last Women's Soccer World Cup became a complete unpredicted sensation in Australia, with the whole country getting behind the team.

Sam, up until now, has had probably one of the most squeaky clean images in sport. Generally in Australia it is not uncommon for our sports stars to be caught up in scandals involving drugs:

violence:

drinking their own urine:

or if you're cricket legend Shane Warne, probably all three at once.

Contrasting all this, Sam's image as the squeaky clean saviour for sport made it all the more shocking this last week, when it was announced that Kerr was to face trial after having been charged by the UK police of a "racially aggravated offence" involving a taxi driver.

This was shocking news. Nobody knew what to make of it. Sam was a model for young girls everywhere and a national treasure. "This is why we can't have nice things" screamed the nation. It seemed like all hope was lost.

That is, until, yesterday, when the UK police finally revealed the full details of the case, in which Sam Kerr, sporting legend, was arrested for vomiting in a cab, and then telling an intervening police officer that he was a “stupid white bastard”.

Now we probably don't need to point out that in Australia, vomiting in a taxi and then calling a cop a bastard is about as close to a national culture as we have.

You could not have come up with a better headline to make someone a national hero.

Needless to say, Sam in now being hailed down under as the greatest legend that ever lived, and a petition has already been started to have her picture added to the $5 note.

The tide has swung so far that not one, but TWO, state Premiers have spoken out in support of Kerr, and the Prime Minister has even gone on the record describing her as "a delight".

And so ends the racial abuse saga of our greatest sports hero of all time, and the very first reverse milkshake duck to ever exist.

[caffeiiine]

i feel like the vice president of this thing

[misswynters]

Aemond Targaryen as your husband: headcanon

[a/n: there are some sensual undertones here so if you don’t wanna read that you can skip it. it’s after the seperator

[note | pls don’t just like, reblog & give me feedback. i don’t want to get shadowbanned

similar | jace | aegon | cregan | daeron | gwayne

Aemond is fiercely protective of you. His intense loyalty means he is always by your side, ensuring your safety and well-being. He often places himself between you and any perceived threat, his hand instinctively reaching for his sword.

Aemond isn’t one for grand romantic gestures, but his love for you is evident in the small things. He brushes your hair out of your face, ensures your chambers are always warm, and leaves books he thinks you’d enjoy on your bedside table.

As your husband, Aemond values your opinion on matters of state and politics. He seeks your counsel in private, trusting your judgment and treating you as an equal partner in all decisions.

Aemond admires your intelligence and enjoys engaging in deep conversations with you. Whether it’s discussing the histories of Westeros, strategy, or philosophy, he relishes the intellectual stimulation you provide.

Aemond respects your strength and encourages you to train with him. He enjoys sparring sessions where you both hone your skills, often leading to playful banter and mutual admiration.

You and Aemond have an unspoken bond, sharing secrets that no one else knows. He trusts you implicitly and confides in you about his deepest fears and ambitions.

Despite his stern exterior, Aemond has a soft spot for you. In private, he’s tender and gentle, often holding you close and whispering sweet nothings that contrast sharply with his public demeanor.

Aemond enjoys gifting you rare and precious items, from intricate jewelry to exotic silks. He takes pride in finding unique treasures that reflect your tastes and interests.

One of your favorite pastimes is riding Vhagar together. The thrill of soaring through the skies, feeling the wind in your hair, and the shared experience of dragon riding brings you closer. Aemond often points out landmarks and recounts stories from his childhood as you fly.

Aemond’s loyalty to you is unwavering. He defends your honor fiercely and would go to great lengths to protect you from harm. His love is intense and all-consuming, leaving no room for doubt.

Through your relationship, Aemond learns to open up more emotionally. Your patience and understanding help him grow, allowing him to express his feelings more freely and strengthening your bond.

Aemond is your biggest supporter. Whether you’re pursuing a personal project or navigating court politics, he’s always there to offer encouragement and practical advice.

Aemond is devoted to your future children. He takes an active role in their upbringing, ensuring they are well-educated and trained. He often tells them stories of his own adventures and the legacy of House Targaryen.

Despite the challenges you face, your bond with Aemond is unbreakable. Together, you are a formidable team, facing the world with strength and determination. Your love for each other is a constant source of comfort and inspiration, guiding you through the trials of life in Westeros.

Aemond’s eye always finds you in a room full of people. The way he looks at you, with a mix of desire and admiration, sends shivers down your spine. His gaze alone can make you feel cherished and wanted.

In private, Aemond’s touches are gentle and deliberate. He traces his fingers along your skin, memorizing every curve and line. Whether it’s a light touch on your hand or a caress along your back, he makes you feel treasured.

Aemond’s kisses are a mix of urgency and tenderness. He captures your lips with an intensity that leaves you breathless, his hands cradling your face as if you’re the most precious thing in the world.

Late at night, when the castle is quiet, Aemond whispers sweet and sultry words in your ear. He tells you of his desires, his dreams, and how deeply he loves you. His voice, low and husky, wraps around you like a warm embrace.

Aemond takes his time when you’re having sex. He believes in savoring every moment, exploring your body with a careful and practiced touch. His focus is entirely on your pleasure, ensuring you feel loved and satisfied.

There’s a powerful, unspoken connection between you. A single look from Aemond can communicate a thousand words. In moments of intimacy, you don’t need to speak; your bodies and souls understand each other perfectly.

After a long day, Aemond loves to hold you close. He wraps his arms around you, his body shielding yours. The warmth of his embrace and the steady beat of his heart are the ultimate comfort, making you feel safe and adored. Giving you the love that his mother didn’t give him.

Aemond is particularly affectionate in the mornings. He wakes you with soft kisses on your neck and shoulders, his hands gently exploring your body as he whispers good morning. These moments set a loving tone for the day ahead.

Aemond enjoys sharing baths with you. The intimacy of washing each other, feeling the warm water and his hands on your skin, creates a deep bond. He loves to see you relaxed and content, and he takes his time, making sure every touch is soothing and sensual.

Despite his duties, Aemond finds time for secret sex. Whether it’s a secluded garden or a hidden room in the castle, he ensures you have moments of privacy to express your love and passion freely.

banner by: @cafekitsune

[thankskenpenders]

The Knuckles show

The announcement of a live action Knuckles streaming miniseries was surprising, to say the least. I mean, what would such a show even be about in a version of the Sonic universe with no Angel Island and barely any characters from the games around? Is he gonna go treasure hunting with the gang from Montana or something? Would a streaming miniseries have the CGI budget to squeeze in any new game characters, even briefly? Rouge? Amy? At least one member of Team Chaotix? Anyone?

Now the show is finally out, and it turns out what they actually made was a comedy show about bumbling deputy sheriff Wade Whipple, the minor comic relief character played by Adam Pally who you might not even remember all that well from the first two movies, with Knuckles as his sidekick. While, yes, Knuckles does get a decent amount of screentime and opportunities to punch bad guys and do cool moves from the games, large stretches of this show focus on Wade's personal life, to the point that a couple times I almost forgot I was watching a Sonic-related show. If you're judging it purely by the metric of how well it adapts and engages with its source material, this surely must be one of the worst adaptations the Sonic franchise has ever seen.

So then, despite some huge complaints... why do I kinda like it?

(This will contain full spoilers for the Knuckles show.)

A brief summary of what the show is actually about because I know half of you aren't going to watch it

The show picks up not too long after the end of the second movie. Knuckles is now living in Montana with Sonic, Tails, and the Wachowskis out of a sense of debt to them, though he doesn't really see it as his home. He doesn't feel like he belongs on Earth, and his life currently lacks direction. After communing with the ghost of Pachacamac, though, Knuckles is instructed to keep his culture alive by teaching "the ways of the echidna warrior" to a new apprentice: deputy sheriff Wade Whipple, who's currently more concerned about winning a bowling tournament in Reno than anything else.

Things are complicated by the interference of two rogue GUN agents - Agent Willoughby, played by Ellie Taylor in a bad wig, and Agent Mason, played by Kid Cudi. (Yes, the artist behind the second movie's credits song is one of the bad guys in this.) They want to steal Knuckles' power and sell it to a former associate of Robotnik's played by Rory McCann (The Hound from Game of Thrones), who now works as a black market arms dealer. Yes, they're still doing the thing where Sonic and friends' quills radiate some kind of super-energy that the bad guys all want. No, I don't particularly love this element of the Paramount Sonic continuity. Anyway, they go after Knuckles and Wade, complicating their straightforward road trip to Reno. Antics ensue.

The Wade show

So here's the thing. While the first episode focuses largely on Knuckles, the entire rest of the show is very much the story of Wade, and by extension the other original human characters invented for this miniseries.

Episode 2 is about Wade having to rescue Knuckles from captivity after the GUN agents get him. Knuckles spends most of the episode in a cage.

Episode 3 is about introducing Wade's Jewish family, including his slightly overbearing mother and weird sister, so that Knuckles can learn about their family traditions and have Shabbat dinner with them (and then save them from bounty hunters that the GUN agents hired).

Episode 4 only features Knuckles at the very beginning and very end of the episode, probably for less than a minute total. Wade is captured by a bounty hunter he personally knows, and Knuckles decides to let that be a trial for Wade to overcome on his own.

The last two episodes feature the climactic showdowns with the GUN agents and their arms-dealing ally, who comes in with a mech for the obligatory final boss fight. You'd think this would be Knuckles' time to shine, but really, these episodes are mostly about the bowling tournament in Reno where Wade encounters his estranged father, wrapping up his own personal arc. While Knuckles does get some fights, a lot of the finale is spent on lengthy bowling scenes where Knuckles isn't in the room or even mentioned. It frequently feels more like a spiritual successor to '00s sports comedy movies like Dodgeball, Talladega Nights, or Blades of Glory than it does a part of the Sonic franchise, and the presence of ESPN 8: The Ocho commentary in the finale only drives those Dodgeball comparisons home. They get so immersed in the bowling stuff that it's genuinely hilarious when the show suddenly pivots and remembers "oh shit we still need to do the final boss fight"

Throughout all this, Wade is the protagonist. He's the character we spend more time with, he's the character who drives most of the major events, he's the character who gets more of an arc. The emotional core is Wade's journey. Knuckles is still present - sometimes, at least - but he's there as Wade's wingman, and also just as the excuse for there to be some fight scenes.

How much Sonic stuff is actually in this show?

Honestly? Not much.

Sonic and Tails are only in the first episode. Sonic gets some good scenes, but Tails gets a grand total of five lines. I counted. Unsurprisingly, Jim Carrey is absent as Robotnik, though he does get mentioned a fair bit. (For that matter, basically the entire established human cast beyond Wade is absent, even including Tom, though Maddie is there in episode one.)

GUN is involved in the story, which helps it feel slightly more connected to Sonic, but it kind of feels like it's GUN in name only. They don't use any recognizable GUN tech, and they don't call in the military. It's just two agents in suits. They might as well be the Men in Black.

The Master Emerald is mentioned as something Knuckles has to guard, but it's never seen. Angel Island is pictured as a drawing during the show's intro, appearing exactly how it does in Sonic 3, but it's never referenced at all beyond that.

I guess the climax taking place in and around a Reno casino is a reference to Sonic's many casino-themed levels. That's something. I'll give them that.

Oh, and if you're wondering if this is the point where we finally start to get actual music from the games: no, it's not. The soundtrack consists of a lot of '80s needle drops, many of which are generic Hollywood picks like "Holding Out for a Hero" for the billionth time, thought it at least has some slightly less obvious picks than the Mario movie. The theme song is '80s rock song "The Warrior" by Scandal. You'll hear it many times. You'll hear the Adventure era Knuckles raps zero times in this. You'll briefly hear classic A Tribe Called Quest song "Can I Kick It?" before Knuckles takes the question too literally and breaks the radio in Wade's car.

Beyond a handful of surface level references for nerds (one of which is admittedly wild - we'll get to that), this is probably the least an officially licensed adaptation of Sonic the Hedgehog has ever tried to actually engage with its source material. I struggle to think of another Sonic adaptation that has less to do with Sonic. For as much shit as I and countless others have given Penders for seemingly ignoring the content of the games in favor of building his own convoluted mythos, his Knuckles comics honestly included way more elements from the games than this show does.

Somehow, the one new(-ish) Sonic character introduced in this is the ghost of Pachacamac of all characters. Not even Tikal! Pachacamac! A very minor character nobody has particularly strong feelings about! You can't even use the excuse that they already had the character model, because they completely redesigned him compared to his cameo in the first movie to better match his Sonic Adventure design. And he's voiced by Christopher Lloyd! Honestly, so many of his lines are strained that it sounds like he's on death's door here, but then he'll surprise you with a more casual line like "just do it, man" and it catches me so off guard that I can't help but laugh.

Pachacamac here has basically nothing to do with the game character he takes his name and appearance from. Where the game character was a cruel warlord who kicked off a 3000 year cycle of violence, Paramount Pachacamac is now just this chill old man who gives Knuckles (and later Wade) advice in two episodes of the show. Hell, he also feels completely disconnected from his established role in the movies, where he's literally the guy who shot Longclaw. The show will not grapple with this contradiction at all. He's just here to be a thing fans like me will recognize from the games. Again, if that's all they wanted, it's kind of baffling that they didn't just use Tikal.

I don't love Knuckles in this

But what about Knuckles himself? Well, he doesn't feel all that much like Knuckles to me. Ironically, he sometimes feels like one of the weaker elements in his own show.

Back when the second movie came out, I noted that Knuckles' characterization seemed to be pulling heavily from MCU Thor as a gallant warrior from an archaic alien culture who doesn't really understand modern day Earth stuff. That worked for me in that movie. It was just there for spice. Just a little extra flavor for the character in what was otherwise a very faithful adaptation of Knuckles' storyline in Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Without those familiar elements grounding him and with a much higher reliance on comedy, Idris Elba's Knuckles becomes a pretty one-note character in this.

In damn near every scene with Knuckles, he's going to say something about being a proud, honorable echidna warrior, or brag about his glorious feats of strength, or be confused about some Earth thing and call it sorcery, or act like every other character is also a member of some noble warrior clan. He still has his moments for sure, but this schtick kinda gets old fast, and it just doesn't feel like Knuckles to me. His entire character feels derived from the scene in the diner where Thor smashes the cup on the ground and goes "Another!" Sure, I can picture game Knuckles smashing a radio to turn it off and being a little too gung-ho about busting holes through walls. That's Knuckles behavior. But building a barbarian combat pit in the living room so the Wachowski family dog can fight the mailman? Nope. That's some other guy now. It really does just feel like them taking a broad character archetype from something popular that kinda sorta fits Knuckles and just running with that, rather than trying to actually adapt the character.

Oh, but don't worry, he wears the OVA hat for like two minutes! AND he loves grapes! See, Sonic nerds? We read the wiki! That's his favorite food! Grapes! This is gonna come up like five times!

Knuckles kind of gets an arc here, but not as much as Wade does. I think the stuff about him starting to feel at home on Earth thanks to Wade's mom and the way he connects with their Jewish family traditions is oddly sweet. This arc is kind of let down, though, by the fact that Knuckles' heritage is treated as a complete joke. He's a cartoonish pastiche of various historical warrior cultures stuck together in a blender and used mostly for comedic effect. When Pachacamac's ghost appears, he's reading a newspaper and bemoaning the fact that the Mets lost again. This is not the place for a serious examination of Knuckles' feelings on being the last of his kind.

This is far from the only time the show undercuts itself with its jokes and attempts at self-parody. In the first episode, for instance, Knuckles clashes with GUN Agent Mason and his tech-enhanced punches, leading to an extremely on-the-nose inversion of the "Do I look like I need your power?" scene showcased in the trailer for the second movie. Except this time, Agent Willoughby butts in and points out how stupid that line is in this new context, since they're literally trying to steal Knuckles' power. The fight can't just be cool, they have to get cute with it. A lot of stuff like that happens in this show.

Given all these complaints, the first two episodes left me thinking I'd be fairly negative on this show overall. This seemed like the version of the show from the fandom's collective nightmares, one that undoes all of the progress the movie series seemed to have been making towards faithfulness to the games. Like, just look at these cast posters. Is this what you want out of Sonic? Do these excite you?

But then, something strange happened. Over time, I just kind of let the jokes and shenanigans wash over me and basked in how fucking weird this show is.

And I started to actually enjoy it.

Look. The Wade & Knuckles Show was never going to be peak Sonic. But that sure as hell doesn't mean it can't be entertaining.

This show is so fucking goofy

Here's the thing.

The show is funny.

Unlike a lot of other people, I didn't hate all the wedding stuff in Hawaii in Sonic 2, because I thought a lot of it was funny, both in its actual jokes and in the ways in which they tied everything back to Sonic. Tom looking wistfully at some bodybuilders doing Top Gun shit and spraying each other with beer and being like "I wish Sonic had that" is weirdly funny. The twist that those muscle bros are all agents of the newly formed GUN, who orchestrated the wedding as an elaborate scheme to catch Sonic, is funny. Mr. Olive Garden becoming the fucking GUN Commander is VERY funny. Are any of these elements of my dream Sonic movie? No, of course not. But my dream Sonic movie was never gonna happen in live action.

The Knuckles show follows up on the comedy of the previous films by being probably the funniest live action Sonic release yet. Did every joke land for me? God no. There are some stinkers in there that made me roll my eyes. But enough of them landed that it worked out for me overall. A big part of this is the fact that they've got a good cast of actors and/or comedians here.

Adam Pally is funny as Wade, and I found myself liking him more and more as a character as the show went on. He becomes an oddly endearing loser, with some sweet moments in his personal arc that made me feel for the guy. I like Wade more than Tom now, thanks to this show. I will now be happier to see Wade in Sonic 3 than I would have been previously.

The supporting cast is frequently great, too, many of whom are playing completely cartoonish, over-the-top characters. They took a cue from how exaggerated Carrey's performance was as Robotnik and decided to just abandon all pretense that this is the real world. Stockard Channing as Wade's mom is funny, and carries some of the more sincere parts of the show. Cary Elwes as Wade's very British dad who abandoned him as a child to run off and be the world's most egotistical professional bowler is funny. Edi Patterson as Wade's sister Wanda is... well, she's kinda trying too hard, but she has her moments. The Mighty Boosh co-creator Julian Barratt(!!) as a scenery-chewing bounty hunter, who was also somehow Wade's former best friend and bowling partner, is VERY funny. I love this guy.

(Honestly, they should let more people who were on Garth Marenghi's Darkplace be in Sonic stuff. Where's Matt Berry)

This is kind of a stacked cast for a bunch of stupid side characters in a live action Knuckles show! And honestly, that just makes it funnier to me. Even when they're not funny, the fact that this exists makes it funny. They somehow convinced Paramount to give them a bunch of money to make a spiritual successor to Dodgeball about a schlubby guy who wants to beat his dad at a bowling tournament... except also Knuckles the fucking Echidna is there as his personal life coach. My life is richer for the fact that I can say that sentence. I think about all the little kids who are probably watching this show this weekend, going in expecting a show about Knuckles the Echidna and having to sit through extensive bowling scenes and lore about Wade's family, and sorry kids, but I just have to laugh. Wade isn't even on the poster! The poster is just a picture of Knuckles!! They punked those kids!!!

In a franchise where every single aspect is so carefully micromanaged these days, it feels truly special to get an adaptation this bonkers. It frequently appeals to the same part of me that enjoys the fact that there's an officially licensed Knuckles comic in which Charmy Bee's best friend (also a bee) dies of an accidental LSD overdose from a drug-laced chili dog. Or like, everything about the original 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie. Or the fact that they made seven direct-to-DVD sequels to Alpha and Omega, one of which is half a retread of the adventure from the first movie (with more annoying supporting characters in tow this time) and half a literal clip show of the first movie. The sheer absurdity of the fact that these things exist is charming to me. Except, with the Knuckles show, it has the added benefit of frequently being funny on purpose! This is why I'm not sure I'd call it "so bad it's good." Like, it's not amazing, but there were a lot of parts that I enjoyed in the exact way I was supposed to enjoy them.

Look. Here's a list of real lines of dialogue from the Sega-approved Knuckles the Echidna streaming show that they're billing as a pillar of the Paramount+ lineup, to drive this point home. Let these marinate for a minute:

"I only eat grapes, and Cool Ranch Doritos™."

"Annihilate this little girl, Wade. Crush her spirit. Humiliate her so badly her parents won't even look at her again." "Doesn't that seem like we're going a bit far?" "Not far enough."

"So is he Jewish?" "Half, I think."

"I had a friend who when he listened to Alien Ant Farm he could lift a Toyota Corolla over his head."

"I'm in dire financial straits. Due to my lawsuit against an unnamed rainforest-themed restaurant franchise, I don't have two pennies to my name."

"We're here in sunny Reno, Nevada, which is so close to Hell you can smell the sparks."

"You can't threaten me with your Jewish karate chops because I am a federal agent."

"I will say, regardless of how you feel about child abandonment - and I'm against it! - the deals at TJ Maxx can't be beat."

This is a Sonic show in which they got Paul Scheer and Rob Huebel to appear as ESPN 8: The Ocho commentators.

This is a show where Wade's mom insists upon pronouncing "Knuckles" with the throaty Hebrew "ch" sound, and declares that Knuckles is basically Jewish. Later, they watch Pretty Woman together while enjoying a nice slice of key lime pie. Knuckles comments: "I don't understand. This young streetwalker with a heart made of gold, why do the others treat her with such disdain? Is it so wrong to walk the streets?"

This is a show where the fourth episode is directed by one of the guys from The Lonely Island and features a hallucinatory low budget rock opera stage musical put on by the ghost of Pachacamac. It recounts Knuckles' life story, with Wade playing Knuckles and the "evil" Longclaw played by the bounty hunter guy who's played by the Mighty Boosh guy.

Look at this.

And also, Knuckles' singing voice is provided by Michael Bolton, which they proudly announce in the middle of the musical.

And also...

Also...???

IBLIS IS IN IT????????????

Yes, Iblis!

From Sonic '06!!

Knuckles is said to have looked for a mythical power called the "Flames of Disaster" to avenge his clan, which ended up being the power that was within him all along that lets him do fire punches yadda yadda yadda. As part of this, he apparently fought Iblis off-screen at some point, as conveyed with the giant singing papier-mâché Iblis in the musical.

...Then Iblis sings about hitting up Facebook Marketplace

How? How does any of this exist? Why reference '06 of all games? How did Iblis get into the live action Sonic movie universe before Amy and Metal Sonic? Why are they using Iblis and the term "Flames of Disaster" in such a goofy way that completely disregards their original context?

I don't know. I don't know how any of this happened. But I love it. We got a Knuckles miniseries in which Michael Bolton sings the phrase "the Flames of Disaster." The world is a beautiful place sometimes.

Some people will tell you to skip episode four. "Knuckles is barely even in it," they say. "It's dumb and pointless," they say. "They clearly just ran out of special effects budget," they say. These are people whose opinions you should disregard. The episode with the least Knuckles in it is somehow the most entertaining episode of the show. I would, in fact, go as far as to say that if you only decide to watch one episode of the Knuckles show to see what goofy bullshit they get up to, it should be this one.

I cannot be mad at this show. It's so dumb, but it completely owns the fact that it's a dumb and unnecessary spinoff. Inferiority is baked into its very DNA. It's very self-consciously redoing the premise of the first movie, but stupider. It's about The Other Cop from the movies, instead of the competent one. Instead of being into a "cooler" sport, his life revolves around professional bowling. Instead of going to Vegas, he goes to Reno. Even his tragic backstory that shaped his entire life sucks. He was abandoned by his pro bowler dad in a TJ Maxx. Not even a nicer department store. A fucking TJ Maxx. This whole show is a Dril tweet.

They put a ton of effort into making it dumb in an occasionally spectacular way. So much effort was put into that joke rock opera that fans will just write off as stupid filler. They put their whole pussies into it. This is not a poorly made show. This has better production values than half the shit made for Disney+. This was made with love. Maybe not as much love for the Sonic the Hedgehog series of video games as we'd like, but it's love nonetheless.

Maybe this show broke me and these are the ramblings of a madwoman. Maybe I'm just really nostalgic for the '90s and '00s comedy movies all the Wade stuff is modeled after. Maybe the Alan Wake fan in me just really loves it when a story pivots to a silly rock opera for no real reason. I won't discount any of these possibilities. This isn't high art. This isn't something I would recommend to anyone with zero interest in Sonic, and it also isn't going to sway Sonic fans who hate the Paramount universe. I really can't blame them for being bewildered by this show. But for a specific type of person, this is the absurd three-star Sonic-adjacent comedy miniseries of your dreams. It's a mid masterpiece.

Again, I just have to step back, realize the fact that this shouldn't exist, and smile. Sega's too afraid to do stupid bullshit with the franchise like this these days. And I can't blame them, after years of Sonic being a treated as a laughingstock. But part of me misses some of the goofy shit. No matter how much I tore some of the Archie comics apart as I was reading them for this blog, I just look back on stuff like Cal and Al or the Many Hands issues and laugh. And that same part of me looks at this show about Knuckles being the sidekick to this fucking guy, and just goes...

"We're so back."

In conclusion, I genuinely think this was a more enjoyable TV show than Sonic Prime.

I wouldn't go back and rewatch Sonic Prime anytime soon, aside from maybe, like, a couple of the Shadow-heavy episodes. Huge stretches of that show bored me to tears. The writers squandered all of that show's potential. But I would rewatch the Knuckles show, which takes a terrible premise and has a lot of fun with it, in a heartbeat. Even the bowling parts. The bowling scenes in the Knuckles show are more engaging than 70% of the fights in Sonic Prime. I am not trolling. I mean that sincerely, with all my heart. Don't @ me.

Stray observations

There is effectively zero meaningful setup for the third movie in this, unless Wade's family or the two GUN agents come back or something. Project Shadow is not mentioned in this. There is no secret post-credits scene with Gerald

The CGI in this is pretty good. Not quite on par with the movies, but pretty good. Sonic's weird forehead wrinkles are distracting in his scenes though. Please fix that

I wouldn't say I liked this as much as the second movie, which obviously gets a ton of points for, you know. The Cool Sonic Shit. But I had more fun with it than the first movie, which I still feel is a painfully generic family movie that was only saved by Tyson's redesign

"Grapes are an interesting choice for someone who doesn't use his individual fingers."

Agent Willoughby was apparently the one at GUN who had to buy the Olive Garden gift cards and set up the fake wedding. Her origin story is that she hated doing shit like that and wanted to go fight aliens

This miniseries contains another Keanu namedrop because Wade's childhood bedroom has a Speed poster on the wall. I swear, if Sonic doesn't say Shadow sounds just like Keanu...

Knuckles is familiar with Paul Blart Mall Cop

Near the end the ESPN 8: The Ocho commentators say that the 1974 Reno bowling championship was also interrupted by an extraterrestrial, and given that was exactly 50 years ago I can't write off the possibility that that was Shadow. Please for the love of god give us a sequel series after the third movie where Wade takes Shadow the Hedgehog bowling. I need this more than I need air

[thethief1996]

Gaza has been completely cut off from the world and from each other. Gazans with Turkish SIM cards have been able to make contact with the outer world and said rescue teams don't know where to go because they don't know where bombings have happened. There's no way to call ambulances. At night, due to the electricity cut, Gazans are left in complete dark only lit up by the airstrikes. They have no way to know what's happening on the next street over. Meanwhile, Israel is publishing AI rendered videos of tunnels under Al-Shifa hospital to manufacture consent for its bombing. Al-Shifa, the largest hospital in Gaza, is housing hundreds of refugees.

This was meant to cut off Palestinians from the world, because we are sympathizing with their first person accounts and it makes Genocide Joe look like a genocide denier when he casts doubt on the death toll (a note on this, Israel has called the Gaza Municipality to threaten them with bombings. They want to erase every record that Palestinians exist in Gaza).

It's not up to us to feel defeated. Israel denies the very existence of Palestinians, and when we turn around and give up hope, we are washing our hands of any work towards liberation and becoming complicit in the zionist narrative. The people of Gaza are alive, the people in the West Bank are alive and the 5.6 million refugees denied the right of return are alive. Mosques are using their minarets to send out help signals. We're being asked to be their voices, so let's be their voices.

Educate yourself. Read into Palestinian history and the occupation. You can't common sense people out of decades of propaganda. If your arguments crumble when a zionist brings up the "disengagement of Gaza", you have to learn more.

Read Decolonize Palestine. They have 15 minute reads that concisely explain the occupation (and its colonial roots) and debunk popular myths, including pinkwashing.

Read on Palestine. Here's an amazing masterpost.

Verso Book Club is giving out free books on Palestine (I personally downloaded Ten Myths about Israel by Ilan Pappe).

Keep yourself updated and share Palestinian voices, looking to inform yourself from the sources. Palestinians have asked of us only that we share, tweet and post, over and over. Muna El-Kurd said every tweet is like a treasure to them, because their voices are repressed on social media and even on this very app. Make it your action item to share something about the Palestinian plight everyday. Here are some resources:

Al Jazeera

Anadolu Agency

Mondoweiss

Boycott Divest Sanction Movement

Palestinian Youth Movement

Mohammed El-Kurd (twitter / instagram)

Al-Shabaka (twitter / instagram)

Mariam Barghouti (twitter / instagram)

Muhammad Shehada (twitter)

Motaz Azaiza (instagram) - reporting directly from Gaza. He's been offline since yesterday. Keep him in your prayers.

Take action. You can participate in boycotts wherever you are in the world, through BDS guidelines. Don't be overwhelmed by gigantic boycott lists. BDS explicitly targets only a few brands which have bigger impact. You can stop consuming from as many brands as you want, though, and by all means feel free to give a 1 star review to McDonalds, Papa John, Pizza Hut, Burger King and Starbucks. Right now, they are focusing on boycotting the following:

Carrefour

HP

Puma

Sabra

Sodastream

Ahava cosmetics

Israeli fruits and vegetables

Push for a cultural boycott - pressure your favorite artist to speak out on Palestine and cancel any upcoming performances on occupied territory (Lorde cancelled her gig in Israel because of this. It works.)

If you can, participate in direct action or donate. Palestine Action works to shut down Israeli weapons factories in the UK and USA, and have successfully shut down one of their firms in London.Some of the activists are going on trial and are calling for mobilizing on court.

Call your representatives. The Labour Party in the UK had an emergency meeting after several councilors threatened to resign if they didn't condemn Israeli war crimes. Calling to show your complaints works, even more if you live in a country that funds genocide.

FOR PEOPLE IN THE USA: USCPR has developed this toolkit for calls, here's a document that autosends emails to your representatives and here's a toolkit by Ceasefire in Gaza NOW!

FOR PEOPLE IN EUROPE: Here's a toolkit by Voices in Europe for Peace targeting the European Parliament

FOR PEOPLE IN THE UK: Friends of Al-Aqsa UK and Palestine Solidarity UK have made toolkits for calls and emails

FOR PEOPLE IN GERMANY: Here's a toolkit to contact your representatives by Voices in Europe for Peace

FOR PEOPLE IN IRELAND: Here's a toolkit by Voices in Europe for Peace

FOR PEOPLE IN POLAND: Here's a toolkit by Voices in Europe for Peace

FOR PEOPLE IN DENMARK: Here's a toolkit by Voices in Europe for Peace

FOR PEOPLE IN SWEDEN: Here's a toolkit by Voices in Europe for Peace

FOR PEOPLE IN FRANCE: Here's a toolkit by Voices in Europe for Peace

FOR PEOPLE IN THE NETHERLANDS: Here's a toolkit by Voices in Europe for Peace

FOR PEOPLE IN GREECE: Here's a toolkit by Voices in Europe for Peace

FOR PEOPLE IN NORWAY: Here's a toolkit by Voices in Europe for Peace

FOR PEOPLE IN ITALY: Here's a toolkit by Voices in Europe for Peace

FOR PEOPLE IN PORTUGAL: Here's a toolkit by Voices in Europe for Peace

FOR PEOPLE IN SPAIN: Here's a toolkit by Voices in Europe for Peace

FOR PEOPLE IN FINLAND: Here's a toolkit by Voices in Europe for Peace

FOR PEOPLE IN AUSTRIA: Here's a toolkit by Voices in Europe for Peace

FOR PEOPLE IN BELGIUM: Here's a toolkit by Voices in Europe for Peace

FOR PEOPLE IN ROMANIA: Here's a toolkit by Voices in Europe for Peace

FOR PEOPLE IN UKRAINE: Here's a toolkit by Voices in Europe for Peace

FOR PEOPLE IN AUSTRALIA: Here's a toolkit by Stand With Palestine

FOR PEOPLE IN CANADA: Here's a toolkit by Indepent Jewish Voices for Canada

Join a protest. Here's a constantly updating list of protests:

Here's a list on tumblr

Global calendar

Another global calendar (go to the instragram of the organizers to confirm your protest)

USA calendar

Australia calendar

There will a National March on Nov 4th in Washington, with the participation of 200+ organizations. If you can, get a group of friends and attend.

Feel free to add more resources. Check the links, there are too many protests and tumblr has a word limit for text posts.

[hearthandheathenry]

All About Lughnasadh

Lughnasadh, also known as Lughnasa or Lúnasa, is the name given to the Gaelic festival that represents the beginning of the harvest season, which traditionally falls on August 1st in the northern hemisphere. The holiday is about halfway between the summer solstice and autumn equinox, and is one of the 4 Gaelic seasonal festivals. Although it is traditionally Irish, many neopagans celebrate the holiday as well.

Traditionally named after the Irish God Lugh, Lughnasadh has been documented to be celebrated since at least the middle ages and involved great gatherings, ceremonies, athletic games like the Tailteann Games, feasting, horse racing, matchmaking, trading, and more, and were traditionally celebrated on top of hills and mountains. The festival remained widely celebrated until about the 20th century, where it seemed to be replaced by Christian counterparts.

Lugh, the God the festival is named after, is said to have founded the holiday as a funeral feast and funeral games to commemorate the death of an earth goddess. The Irish stories vary throughout regions and times, but it usually involves a woman who is stolen away or held against her will and dies of grief, shame, exhaustion, or unspecified causes. There is notable similarities to the Greek Persephone tale. According to a tale about the Lughnasadh festival site Tailtin, it is said to be a funeral for his foster-mother, Tailtiu, who was said to have died from exhaustion after clearing the plains of Ireland for agriculture. A tale about the Lughnasadh site Naas, says the festival was founded in the memory of his two wives, Nás and Bói. Another theory states it was a mourning for the end of summer.

Máire MacNeill, a folklorist, studied the later lore of the holiday and claims it is about a struggle for the harvest between Lugh and another god, often named Crom Dubh. In some stories Lugh must seize Crom Dubh's treasure of grain to give to all of mankind. In other stories, it's over a woman named Eithne who represents grain. Othertimes, its a battle of Lugh defeating a figure representing blight. There doesn't seem to be one agreed upon legend, other than it's revolving around the God Lugh.

As for ancient customs and traditions, they can vary region to region and have morphed throughout time. However, a big tradition was the gathering at Óenach Tailten, a type of olympic style games and gathering where kings declared truces during the entire festival in order to partake and compete against eachother. It included ritual athletic and sporting competitions, horse racing, music and storytelling, trading, law-making and settling legal disputes, creating contracts, and even matchmaking. A common matchmaking tradition was allowing couples to enter a trial marriage that lasted a year and a day by joining hands through a wooden door, after of which they could make permanent or break without consequences once the trial marriage was up. One gathering, called the Óenach Carmain, also consisted of a food and livestock market along with a market for foreign traders.

Other traditions also included a solemn cutting of the first corn to be offered to the deity by bringing it to a high place and burying it, a meal for everyone consisting of the new food and blueberries, a sacrifice and rituals involving a sacred bull, a ritual dance-play, reenactment of the lore, and closing ceremonies. Climbing hills and mountains were also a popular tradition, but has been rebranded overtime as Christian pilgrimages. At some gatherings, everyone wore flowers and climbed a hill, where they buried said flowers at the top to signify the ending of summer. At other gatherings, the first sheaf of harvest was buried instead.

A popular tradition up until about the 18th century were faction fights where young men fought eachother with sticks. One such game consisted of building towers of sod topped with a flag to defend from the other team's sabotaging. Bull sacrifices were also recorded into the 18th century, being used as offerings to various deities, along with special meals made from the first harvest. A special cake called the lunastain was also recorded. Visiting holy wells was also a very prominent tradition, just like during the other yearly festivals. Although bonfires were associated with Lughnasadh and the other main Celtic festivals, they were considered rare for this holiday, most likely due to the very warm summer temperatures.

Some traditions are still celebrated today in Ireland, with festivals being held in honor of Lughnasadh and re-enactors and historians reviving and teaching new generations old lore. There are still markets, traditional dancing, traditional storytelling, arts and craft workshops, feasting, and much more during these modern gatherings, keeping the traditions alive and well, even if they differ region to region. Some pagans and Wiccans also celebrate Lughnasadh, usually differing in their practices, but still using it as a signifier of the first harvest and summer's ending.

Lughnasadh Associations

Colors - yellow, orange, red, brown, green, gold, bronze

Food - blueberries, blackberries, grains, fruit, vegetables, bread, corn, beef, stews, lamb, wine, beer, cider, fruit drinks

Animals - bulls/cows, roosters, sheep

Items - scythes and harvest tools, grain/corn stalks

Crystals - citrine, aventurine, tigers eye, carnelian, topaz

Other - sporting/athletic competitive games, storytelling, matchmaking, cycle of life, harvest

Ways to celebrate:

gather blueberries or blackberries

enjoy grains or breads

make homemade bread

have a feast

climb a hill/take a pilgrimage

offer food to your deity(ies)

commit or recommit to your partner

harvest fresh food from your garden

visit a farmers market

complete a craft or make art

participate in an athletic competition or game

[a-araiguma-a]

Between the serving and Her smile

Pairing: Oliver Wood x fem!reader Warning: mutual pining, drama, first love, jealous a/n: sketching an idea, I hope you will be interested in it and I will continue to develop it.

Start - Prolog (Episode 1 - Episode 2 - Episode 3 - Episode 4 - Episode 5) - Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8

The noise of the wind, cut by brooms at high speeds, became a familiar background for Oliver Wood. Quidditch was not just his passion, but the very essence of his existence. He was the captain and keeper of the Gryffindor team, and his quest to win the Quidditch Cup became an obsessive goal. All his thoughts revolved around tactics, training and strategies, but sometimes his own heart reminded him of another, equally important side of life.

[Your name], a girl with surprisingly deep eyes and a radiant smile, burst into his life as suddenly as a gust of wind on the field. She was a half-breed, her father was a Muggle, and her mother died in childbirth, but it didn't matter to Oliver. Her intelligence, kindness and support captivated him, and he could not resist her charms. Their friendship began innocently, with nighttime gatherings in the library and help with homework. In the fifth year, someone noticed the sparkle in their eyes for the first time, but then none of them understood it. It wasn't until his sixth year that Oliver realized he couldn't imagine his life without her. That after completing their studies, their paths may diverge.

Love turned out to be more complicated than he thought. Oliver would do anything for [Your name], but Quidditch remained in the first place in his life. He devoted his days and nights to training, forgetting about meetings with her, postponing dates and leaving her alone on holidays. He didn't do it on purpose, but when he had so many thoughts about strategies and victories in his head, time ceased to exist.

Oliver knew she was in pain. She never complained, but he could see the longing in her eyes when, once again, he left her for Quidditch. And it tore at his heart. He wanted to be with her, but the desire to win was too strong.

Back then, as a freshman, Harry joined the team as a Catcher, Oliver felt relieved. He finally found someone who could help the team win the Cup. But with that came new difficulties — early morning workouts and even more hours spent on the field. This further alienated him from [Your Name], and jealousy began to gnaw at him from the inside.

Oliver couldn't help but notice that other guys were starting to hang around her. Books will be delivered, flowers will be presented, and someone else will invite you on a date. He felt his heart constrict when he saw her with others. These thoughts haunted him, and he knew that he had to act, but how? His day was scheduled by the minute — study, training, tactics. There was no time for a personal life, and it tormented him.

When Oliver overcame all difficulties and misunderstandings, he tried to be the perfect partner. He took care of her, supported her in everything, but with the onset of the seventh year, everything became more complicated. There were final exams ahead, crucial Quidditch matches and their relationship.

Anxiety for the future increasingly consumed him. He was afraid of losing her because of his obsession with Quidditch, but he couldn't give up on his dream. His love for [Your name] and passion for the game pulled him in different directions, tearing him apart.

Oliver stood on the edge of the field after another practice session, watching the sun slowly set over the horizon. He knew that difficult trials lay ahead, but he believed that love and Quidditch could coexist in his life. He swore to himself that he would do everything possible to preserve these two treasures, even if it required the impossible from him.

[splatsvilles-fashionista]

So over the week I've been replaying Return of the Mammalians, because I haven't played it since the week Splatoon 3 launched and I wanted to see how I felt about it without the excitement of playing a brand new game clouding my critical judgement.

(spoilers for RotM below, just in case)

That said I didn't feel like it changed my opinion very much. RotM's biggest problem is that it feels like the developers thought of a couple of really cool ideas (The fakeout in the intro, Deep Cut being bosses, the lore in the Alterna Logs, the final fight against Mr. Grizz) and then put them all in the game without really trying to connect them all in a very tangible way, and as a result Alterna is a very nebulous space that doesn't make any sense from a narrative standpoint (if it was a human settlement why is it full machinery and tests only inklings and octolings can use? What even IS the treasure we assemble except "a tool that just happens to solve the current problem?) but only really exists for gameplay.

The story also suffers as a result of this, too. Narratively nothing really happens until the very end of the game, where we end up just kind of stumbling into Mr. Grizz's plot to fuzzify the world right as he puts it into motion. Octo Expansion got around this by using its lore snippets to give the supporting cast a story of their own that unfolded as you progressed through the game, and ultimately it's Agent 8's actions that push the story of OE forward. In RotM we just happen to be there when things happen.

But despite all of its problems RotM also just plays really well. The combination of OE-style shorter trial levels with Hero Mode-styled hub areas you have to explore for levels and secrets work really well together, and those hubs in particular are an absolute blast to dig around in for secrets and open up a little by little. Deep Cut are incredibly fun as ineffectual Team Rocket-esque villains, and the whole final fight against Mr. Grizz is really good, especially the music. I don't even think Calamari Inkantation is especially good by Splatoon standards, but 3MIX is genuinely just an astounding track.

But I think what ultimately makes me feel more positive than negative about RotM is that I think its' thematic undertones actually really work for me. Mr. Grizz's actual involvement in the story might have been mishandled but as a villain he works. I've already written about him a bunch so keep things brief Splatoon has always been about the dangers of clinging to the past, and Mr. Grizz pushes that idea to its limits, because he is the past. He is a relic of a lost age, and he is so desperate to return to the world he knows that he will burn the future and turn back time (metaphorically) to achieve it.

But there's also the Alterna Logs and the reveal that it was human dreams of seeing the sun that drove sealife onto dry land. I think there is a compelling argument to be made that they didn't need to explain any of that to begin with, but I also think the explanation works with everything the series has been setting up on a thematic level. Humanity is gone, and will never come back, but our dreams lived on in the minds of the inklings and the octolings (and the jellies, and everyone else), and while they didn't know why, they reached for the sun together, and by achieving humanity's dreams they earned the right to take our place.

TL;DR: RotM good actually

[lex-the-flex]

In His Arms

Luke Skywalker x reader

The distant echoes of ships, cargo speeders, and passenger pods littler the night sky above the hotel. The various multicolored lights of Coruscant’s vast multi populated city bounce on the ceiling of your room. Dancing along the dimly lit room, you carefully watch the colorful orbs in the safety of the comfortable bedding.

Pulling you into its hypnotic gaze, your body felt exhausted, but your mind still felt like it was on overdrive. No matter how hard you tried, you just couldn’t sleep. Shifting beneath the comforter, you just couldn’t stop tossing and turning, the room’s calming salt and the faint scent of fresh linen. But then, between the quiet sounds of your breathing were then taking over for a sinking feeling in your stomach.

Rising from the large bed, you wandered towards the door, and unlatched the chain. Opening the door, you were greeted with the sight of your treasured friend, Luke Skywalker. Standing before you, the man adorned a set of tattered and slightly smudged robes.

“Luke?” You ask, as your brows furrow.

Glancing your way, his icy blue eyes fill your soul with sorrow, just as you gain a sense of what happened.

“May I come in?” Luke asks, rubbing his hands together.

Motioning for him to enter the empty room, Luke unties his sash from around his waist, and sets it down on the desk. Returning from the bathroom with a set of clean clothes, Luke eagerly takes them.

“I’ll be right back.” He informs you before retreating to change.

A few minutes later, Luke emerges on a clean pair of night clothes and joins you in the small kitchenette. Handing him a glass of water, he downs it in seconds.

“Want to tell me what happened?” You ask, offering Luke a reassuring touch.

“I do. But not here.” He nods.

Joining you on the plush comforter, Luke wraps his arms around you, just wanting to hold you close. Gently laying his head in your chest, you carefully push his bangs away from his face. Breathing into you, Luke melts at your soft touch, trying not to cry.

“The mission failed. I nearly lost the entire team, Y/N. We were able to find the Holocron, but…” Luke tries to explain, but can’t.

Running your fingers along his scalp, hoping to relive the mountainous heap of stress on his shoulders. Gently rubbing circles along his spine, Luke’s breathing relaxes, and his nerves finally start to settle.

“It’s alright, Luke. We’re part of the Rebellion, it’s what we do. It may not be the best life, but this is the life we have. Even the Jedi know their own trials and tribulations. But it’s our life.” You explain, tracing along Luke’s features.

Raising your head to face him, a large smile overtakes your lips to discover that Luke is fast asleep in your arms. This is where he belonged.

Luke taglist ~

@dreamliners

@midnightepiphany

@maybeimart

@nonbinary-tatooine

@kaleidoscope1967eyes

@dailydragon08

@eveningserenityyy

@sonofthedunes

@wicked0clouds

@tearsleftforari

@thereallchristine

@partofmejustwantstosleep

@xxx-aurora-swirls

@remusstefon

@annoyinglythoughtfuldestiny

@0paperairplane0

@kethamine

@pantaeudaimonia

@acupnoodle

@flawroses

@xplore-the-unknwn

@tatooineknights

@myevilmouse

@edwxrdkenway

@gabbasposts

@garagesesh

@bsxcrxts

@maybe-if-youd-listen

[return-of-a-space-cowboy]

🧚‍♀️ Anon

Sinbad the Sailor

Bruno as Sinbad, Diavolo is the evil sorcerer and Darling is the princess

Darling and Bruno are getting married as a peace treaty, despite being an arranged marriage, Bruno and Darling are in love with each other, Darling also gets along with Bruno’s crew

Diavolo, a powerful dark sorcerer who desires the throne, kidnaps Darling and holds her captive on his island full of monsters, as he plans to make her his bride (He kidnaps her by shrinking her)

Bruno is a heroic sailor who must endure 7 voyages to save his beloved from the villainous sorcerer Diavolo

For the voyages, I’m not entirely sure what but each voyage brings him closer to finding Diavolo’s island to save Darling from his grasp (But maybe each voyage he and his crew mates battle each of the La Squadra members who are horrific monsters/supernatural beings)

Initial darling was against an arranged marriage, but after meeting her suitor she fell head over heels for Bruno.

It's Bruno and darlings wedding day when the King and Queen are confronted by Diavolo who asked for their daughters hand or else. The have their guards go to arrest him but suddenly darling appears in his arms dressed in her wedding gown.

He offers them two options, they sign away the kingdom or they have their best sailors set out on a journey to claim 7 treasures on a not so distant but dangerous archipelago. (These treasures if combined grant the user even greater power thus he would win either way but most do not know the power they would grant)

To prove his seriousness he shinks darling. Holding her in a nearly crushing grip.

Bruno barges in to tell the king and queen about darling disappearance before seeing her within Diavolos grasp and sprints towards him only to faze right through him. Two scrolls appear in the king and queen's hands. The contract to the kingdom and the riddles that hint to the location of each treasures before disappearing.

Bruno demands an answer as to what just happened, after they explain he offers to take on the journey with his sailors.

Back in Diavolo's lair darling tries to escape but he picks her up with little issue. After finding out that Bruno and his team will be searching for the treasures she tells him that there's no chance they would lose.

That's when Diavolo explains the various monsters that guards the treasures and even then if they were to give him the treasures he still wouldn't let her go as they would have unknowing given him the greatest power known to man.

However on after passing several of the trials they come upon ruins and fugo is able to translate them, revealing the power of the treasures they're collecting. After learning this Diavolo is forced to apply more pressure on the group. No one knows how to combine the treasures but him still they're now less likely to comply so he treatens Bruno directly. Saying that he's willing to harm darling if he doesn't follow through. (He uses a projection spell to communicate)

[ararozu-art]

I need to post T3 stuff more because I want to post my comic for it

These two are important but not

[unionizedwizard]

ok ok ok. trying to put together thoughts and feelings about dawntrail. hmmm. my general idea is that the whole thing felt artificial but in a purposeful way because it was just, like, seven layers of metagaming & self-referentiality in a... maybe not trenchcoat. poncho?

something to say perhaps about how artificial a lot of the writing/scenario felt (as far as wuk lamat's WoL Journey Speedrun Masterclass was concerned, so pretty much the whole thing) wrt living memory in itself. living memory is an artificial creation meant to entertain and please the endless, but in truth it functioned as Baby's First Existential Horror And Moral Quandary (and as a mirror to emet-selch's amaurot, of course). something about the fact the rite of succession was in truth a game (a very serious and involved one but still). the difference being of course that while it's presented as a treasure hunt with trials, the rite of succession was meant to have the claimants meet the various turali people and their customs and culture and history so it was deeply grounded in the real world. a gamified lesson with a very likely chance to Die For Real In The Real World for the claimants. on the other hand, living memory is as far removed from the real world as possible.

so it was sort of like, a treasure hunt with pedagogical purposes (rite of succession) VS a very involved powered-by-AI virtual reality center that's using up more electricity than all of south america combined (alexandria). but like. in a way wuk lamat's experience (and koana's as well, but less so) was sort of like.... what i imagine those mogstation MSQ skip/level boosts are like in-universe. VERY intensive and involved Wol Seminar Month

so the result is a sort of general metagaming aspect. and very obviously self-referential since not only did the MSQ as a whole mirror the wol's journey from ARR to EW (but somehow Less Serious, as i said), but the genre was very strongly re-established too (you Travel Somewhere Cool. you learn new fighting styles. you explore ruins and go on a treasure hunt and uncover secrets. all that) as the action/adventure/exploration one, like very traditional Video Game stuff. everything is a game, artificial and planned and directed to some extent, in different ways and with various levels of Worrying ConsequencesTM

i think it was a good idea overall because they had pretty obviously established several instances of 4th wall breaking/genre awareness before and it would have been weird to just let it go completely (ironically enough i think it would have resulted in something more artificial), and then it allows the new writing team to have an elegant explanation for the more heavily scripted parts of the plot too. the whole point is that it was meant to be a game-within-a-game since the very beginning, and even when things stopped going to plan (after the rite of succession) the writing got noticeably less artificial but we quickly fell back on another layer of metagaming (for instance, technically cahciua is sort of using that robot as a controlled avatar to interact with an environment that's virtual for her, right) (except it's the other way round because SHE'S a virtual avatar from videogame land while we are alive and real)

and obviously living memory in particular was MEANT as a Not Fully Rendered Video Game Map which was a direct callback to amaurot (notable instance of metagaming with the idea that it IS meant to be an unfinished video game map). metametametagaming momence

[smilingangel582]

Hey hey hey... I wanna bully our little scara -oopse I mean wanderer aka I renamed him to "Mochi" ain't that cute!

Thanks to the recent hoyofair someone gave me the idea to name him Mochi

But I'll be calling him wanderer... anyway enjoy hehe

Warning spoilers for Sumeru

A weakness?

Now, Aether likes to team up with many. He even has the audacity to call our all four archons to help him in commisssions and abyss trials.

Heck... Ei and Nahida seemed game too and Aether had no trouble teaming up with anyone.

"Worthless as expected"

Although a certain someone seemed too difficult to handle... more difficult than Xiao supposedly...

"I told you..." Wanderer elevated from the ground now, landing his wind blades perfectly striking the treasure hoarders who now fled from the new threat, "Be direct and don't hesitate... sucker..."

Aether is just sick of him now. At least Xiao opened up to him more as time went by. Wanderer just gets on his nerves a lot.

"Alright, but can you just be a little calm... nicer too, " Aether said, suddenly feeling irritated too. Blue eyes shifted away, and he grumbled, "It's not my fault you are weak"

"Mochi~, please... aren't u being too mean?" He tried to tease him to lighten up the mood, Wanderer seems too bitter to acknowledge that, so he ignored him."Whatever... can't stoop to your level ...let's finish this quickly"

Aether growled "You little..."

Smirking wanderer folded his arms. "What? You would rather have me sugar coat it and mince my words? I apologize. " he rolled his eyes sarcastically."But try and keep up...!"

Muttering Aether rolled his eyes "Rude..."

Of course Katherine as always return them their commission rewards and Wanderer folds his arms saying "Alright if that's all I'll be taking my leave-"

"Hold it, Hat guy," giggling Aether grabs his shoulders. "Let's hang out a little at the teapot... come on, you need to lighten up,"

Growling "No need I'm busy..."

"With...?"

Clearing his throat he looks away "Non of your business... so find someone else to -aaaah!"

Swirling into a sudden shift of atmosphere he knew he's being forced to enter this dumb teapot. Unbelievable, he thought and Aether grins "Come on... let's have some tea as we chat..."

To say Aether is merely annoying isn't enough. He's too troublesome. Wanderer would definitely find his company too energy wasting but also... leaving this guy alone might see wrong too. Especially after helping him ascend a lot.

He kinda felt like he owe to the traveler. Paimon was absent and that's a plus point.

"Anyway... I've been meaning to ask, " Wanderer says," Now sipping yhe tea that's brewed instantly "why do you want to chat with me? After everything we never ended on good terms either"

Aether silently drinks and then sigh "Alright that old charade... you are naive, Mochi..."

Raising an eyebrow he watched Aether scoot closer to him now leaning forward with a smirk "OK who was the guy who asked me to name him?"

Bingo, Aether grins, he blushed at that.

"Then who was the guy who gave me a lovely present on my birthday...?"

"Lesser lord Kusanali bribed me into it-"

"-And yet you didn't leave after knowing you were bribed?" Cutting in fondly and Wanderer tried his best to hide the warmth spreading on his cheeks and looks away with a stubborn huff, folding his arms "Well... think what you may... but there's no way I admit to anything"

"Aw Mochi your blush just gives it away" Aether grins poking his checking making the anemo user let out a pettish immature and yet indignant scoff "It doesnt!"

"It does..." Aether pokes his nose.

"No it didn't" swats his hand now and Aether poles his stomach grinning "It does..."

"Hey..." Yelps as the poke sent an electrifying spread on his stomach, fluttering like multiple wings chaotically dancing in him.

"Oh?" Intrigued, Aether pokes his ribs now "Are you ticklish?"

"No... absurd... why would you consider that possibility?" He backs off regardless of his words and Aether readying himself with two pointer fingers like they are guns "I don't know... but it's a possibility alright..."

"Get away from me... k-knos your place!" He threatens now eyes widening when Aether pounce on him, two fingers wiggling but not touching yet."Tickles will be your place!"

"Hehe wait! Noho!" He already feels giggles slip from his lips and Aether is tranced by it, he only has two wiggling fingers on his sides and its already making Wanderer crazy.

"Cute... I wish i done this sooner" he pokes mercilessly on his ribs and beams at the squeal of indignant protests from the former all mighty god.

"AHAHA Shihit gehehet ahahawaaay!" He curls back "Dohont...! Stahahahap!"

"Don't stop? OK... then, " Aether teases when Wanderer groans through his giggling. He notices its ten fingers wiggling under his robes now and squirms with giggles that are uncharacteristic.

Genuinely Aether grins "Your giggles are adorable... Kittenish and cute... you should laugh more"

Aether feels every attempt of Wanderer's fists trying to punch his way out but its aimless and he can't even concentrate to fly away. This ticklish technique in poking and scribbling is killing him.

"Cuhuhut ihihit out! Hahaha ihihit... stahahap!"

Grinning, an idea as he kneads his hips like a dough "Stop doing what... Mochi?"

"Tihihihickling mehehehe yohohou lohohow lihihife!"

"Oh, you want more? Sure... coming right up" he squeezes his knees, and Wanderer realises how much power tickling has over him. His whines for falling for the oldest trick in the book and shrieks "OK! Ohohok, yohohou idiot! Stahahap ihihit! Seheheheriously!"

Aether hums but pausing his attack to only push him down with his hands. "Hmm, say you like hanging out with me and ill consider..."

Wanderer widened his eyes and hesitated "Ihihi... uh..." but squeaks when Aether latches on to his thighs and giggles without Aether tickling him "Last chance... or I'll tickle you till you go crazy"

"Ahaharchons wahahit... OK ok! Mahahaybe hanging out with yohou isn't bahahad? -ahaha eek!" The shrilled noise from Wanderer when Aether reached to touch his ears made him giggle "Aha hilarious... I can't take you seriously..."

"OK I like hahahangjng out with you!" He scrunched his neck when Aether trails his fingers on his neck and ears "ahaha I said it i said I SAID IT!"

Cruelly but playfully gentle, Aether doesn't stop and hums "Hmm maybe after tickling you a bjt"

"BUHUHUT YOU SAHAHAID YOULL STAHAHAP!

"Bleh" mocking his own raspberry aether snickers "I said consider... so I considered..."

"IHIHI WIHIHILL KILL YOHOHOU!" He shrieked bloody murder and Aether honestly stopped to laugh properly at the sounds Mochi had let out through the tickle session.

"Oh archons... you sounded like being hit by the electro archons lightening there" he laughed till his own cheeks flushed as Wanderer's

The latter gasps now glaring but involuntary giggling to lighten the effect "Yohou ahahre cruhuhuel... I hahate you."

Playfully he shoves his shoulders and Wanderer falls to the side effortlessly. Aether sighing as he had been laughing as hard as Wanderer "OK Mochi...this is why I like going with you... cute and very serious"

Blushes more Wanderer turns away "W-whatever... just admit that I'm strong enough for... uh these things"

"Alright alright... you are" Aether waves his hands in surrender but adds with a playful finger sliding up Wanderer's back "But not strong enough to deal with a little tickling"

"Ah!" He shrieks at the sudden sensation and turns his back away from him glaring at him still blushing "Don't you dare! I'll-I uh I'll chomp you down like a -a shrimp masala curry!"

"Yah yah but I'll tickle you before you could" Aether giggles and takes his hat running off with loud bouncy laughs "Hehe!"

Wanderer smirks now, feeling light and happy. "Oh? Come here, you lowly traveler, and feel the wrath of the former god!"

To say Aether didn't expect revenge is a lie... he wanted things to escalate like this perhaps... although maybe he's more tolerable than before.

"Bow your head!" While tickling Aether's sides.

Or maybe his attitude still stinks, but it's adorable. Despite being an offhand aggressive jerk, he can also display softness and cuteness...

[zottower]

So I finished FF4 TaY,

3D phone version. I really have mixed feelings about it.

There are things I really enjoyed.

The game play is not too difficult, and can give some little challenges, in the 3D phone version I played the band option was fun and useful, the multiple playable characters can encourage strategy creativity. There's a cool moment when you need to search the world map for treasures and the next step of the adventure that I enjoyed a lot.

The main story with the mysterious girl was cool, there was a nice pacing, revelations and all. I liked Ceodore and Kain's relationship during the game (I like the conclusion a bit less thought), it turned out that Golbez is not my type of character but he's a fine one, and I really enjoyed Edge, Edward and Rydia's stories. I liked Polom, a bit less Palom's evolution.

The new characters are all fun and cool in my opinion. The team is a big (too big to be well developped thought ?) nice heartwarming family now. They have nice designs. Actually the art in general is colorful and pretty. There is still this very rudimentary use of the camera and the animations during the cutscenes that are sometimes really awkward, but it's forgivable.

My personnal problems are that I think I totally missed the point about the recurring theme of the father-child relationship (cultural problem ? lack of personal interest problem ?) and that I didn't like the psychologization of the darkness and light theme. As I said, I didn't like Dark Cecil, Dark Kain and insipid Rosa at all and unfortunately they are highlighted in the plot.

There are more objective problems about the writing of this story : the plot devices are unfortunately sometimes repetitive, laborious, the more obvious being the overuse of the "this unexpected chatacter arrives suddenly in this desperate battle to save your team" trope. It's of course a nod to this iconic moment in the original game when Rydia saves Cecil's team in the battle against Golbez, but now it's repeated over and over, and thougt it works very well in 2 or 3 cases, the other uses of this trope are too often emptied of the efficiency, the originality, the fun of it. I didn't like that.

There is also this double sided edged idea of "history is repeating". The intention is to make the gamer feel that it's the same universe, a familiar story, in one word : a real sequel that repeats what was loved in the original work. And sometimes this choice produces enjoyable variations with a familiar pattern turned into something fun with a nice twist, but sometimes it only results in dull repetitions. Also, this choice gives the annoying feeling that the characters didn't grow since the original story. All these trials for this ? I know that in real life, people tend to evolve slowly and repeat the same mistakes. But it's a story, it can't have this moral : what's exciting about adventure if you learn nothing from it ?

To put it in a nutshell, I felt like TaY was like some cake trying to use the same recipe as the previous, but because the fans said they liked this or this kind of ingredient, let's say candied fruits, there are now ten times more candied fruits, and some of this sweetmeat is savorless or even moldy. The cake is overall good, but some bites don't taste good. I don't want to play it again in the near future. Maybe in some monthes … But Yeah … That's my thoughts on this.

[myfunkinapocalypse]

Name: Golden Cheese Cookie

Age: N/A

Sexuality: Lesbian

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/her

Species: Cookie

Skills: Ability to create anything from sand so long as she has the energy and her Soul Jam, ability to transform into an immortal goddess, ability to rain golden arrows on her opponents and fly and fight with her spear.

Story: The ruler of the Golden Cheese Kingdom, she founded the kingdom when she inherited half of the Soul Jam of Abundance. Often seen as greedy and over confident she may seem like an airheaded ruler who only cares about treasure, but her greatest treasures are her subjects.

Name: Burnt Cheese Cookie

Age: N/A

Sexuality: Straight

Gender: Male

Pronouns: He/him

Species: Cookie

Skills: Ability to summon fearsome jackals to rip apart enemies, increased stamina, ability to summon giant rocks from the earth to crush his opponents.

Story: The guardian of the gates to the Golden Cheese Kingdom, he watches day and night to make sure no one trespasses and steals His Radiance's treasures. He gives people trials to pass which are seen as extremely difficult due to his hungry jackals and himself being a good fighter. He'll remain loyal to Golden Cheese as long as he lives.

Name: Mozzarella Cookie

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Name: Smoked Cheese Cookie

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Name: Nutmeg Tiger Cookie

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Name: Fettuccine Cookie

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Name: Rich Cheese Cookie

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Name: White Lily Cookie

Age: N/A

Sexuality: Lesbian

Gender: Female

Pronouns: She/her

Species: Cookie

Skills: Ability to summon flowers wherever she goes, ability to summon a sword with her guardian ability, ability to bloom a giant lily bud that slows down enemies and heals her team.

Story: White Lily is a timid but gentle soul or at least half a soul, the other half was corrupted by Xeno and turned into Dark Enchantress Cookie. She is also guardian of the Faerie Kingdom after Elder Faerie passed away. She vows to protect everyone and also knows the secret to how cookies are made.