#the art in this project is so fucking good

[the-technorats]

ok ive been wanting to post abt this for a while. i think a part of the reason that i started to grow away from the 1d fandom recently (and more into 5sos, actually, which will be relevant later) is for these exact realizations. it became pretty clear, during the band's lifetime but mostly once the band went on hiatus, explicitly and implicitly, that being in one direction was extremely unhealthy for the talent involved.

and so not only did it become a kind of moral dilemma, bc how do you support and love something that you know is abusive, but it ruined the mirage of the essence of the band, which was, as louis put it, about having fun and being normal guys but terrible, terrible dancers, because you knew that under the surface of their silly, goofy live shows they were probably not having that much fun all the time and were definitely at points in either physical or mental anguish or both at once.

it feels so disillusioning because their primary appeal to their fanbase wasn't that they were like, hot or whatever (though they were and that was definitely part of it (but also their fanbase was so fucking queer that that metric could only do so much)), but it was that they were friends. the explicit marketing was sex appeal, sure, but the implicit marketing was community.

we wanted to think they were having as much fun as we were, that they loved being in the band with each other as much as we loved them. and once they broke up ("went on hiatus") and people started realizing they weren't quite as good of friends as we all thought they were, that they were coworkers, that they don't even have each other's phone numbers, that's when it didn't feel as good.

which is interesting. we all wanted so badly to be convinced that what we all knew was happening wasn't.

i think we desperately want that. as 1d put it: to be loved and to be in love. and we want to think that friendship and community and love can withstand anything, no matter how abusive and oppressive. because we want the hope that in our own abusive and oppressive life, our community can carry us through it. we're like, fantasizing about unionization and collectivization in a way that feels safe. and no one wants to hear this, but this IS a weapon of which we (and your faves) are victims.

like, god, if the success of capitalism isn't that it makes you think you want it. people want community? people are realizing that collective action is what overturns oppressive systems? give them this. this band of boys from working class backgrounds who love each other and made it to superstardom through nothing but the power friendship and love and art. give them that experience through an artificial projection of community that only ever makes you complicit in the commodification of yourself and your artists. the strongest sedative is the one you already want to take.

and if that isn't the reason 1d were doomed to fail. because they were created by the exact power that people want to push back against. you can't eat your young and have them too.

if being in one direction was all sunshine and rainbows, the boys would have come back after that hiatus and zayn would have never left.

behind closed doors, those boys were suffering.

it kills me that i never saw that because all i saw was that they made me happy and surely they were happy too.

that couldn't have been farther from the truth.

this is killing me

[magnagaruzenmon]

Photos and Favors I NSFW

You ram inside and out of Ahin with reckless abandon the tightness of her pussy and swell of her hips make fucking her an absolute pleasure. Her ass is ripe and perfect for spanking, which you've done on numerous occasions. If you could spend all day and night fucking her you would. If you could make her pussy your day job you'd apply in a heartbeat, but being her boyfriend right now was perfectly fine. As you lose your mind Ahin rolls up and smiles at you before kissing you while you thrust into her.

"Ah right there baby," she says in between velvety moans. Her voice had a soothing dulcet tone even in the throes of pleasure. Her walls begin clenching your manhood, a telltale sign informing you of her impending release. You moan as you thrust harder and faster into her. Ahin moans as his beautiful breasts bounce up and down and sway in the mirror she had you buy specifically to fuck in front of. You smile enjoying the view before saying, "Man these next few months are gonna suck without you. I wish I had a photo book of you so I could remember your body,"

Ahin notes this as she cums all over your cock. Then she backs her ass into your crotch a few more times to wring your orgasm out. The two of you smile before exhausted you both pass out.

Ahin wakes up a couple of hours later to her alarm blaring a cheerful K-pop track you vaguely recognized as one of her former group's songs but couldn't name if your life depended on it. She fumbled for her phone on the nightstand, silencing the sound with a groggy groan.

“It’s time to go already? Ugh, I hate alarms,” she muttered, her voice thick with sleep. She sat up, stretching with a dramatic yawn that ended in a satisfied sigh.

You leaned against the doorway, watching her with a lazy grin. "So this is how a glamorous ex-idol starts her day? Truly, a sight to behold."

“Keep talking and I might not miss you these next two months,” she teased, rolling her eyes but smiling as she reached for her packed suitcase. "Don’t forget me while I'm gone, okay?"

“Forget you? Impossible.”

You helped her to the car, waving as she left for her hotel. She had a business trip in Japan, then your band’s six-week concert tour. Two months apart was a long time, but as she drove off, Ahin’s message from a few days earlier came to mind—"It won't be a full two months, and I'll have a surprise for you,"

A few days later I got a DM on Instagram from a famous former K-pop idol asking for my number. When I got the text from Ahin asking me to do the shoot, I was surprised. I mostly did regularly published and moderately successful shoots, so being approached for a personal project by a famous—wait, my mistake, former—K-pop star was unexpected. She’d explained that she couldn’t pay me in the traditional sense but promised she’d “make it worth my while.” Intrigued, I agreed. It wasn’t a complicated shoot—just a few photos in her hotel room that would probably take 30-45 minutes.

A few days later, I arrived at the hotel, where the attendant at the front desk gave me some trouble. "I’m here to see Ahin. She’s expecting me."

The attendant frowned, clearly unimpressed. "I’m sorry, sir, but I can’t let anyone up without prior clearance."

Before I could argue, a supervisor appeared, glanced at me, and waved me through. “It’s fine. Ms. Ahin called ahead about him. He’s good to go.”

I thanked him and took the elevator to her room. As I approached, I could hear muffled music inside. Her alarm again? I knocked, and after a brief pause, a groggy voice called out, "Come in!"

I opened the door cautiously, finding Ahin sprawled on the bed, her hair an artful mess and her eyes half-closed. She fumbled for her phone on the nightstand, silencing the blaring music.

“Morning,” I said, setting my gear down as she stretched with another exaggerated yawn.

She glanced at me with a bleary smile. “Morning? Barely. I just woke up. Give me a second to look human.” She dragged herself upright, rubbing her eyes.

I couldn’t help but smirk. "Quite the wake-up routine. If this is how glamorous retired idols greet the day, maybe I’ve been doing mornings wrong."

“Hey, I’m still semi-glamorous,” she shot back, her grin growing as she finally stood and ran her fingers through her hair. “I mean, did you see that pose I nailed earlier? That’s cover material, admit it.”

“Oh, definitely. If the cover is for Idol Life After Retirement Monthly,” I teased, earning an exaggerated gasp.

"Wow, rude. I invite you into my hotel room, let you photograph me, and this is how you treat me?" She placed a hand over her heart like I’d mortally offended her.

“Relax, superstar,” I said, holding up my hands in mock surrender. “You’re still photogenic enough to make my camera blush.”

That earned me a laugh—soft and genuine, the kind that made me wonder if she really knew how to take a compliment or if she was just good at pretending she didn’t need them.

“Well,” she said, brushing her fingers through her slightly messy hair, “I guess you’re not completely hopeless as a photographer. But you know, I only let you shoot me because I trust you.”

“Oh, really? I thought it was because I was cheap.”

“That too,” she quipped, leaning forward with a playful glint in her eye. “But mostly because you’ve got that... vibe.”

“Vibe?”

“Yeah, you’re like, mysterious but approachable. Confident but not cocky. Plus, my boyfriend loves your work, so this is a win-win.” She shrugged as if this assessment wasn’t mildly flattering. “The kind of person you can trust to keep things ‘off the record.’”

“Wow, I’m blushing. You really know how to charm a guy.”

“Don’t get used to it,” she said, throwing me a pillow, which I barely dodged. “My compliments are rare and fleeting. Like me.”

“Noted. Rare and fleeting idol, compliments duly appreciated. Anything else I should write down while you’re feeling generous?”

She tilted her head as if considering. “Yeah, write this down: you’re taking me out for coffee when I get back from Japan. I deserve a reward for putting up with your sass.”

“Deal,” I said with a chuckle. “But only if you’re buying.”

She narrowed her eyes in mock offense. “You’re terrible. No wonder I like you.”

“I get that sometimes,” I responded, smirking as she disappeared into the bathroom.

“So,” I called out, adjusting my equipment, “what kind of tone are we going for? Sexy, innocent, cute, or something else?”

From behind the door, her voice came, amused but thoughtful. “How about all of the above? Let’s keep you on your toes.” Ahin strutted out a few moments later in a sexy crimson lingerie set.

“So, how’s this for a look?” she asked, one eyebrow quirked playfully. “Casual but chic? Or just lazy?”

I adjusted the settings on my camera, pretending to be deep in thought. “Hmm… somewhere between ‘I woke up like this’ and ‘fashion magazine model pretending to be relatable.’”

She laughed, stepping fully into the room. “I’ll take it. Ready when you are.”

I motioned for her to stand by the window where the natural light poured in, soft and golden. She complied, leaning against the frame with a nonchalant air. The cityscape behind her provided the perfect backdrop, contrasting with her relaxed demeanor.

“Okay, tilt your chin up a little,” I said, raising the camera. “Perfect. Hold that.”

The shutter clicked a few times before I spoke again. “So, why this whole ‘off the record’ thing? You don’t seem like someone who cares much about what people think anymore.”

She shifted her weight, her expression softening. “You’d be surprised. Even when you’re out of the spotlight, people still have opinions. But this isn’t for anyone else. It’s for me, and maybe someone special.”

“Fair enough,” I said, snapping another shot. “And the gravure style? That’s not exactly something I’d expect from you.”

She laughed lightly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “I don’t know, I guess I wanted to try something different. Push myself out of my comfort zone. Plus, it’s not that risqué.” As she said that struck a pose that emphasized her ass and tits so I was unsure of what she meant by Risqué to be honest

“True,” I lied. “But it’s definitely a shift from what I’m used to seeing of you. Not that I’m complaining.” Ahin bent over for another shot showing off her sweet smile and cavernous cleavage

“Oh? Do you watch all my old music videos on repeat or something?” she teased, arching an eyebrow.

I chuckled. “Maybe. They’re pretty catchy. And the choreography? Mesmerizing.”

She struck a quick pose, mimicking one of her old routines. “I still got it,” she said with a grin before contrasting with another sexy pose where she slapped her ass with a cheeky smile.

“Definitely. Okay, let’s move to the bed for the next set,” I said, nodding toward the neatly made bed in the corner.

She climbed onto it, sitting cross-legged as she adjusted her bra so as much of the breast could be seen without showing a nipple. “So, what about you? What got you into photography?”

I adjusted the camera as I considered her question. “Honestly? It started as a hobby in high school. I liked the way you could freeze a moment, and tell a story with just one image. It felt like a way to connect with people without having to say much.”

“You don’t strike me as the quiet type,” she said, tilting her head curiously.

“I guess I’m not, but my words often got jumbled due to social anxiety so it was much easier to say things using images instead of words,” I admitted. “Photography was my way of being understood without having to shout, you know?”

She nodded thoughtfully. “I get that. For me, it was performing. Being on stage was the only place I felt like I could really be myself.”

“And now?” I ask before I take another shot, her eyes seductive and sultry.

“Now…” She paused, looking down at her hands. “I’m still figuring that out. Being out of the spotlight has been nice, but it’s also weird. Like, who am I if I’m not Ahin, the idol?”

“That’s a heavy question for a Tuesday afternoon,” I said gently. “But for what it’s worth, I think you’re doing fine. Exploring, trying new things—it’s part of the process.”

She looked up at me, her smile tinged with gratitude. “Thanks. I needed to hear that.”

“Anytime,” I said, snapping another photo.

The shoot continued with more laughter and conversation, each frame capturing not just her beauty but the layers of vulnerability and strength beneath it. By the end of it, the room felt lighter, like we’d both learned something about the other—and maybe about ourselves too.

As Ahin glanced through the shots on my camera, her smile widened. “These are amazing. You’re good at this.”

“Like I said,” I replied with a smirk, “I make cameras blush.”

She rolled her eyes but laughed anyway, handing the camera back to me. “Okay, mister confidence. So, about that whole ‘making it worth your while’ thing…”

I raised an eyebrow, curious about where this was going. “Yeah?”

“I owe you a favor for doing this on short notice. What’s it gonna be?”

I leaned against the edge of the bed, pretending to think it over. “Hmm. How about… you set me up on a date with an idol?”

Her eyebrows shot up, and then she broke into laughter. “A date? With an idol? Oh, this is going to be good. That’s a surprisingly tame request from the gravure photographer. Okay, well then give me a list in case we can’t do option one,?”

I grinned, pulling out my phone like I was reading off an actual shortlist. “Let’s see… Jeewon from Cignature, Sana from Twice, Arin from Oh My Girl, Nancy from Momoland, Bibi and Eunbi Kwon the soloists, Umji from Viviz, and Hyewon.”

She blinked at me, then crossed her arms, her expression unreadable. “Wow. You’ve really thought this through.”

“Hey, you asked,” I said defensively, though I couldn’t keep the playful edge out of my voice.

Ahin shook her head, lips curving into a mischievous smile. “Okay, first of all, Bibi? Nancy? Sana? Too much woman for you.”

I held a hand to my chest in mock offense. “Ouch. You don’t think I can handle them?”

“Nope,” she said flatly, laughing at my wounded expression. “But the rest… maybe.”

She pulled a small notepad from the nightstand, scribbled something down, and tore off the page. “Here,” she said, handing it to me.

I looked at the note. It was an address and a time, three weeks from now. Beneath it, was her phone number.

“What’s this?” I asked, puzzled.

“Meet me there,” she said with a sly smile. “And text me before you chicken out. I’ll figure out which idol can tolerate you best by then.”

“Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence,” I replied, tucking the note into my pocket.

“Consider it a test,” she said, leaning against the doorway as I packed up my gear. “If you survive three weeks without pestering me, you might just deserve your date.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Challenge accepted.”

As I left the hotel room, note in hand, I couldn’t help but feel like I’d just been pulled into one of her games. But I wasn’t complaining. If nothing else, Ahin definitely knew how to keep things interesting.

Here’s an expanded scene showing the passage of weeks as the narrator and Ahin text and grow closer, establishing their friendship dynamic:

The first text from Ahin came two days after the shoot.

Ahin: Hey, I just saw some of the photos again. You didn’t even make me look half bad. Impressive.

I smirked at my phone.

Me: “Half bad”? Wow, high praise. Should I add “photographed Ahin” to my resume or wait for the glowing testimonial?

Ahin: Pfft. You wish. You’ll get a glowing testimonial when I’m officially retired and too old for anyone to care.

The banter began there and didn’t stop. Over the next few days, we texted off and on. The topics started simple—photos, her travels, my other work—but quickly veered into more personal territory.

One night, a week after the shoot, she texted out of the blue.

Ahin: If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

I blinked at my phone, then laughed.

Me: Random. But pizza, no contest.

Ahin: Basic. But respectable. Mine’s tteokbokki, obviously.

Me: Obviously. The real question is, how spicy can you handle it?

Ahin: Level 1000. Don’t underestimate me.

The next day, she sent me a picture of a massive bowl of tteokbokki, the sauce practically glowing red.

Ahin: Dinner. Bet you’d cry just looking at it.

Me: That’s not food. That’s a crime scene.

Her reply was just a string of laughing emojis.

The more we talked, the easier it was to see past the idol image she projected. Ahin wasn’t just sharp and funny; she was surprisingly grounded for someone who’d spent years in the spotlight.

One night, a couple of weeks in, she sent me a voice memo.

“Okay, so get this,” she began, her voice animated. “I’m at this fancy dinner for work, right? And this guy—a producer, mind you—spills an entire glass of wine down my dress. He’s apologizing like crazy, and I’m trying to be nice about it, but all I can think is, ‘Wow, this is the universe telling me to quit this job already.’”

I laughed as I hit record to reply. “Maybe the universe is just telling you not to wear white to a fancy dinner.”

Her text came back almost instantly.

Ahin: I should’ve taken you as my date. You’d have carried my spare dress, right?

Me: Obviously. And probably spilled the wine myself for good measure.

The weeks slipped by in a series of conversations like that. Sometimes we talked about nothing—her go-to late-night snacks, my weird collection of vintage cameras—and sometimes we talked about everything.

One night, while I was editing photos, my phone buzzed.

Ahin: Do you ever feel like you’re just… winging it?

I paused, considering.

Me: All the time. Why?

Ahin: I don’t know. Everyone thinks I’ve got it together, but I don’t. Not really. It’s weird pretending to be someone everyone else expects me to be.

For a moment, I wasn’t sure what to say. Then I replied:

Me: Maybe it’s not about pretending. Maybe it’s about figuring out who you want to be now.

There was a long pause before her reply came.

Ahin: Thanks. That’s… actually helpful. But don’t let it go to your head.

Me: Never.

It wasn’t until the third week that I realized how much she reminded me of my little sister—the same mix of wit, charm, and the occasional tendency to overthink everything. Ahin was fiercely independent but also surprisingly open, once she trusted you.

One afternoon, I sent her a picture of an old, beaten-up camera I’d found in a thrift shop.

Me: Look what I rescued today. This thing’s a dinosaur, but it’s got character.

Her reply came with a photo of her own—a perfectly styled selfie with a goofy expression.

Ahin: Speaking of character, this one’s got loads. Guess I’m your competition now.

Me: That camera doesn’t stand a chance.

Ahin: Neither do you.

She followed up with You’re so lucky I don’t charge you for my brilliance. Little sister discount.

Me: Little sister? Is that what we’re going with now?

Ahin: Yeah, but don’t get too comfortable. I’m the cool little sister.

I couldn’t argue with that. As much as she teased, her texts were always a bright spot in my day.

By the time her trip to Japan was wrapping up, our friendship felt as natural as breathing. She was still Ahin—the sharp-tongued, quick-witted former idol—but now, she was also just someone I could count on.

Three weeks later, I found myself standing outside a small, trendy café tucked away in one of Seoul’s quieter neighborhoods. The address Ahin had given me led here—modern yet cozy, with an unassuming exterior that hinted it wasn’t just a random spot.

I checked my phone. Ahin hadn’t texted me back after I sent her a quick “On my way” message an hour ago. Typical. She liked to keep people guessing.

Pushing open the door, I scanned the café. It wasn’t busy—just a couple of tables occupied, but no sign of Ahin. I was about to grab a seat when a waitress approached, handing me a folded note.

“For you,” she said, smiling.

I opened it, recognizing Ahin’s handwriting immediately.

“Go to the rooftop terrace. Your date’s waiting. Don’t embarrass yourself.”

I raised an eyebrow, a mix of amusement and nerves bubbling up. Ahin wasn’t kidding. She really set me up. The question was—who?

Climbing the stairs to the terrace, I ran through the list in my head. Jeewon? Arin? Hyewon? I tried not to get my hopes up, but my curiosity was killing me.

When I reached the top, the soft sound of laughter greeted me. There, seated at a small table overlooking the city, was someone I instantly recognized.

Hyewon.

She was scrolling through her phone, a cup of tea steaming in front of her. When she noticed me, she put the phone down and smiled—a shy, polite smile that didn’t betray much.

“Hi,” she said, standing to greet me. “You must be Ahin’s friend.”

Friend. Right. That’s all I was to Ahin, but hearing it stung just a little. I shook it off, offering my hand.

“That’s me,” I said, introducing myself. “And you’re… wow. Hyewon.”

Her laugh was soft, almost bashful. “I hope that’s a good wow.”

“Oh, definitely,” I said, sitting across from her. “I just wasn’t expecting… you. Not that I’m complaining.”

She tilted her head, studying me for a moment. “Ahin said you were charming. I guess she wasn’t lying.”

“She said that?”

“She also said you’d try too hard,” she added with a teasing glint in her eye.

I groaned, shaking my head. “Of course, she did. She loves setting me up to fail.”

Hyewon laughed again, this time more openly. “Well, you’re doing fine so far. A little flustered, but it’s cute.”

The ice broke, and we settled into easy conversation. She told me about her recent projects, her favorite spots in Seoul, and how Ahin convinced her to go on this blind date.

“She said you’d be fun,” Hyewon admitted, taking a sip of her tea. “And that you wouldn’t be intimidated.”

“Intimidated?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Well, some people think idols are… I don’t know, untouchable or something. It’s nice to just talk, you know? No pressure.”

“I get that,” I said, leaning back in my chair. “For what it’s worth, you seem pretty normal to me. In a good way.”

“Normal?” she repeated with mock offense. “Should I be insulted?”

“Not at all,” I said quickly. “Normal is underrated. And besides, I doubt anyone else at this café can say they’re having tea with Kang Hyewon right now.”

Her smile softened, and for a moment, the conversation stilled.

“You’re not what I expected,” she said quietly.

“Is that good or bad?” I asked.

“Good,” she said simply, her gaze meeting mine.

As the afternoon stretched into the evening, I found myself relaxing more and more. Ahin’s note hadn’t been a prank, and for that, I was grateful. Maybe this “favor” wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

By the time we said goodbye, exchanging numbers and a promise to meet again, I couldn’t help but smile. Ahin might’ve teased me endlessly about this, but she’d been right about one thing: this was worth the wait.

You arrive at your hotel for the concert back in Seoul tired. You had put on quite the show everyone was fired up by your performance. Now you hoped for some sweet dreams and calm nights. What you didn’t expect was Ahin dressed in nothing but her little red bikini which happened to be your favorite. Ahin smiled and said, “Miss me?” You nodded as all of her fatigue was replaced by an almost depthless lust you approached Ahin while removing your clothes. She smiled at you while singing Happy Birthday in an angelic tone. “You smiled as she happily let you close the distance.

“Is this my surprise?” you ask euphoric. Ahin shakes her head as she carefully pulls the bikini strap down revealing two flash drives each taped to her nipple. She smiles before setting them on the nightstand. Then she takes off the bottom part of her bikini revealing a third flash drive taped to her clit. She adds it to the row and then says, “For when you miss me.”

You smile then start to strip. By the time you get to her Ahin is rubbing slow tortuous circles around her clit and right breast, “fuck get over here,” she moans needy and desperate.

“I have been waiting for you for a full month." she moans as her pussy glistens and calls to you like a siren. As you close in on her she smiles happily before you plunge deep into her cavern. She moans,

"Fuck I missed this cock," she says as you thrust in and out of her. She's tighter than usual and the friction makes you light-headed, as you both cum after a few moments. You groan and look at each other ditzy and ravenous but the flesh is spongey.

"that was intense," Ahin says as she sticks a finger in her cunt before licking the cum out.

As you watch you get harder and before long you thrust into her again. Ahin moans as she cums all over your cock again. You chuckle and say,

"You're just a slut for my cock aren't you?" Ahin moans wordlessly as you ravage her guts. Her sopping pussy welcomes you snugly.

"Fuck babe, you're so tight." You groan as you take your girlfriend. She growls and places both your hands on her breasts.

"Fucking grope me," she says as she takes your cock. You roughly massage her chest as she begins fucking herself on you and she begins to clench again before cumming again. She squirts around your cock as you keep hammering at her G-spot. She moans as her eyes roll back.

"Fuck cum in me." Ahin moans as she takes more and more of your cock. You smirk seeing the sassy and smiling Starlet reduced to a mewling mess because you make get rougher with her. You smack her perfect ass before you pull out then flip her over so you can ravage her from behind. You start out slowly letting her adjust.

"Ah fuck stop this slow gentle shit fucking ruin me." you smile with your green light and thrust harder into her, but keeping the drawn-out pace. Each thrust drives the former idol's mind to mush. she moans as you watch her ass ripple and sway as you take her further then shes ever gone.

"Fuck!" she moans drawing out her words and then you spank her harder then she's ever been spanked, and she cums again as the pain and pleasure fry her brain. you continue chasing your high though as she goes limp. her body utterly spent. as you rut inside of her still clenching pussy.

Ahin moans mindlessly as you continue to take her, until you pull out and cum all over her ass and back.

"Ahh Fuck" she says happily. You smile as you lay down next to her exhausted.

[petvles]

I feel like im going insane man i check out the trending tags from time to time and i saw the tag welcome home trending, it leads to a horror arg with puppets and stuff and okay that does seem interesting but the thing that's weirding me out is that it seemingly came out of NOWHERE and now EVERYONE is talking about it, all these posts and fanart and fanfics are from the last 24 hours how and why did this become so big so fast? It feels like another tumblr inside joke like goncharov and i am so confused about it

[notmeowse]

Hi, I'm going in this direction. I will continue to critique the game and the developers' choices. Thanks.

I own the Veilguard artbook, the Inquisition artbook and both copies of World of Thedas. There are many cut concepts and lore tidbits that never made it to the games in these books. Cut ideas and content are expected, especially for AAA games with massive teams and budgets.

"Wild stuff that never made it" is very, very different from a cancelled project. An entire 1/3 of the artbook is VERY CLEARLY OUTLINED AND dedicated to concept art for Project Joplin, the original version of the game pre-live service model that was eventually cancelled in 2017 in favor of said model. The Joplin concepts, however far along in development they got in the 3 years of production, were clearly abandoned in favor of the more simplistic style of storytelling that a multiplayer game would require. And after the studio announced it was reverting the state of the game back to singleplayer in freaking 2021 (via Jason Schreier), they just... didn't keep any of it. As a matter of fact, they were so committed to not keeping it that there's actually game files for the Well of Sorrows choice and for Isabela's past. Removed from the final version of the game. But sure. "Wild stuff" and all.

This is the main issue, because it encompasses a lot of the problems people have had about the games. In short: it is not about the artbook. It's about what the artbook confirms for us.

Players are criticizing the game for not carrying over any meaningful choices from the previous games, thus rendering them obsolete? Hello, that was in our cancelled project. And also in the game files. Removed before launch. Players are criticizing the game for not offering meaningful choices for the protagonist? Hello, that was in our cancelled project. Players are criticizing the game for its shallow interpretation of lore and lack of conclusion to series-wide plot arcs? Hello, that was in the fucking cancelled project.

We see that it was on the table. It was in the writers' room. It was actually in development for 3 years. The creative team abandoned the material, the lore, and Joplin's plot points in their entirety in favor of what we have today. A suspicion a lot of people had, confirmed. By the artbook. "We wanted to do this but couldn't" doesn't work as an excuse for an entire cancelled project's worth of ideas that went unrealized on purpose.

But by all means. What makes this game good to you? Why is it a good game? Why is it above reproach?

my opinion of veilguard continues to plummet as more and more of the artbook / concept art is posted. what happened

[crazysodomite]

🌠

[katabay]

original thief series basso & garrett :)

ngl, it's about quality over quantity for me. an npc can have a total of three minutes of screen time, but if they have a cool name, they can live rent free in my head and I'll spend several hours trying to decipher drawable features from a blurry screenshot of pixels

there is a vague hint of a story here, and that's because every time I try to play thi4f, I get incredibly frustrated with how Not Fun the game play is. like, is the story good? well. but it has a PLAGUE. that should've given it instant 'I'll replay this once a year' status in my heart, but the game play sucks so bad that I've never finished it. I can't believe Not Fun gameplay beat out my obsession with narrative plagues.

anyway, the idea is basically if the original era had a game with a plague centric narrative and some other stuff I liked out of thi4f thrown into a narrative blender, with a heavy dash of horror thrown in because some parts of the thief games were scarier to me than entire dedicated horror genre games.

⭐ places I’m at! bsky / pixiv / pillowfort /cohost / cara.app

[tex-now]

class 1-A as idols made real... but with a twist

(this idea is not mine thank @thrilling-oneway for the idea. took your tags and blacked out and made this)

[cozylittleartblog]

if star wars was pitched for the first time in today's entertainment industry it would be turned down. and so would any other thing that's currently a "big IP". where do idiot executives think the IPs come from to begin with???

[riuuneon]

it's getting hard to manage, sorry

[saeiken]

inspired by trimax ch 10 :>

(panel refs under the cut)

these are the panels i referenced for posing and expressions !! i swear this scene made me so mentally ill abt them ...

(translation is the trigun manga overhaul--could not recommend them enough :P)

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

yeah so i'm falling for @weevmo's Guys... they're so neat! i dig their vibes and can't wait to see what Corduroy Stew is all about <3

[lemorgo]

[ID: Mizuki is sitting and laughing a bit probably because they messed with Ena verbally, Ena lays on them comfortably with tsundere look, colors are either dark blue or pastel pink/yellow/peach and there are some bright pink blots and stars. End ID]

[the-holy-ghosted]

I want to live where Soul meets Body

[rab-bitly]

9mm 🔫‼️

aka i have been replaying project hadea like crazy recently

[leafdlc]

I love ocs. clap if you love ocs

[sammy8d257]

I've brain-rotted so hard that I looked at this and was like

AvM MAD KING AU REFERENCE??