#the best thing about characters with swords is of course that swords are awesome

[utilitycaster]

Do you think Orym will eventually take a paladin class, or will he stay fighter all the way through? I personally want him to stay fighter, I think it’d be nice to have a character with a connection to a god even if it’s not like “formalized” or whatever

Absolutely no way to know, but I agree that at least at this time, I'd rather see Orym stay purely a fighter. I think it's interesting and important to show characters who have a relationship to a deity that isn't the source of their powers (not that the Relic of the Red Solstice Exalted Seedling isn't cool, but he could get another powerful sword if he wanted...Ishta is still in the bag of holding, after all) and I think that the way he described his relationship, as partners rather than a worshiper, feels like he is not planning on swearing any oaths.

[katyspersonal]

Here’s a triple whammy, Midra, Messmer, Rellana for the character bingo pls?

( @izunias-meme-hole )

Ohh bitchin'

God I just.. I will have to try to not turn it into an essay for your SANITY (ba dum tss) but in simplest terms possible, this was THE peak DLC experience for me. The Abyssal Woods already were super interesting and atmospheric, as well as learning that Midra is a NERD with so many books all over his Manse. But like.. the battle already captivated me a lot. It was just.. so well-done in every aspect. The music, the movements and attacks... No boss ever deserved the staple "battle feels like a dance once you get into it" praise more than this guy. ;-; I already was not normal about Frenzied Flame in general, but this just dhfssdfg It was so well executed god. Remember being OBSESSED with his music theme, also the first character in a while to make me often check his character tag on Tumblr. @val-of-the-north won't let me lie, I was literally drooling thinking about him in the first few days after that fight and could not think of anyone else @_@

Also I really enjoyed digging further into his story and motivations, what happened here with the Three Fingers and Nanaya. Analysis of the whole SoTe for me. This brand of despair also appeals to me at all, especially when it is tied to you and your associates being hunted like heretics (only the old ones remember!!! XD). Funny enough, just the day before I've met him in the game I've had a very unique mental breakdown where I was ranting like a madman about how much I've tired of holding the horrors and pain inside and how I wanted to just give up and unleash it. I can't get into too much details, it was very personal, however the phrase "May chaos take the world" was stuck in my head all along! And Val mentioned that 'interestingly enough, a theme like this IS addressed in SoTE' + 'you kin one of the characters for sure' so... yeah, that was something. I needed a character like this quite a lot :')

Messmer is AWESOME!! I do not obsess actively but rather just reblog the fanart and stuff that gets on my dashboard, but there are SO many things I said as my thoughts about his and Marika's relationship. And now I have even more to say! You could tell I love Midra more, but Messmer offers infinitely more to talk about and explore! And, god, his charisma, having attracted so many intelligent people to join him and even accept his serpentine nature (apparently a big no for people in the setting for some reason fdjjfds). Also one of the best designs in the Soulsborne series EVER. Also it is his voice actor's DEBUT! Literally HOW????? sfhdjhsdhgfdshds

It IS, for sure, hard to talk about him and not touch upon MANY other characters as he is tied with them so much. Marika, Melina, Fire Knights (especially Queelign), closest Black Knights that ditched him, Rellana, Gaius, Winged Snakes, god knows who else... I love how many relationship he has, but also what interesting potential he opened for exploring the lore with Abyss, Base Serpent and potentially Fell God! He is so many things. And I think this is appropriate how hard it is to discuss him outside of his relationships and curses... It is just like the character himself: having his life and purpose in it basically predefined by a curse he had no control over and his mother, and being a scourge or an idol for others, but barely being a person on his own... Discussions about him are JUST like him, you see what I mean? This also makes me emotional.

I do not have that many headcanons about her, but I am proud of those that I have! x) There is always the room to create more of course! Ok naturally 'everyone else is wrong about them' is not meant to be taken seriously fdshfhds But a big cornerstone for understanding her was the description of her swords referring to Moon and Fire having always been together in Japanese original script, which is just the sentiment from Sword of Night and Flame! So I can no longer see her as huge Erdtree/Marika simp at all, but instead as someone who, although without any hard feelings for her sister's choice, believes Cosmic Sorcery and Fire should be together (again) which makes me look at other takes like:

Just the curse of getting brain hard-locked on your interpretation fdshfhds On another note, I fucking LOVE her design, I am NOT able to enjoy any other armour anymore and just want to wear hers all the time fhhfsd 'Silly' because Twin Moons IS a silly concept, as well as cosplaying Sulyvahn XD ...but also because I see her as silly and fun person, to contrast Messmer's emo vibe x) Smug about kicking asses too! She gives me this strange feeling too, like... I can accept most of the bosses having to die for the plot and narrative, but thinking about her getting killed actually upsets me! She is an optional boss and should STAY as such. #rellanaplslive

[phightinghottakes]

We need more positivity? Bet.

I absolutely adore the Phighting lobbies!! Sure, there's the occasional person who just wants to argue, but most of the people there are just chilling. They're not there to grind for the next 5 hours, they just wanna talk, and I love it. 60% of my friends on roblox are from those lobbies, because they're really nice! I had a 10 minute conversation with a 7MK0 and a Cursedshot about which skins looked best together and which Phighters we thought would get a new one, and then play-fought with a Banhammer and a Skateboard. Of course, I eventually went into lobby, but it had really lifted my spirits, since I had been getting a lot of 6ths and 7ths lately.

Along with that, even with grindy people, it's fun to just... laugh it off. Sure, you're getting chased across the map by some random Sunburst Sword the entire match, but it's pretty fun to try and dodge their attacks while trying to fend for yourself, and funny to scream your lunges off as you get jumpscared by them when you thought they had finally left you alone. Along with that, not everyine in servers are grindy, some of them are just there to have fun, or to play with a friend, or maybe they are grinding but they still congratulate their team and point out how well other people did.

I see all these people talking about how bad the community is, and sometimes I see it too, but it's nice to take a step back and... choose to see things in a brighter light. Say Gg, make silly emoticons, interact with people inside and outside of matches, chill in lobby, make friends! I honestly love the community. The people online that you don't like are just that: people online, you can block them, or just don't interact with them. If you're looking at fanart and see something you don't like, then just try to move on and look at a creator you enjoy! If someone's being rude in a match, politely leave and join another, or just ignore them and enjoy the game.

Phighting isn't perfect, but it is fun. The people can be awesome, or they can suck, but they're usually pretty cool if you put in effort to be nice. The devs might make decisions you don't like, but they also make amazing skins, fx/sfx, environments, and have put their backs into this silly little game. Games are going to be grinded, you're going to lose a match, a person eill be rude, a character will annoy you, the lore won't always feel right, but nothing in this world is perfect, so just take a step back and appreciate the world of Phighting for what it is. It'll get better, it's still in Alpha, remember that, but it really is a wonderful game.

Thanks for reading this biblically accurate rant!

-- Love (or don't love, idk), 🌒 <3

.

[non-euclidianavalanche]

One of my favorite things in video games is unclear lore, or just a lack thereof. In a world of Game Theory and hundreds of thousands of lore-centric games throughout history, having one that's just...

Oh! Hey look, it's them again!

Who is this? Neow of course! What do we know about them? absolutely nothing!

Okay, that's not entirely true. But it's so sparse it may as well be nothing. Described as a large whale-like creature with 6 eyes, Neow is some sort of cosmic entity from beyond this plane. She seems to have some sort of vendetta against the spire (You are Slaying the Spire after all...) And resurrects your character's dead body to do it all over again. Roguelikes my beloved, they couldn't make me hate you. There are four characters you can play as:

Ironclad: Look, he's your first d&d character. Human(?) fighter who made demonic pacts after his village was destroyed by a raging fire. (Which I'm pretty sure was also caused by demons but whatever, you do you king) From a martial arts standpoint, it's all forms of fighting. Obviously a sword fighter, but the card art shows all different types of weapons and ways they fight. They're skilled, and are now acting as a reincarnated warrior to forever fight the spire. (While reading through the Wiki I learned they are predominantly featured on a colorless card [can be in any deck] instead of a rare red card, which is pretty neat)

Silent: (my girl frfr) Your second d&d character, a poisoner rogue reminiscent of when you played Skyrim for the 8th time this year. A rogue, her description being "A deadly huntress from the Foglands. Eradicates her foes with daggers and poisons" She has similar head garb to a few enemies, and thematically fits super well. She seems less pushed out of the Foglands as they call it, and more like she was led here. As though her mind was fully clouded and she arrived. She seems to be a sort of bounty hunter, assassin typed beat. But just like... Why? Answers naught to be found.

Defect: Beep Boop, Robot that has fucking magic(?) "A combat automoton which became self aware. Ancient technology allows the manipulation of orbs."

Sorry not sorry but that's magic. (Dope magic too) It is considered self-aware, and based on some events dialogue you find it has one directive. Balance. Now, why in the hell did a robot seeking balance end up in a giant spire? No idea, not a damn thing is said about it. They're just there and awesome. (Defect is my favorite though, gameplay wise. I'm sorry, shocking you with 40+ damage by literally just pressing End Turn in a card game is so funny.)

Watcher: (my favorite by design and it's not even close.) Look at her, she's so pretty and pretentious and holier than thou. (One of the events details her walking into a room where a bloody fight is happening, waiting patiently until it's over, then just going up to the next room. She gives zero shits.) "A blind ascetic who has come to 'Evaluate' the spire. Master of the Divine Stances." She's a monk, and a cool one at that. Her play style is all about switching stances, and really brings out the longer turns and heavier impacts if you know what you're doing. So, you'd think with them releasing desperately from the other characters in the series they'd come with some lore, right?

Right?

Right?

A little bit. But not enough to give us anything we didn't already know.

So sure, yadda yadda, all these characters but what is the spire? The titled spire of which we are to slay?

A big fuck off tower in the middle of nowhere, that leads forever into the sky. And here's the best part, you never even fight the spire itself. Sure, you fight growths and things made by and from the tower. But the final boss isn't the building.

If, throughout your trials of the three floors and multiple bosses needed to get through. You sacrifice a relic from a chest, choosing to meditate instead of rest, and defeat a burning elite. You get three keys, which let you into the final level.

Chapter 4: The Ending

Instead of a large scroll map through the individual nodes, you get a map with one singular path.

A campfire to rest, a merchant to buy any last minute potions or cards, and then an elite fight before the final boss. Remember how I said earlier that you don't fight the spire? You don't, but you do fight growths and eventually its heart.

Fight the tentacle and shield combo that are in the elite fight, (who are both little bitches btw) and you'll come face to face with the Corrupted Heart

This is the final boss. You can only do a certain amount of damage to it per turn, and every card you play deals you 1 damage to you! (2 later in the fight) Fucking rude.

But let's say you do it. Let's say the blade strikes through, or the electricity ceases the heart. You win! Congrats, you get to see a little animatic. (Side note, love the art style of this game) Of the character leaving the spire... And just kinda looking around. Then you get one of my favorite end screens of any game.

So just like... Yeah, you did it! 🎉🎉🎉 Rogue like gameplay says you did all of the things, and you got to the end. But something about not knowing all of it gnaws at you when you look from the surface. This whole post is made with bare bones research (300 hours and a few fandom searches, which is where all of the images are from) and I still feel like I know less than when I started. Sequel coming out early next year, and I'm very excited! That's all.

Oh, totally unrelated! Play Monster Train. It's not this game, but it's very similar. Card games, train going down through hell to reignite it. Very fun time.

[immaturityofthomasastruc]

Not Miraculous Ladybug but since I heard you're a fan of Code Lyoko, I wanted to ask a few questions if that's cool. Who's your fav character and why? What's your favorite and least favorite thing about each main character? Fav side character? Favorite episode? Favorite XANA attack? Are we all in agreement that Clone William is best boi? Anything else you want to say about it that no one's asked before? Sorry this if this is a lot, lol.

Favorite Character: Aelita. She easily went through the most development over the course of the show, going from a walking plot device to a capable fighter in her own right.

Favorite Things About the Characters:

Ulrich: He easily has the coolest powers in Lyoko. Twin swords, super speed, duplication, and an awesome bike.

Odd: Similarly, I like how Odd's powers are handled. It's clear that compared to the others, his are the least practical (cat features, a limited supply of "laser arrows", and a shield), but he manages to hold his own through his quick thinking.

Yumi: I like the way she has to struggle the most balancing her personal life with her Lyoko duties. Unlike the others, she lives with her family, so she has to deal with family drama, and that's not getting into what happens once William gets involved.

Aelita: Again, it's the way she goes from a standard damsel in distress to becoming the de facto leader of the team when Jeremie isn't around.

Jeremie: It's really interesting to see Jeramie act as the leader of the team when he isn't much of a fighter, almost like a young Professor X. The other four may fight XANA directly, but Jeramie gets a lot more done. When XANA wiped out Lyoko, Jeramie managed to recreate the entire world, give the other four upgrades to their powers, and create a submarine for the team to use.

Least Favorite Things About the Characters

Ulrich/Yumi: Putting them together because this one is obvious. The "will they or won't they?" stuff. It just got old, and even after Season 3, which has Yumi try to say she just wants to be friends, the show still rode with this.

Odd: He's funny, but there are still times when he can be pretty annoying.

Aelita: There are admittedly times were it felt like the show kept coming up with ways to endanger her. It made sense in Season 1, but by Season 3, it felt a little excessive that XANA needed her to destroy Lyoko.

Jeremie: I always found it disappointing that we never got to see his Lyoko form.

Favorite Side Character: Jim

Favorite Episode: "Aelita"

Favorite XANA Attack: "Temporary Insanity"

[gatoiberico]

Hey, can't believe that I found you on here. I love your Zelda videos! Really enjoying the Twilight Princess playthrough so far. Such a cool game!

I was wondering if you saw the Echoes of Wisdom announcement. I'd love to hear your thoughts on it!

Thanks for being cool and keep making videos. They make my day so much better.

Heya! I think it's awesome when we encounter one another on different platforms, haha. Thank you, I'm glad you're enjoying the playthrough! I did see the EoW announcement, and it looks like it's gonna be a blast to play! In all honesty it feels borderline intimidating because of how many ways you can solve a puzzle. As in, get ready to activate all of your brain cells. Someone on YT commented about solving stuff with just beds, and that's the sort of bonkers stuff I'm excited to see folks do and try out myself. Fuse in TOTK is similar but different all at once, for example we get to duplicate monsters? That's gonna be something. And of course the way that we finally get to play as Zelda (although I went down the Wand of Gamelon rabbit hole after the announcement dgfhdg) in a game that can solve problems in multiple ways feels like it befits her character. I haven't played enough Zelda games to give a proper analysis imo, but for a game where her weapon isn't a sword but are items chosen based on intellect feels like it fits with what she represents. In short I'm super stoked to play it on the channel when it gets released!! Thanks again for your words, knowing that the videos make your day better is the best thing to hear <3

[marley-manson]

Xena:WP for the ask meme!

Thank you 💖

my favorite female character

Xena man. Untoppable. There will never be another female character as satsfying and gratifying to watch as her - not just because I'm cynical but also because the kind of power fantasy she is is tied to the tone and genre of the show, which is functionally dead now.

I love that she's not just the best most competent warrior and person in the room almost every time, but that everyone acknowledges it, and by season 6 it's just taken as a fact of the worldbuilding that Xena is the best mortal fighter in the world and cannot be defeated. I love that she has an evil past and still slips into it at times, sometimes with actual fucked up results (fuck yeah the rift). Love that she does have the capacity to be a danger to Gabrielle and it's part of their relationship that they have to deal with. Love that she's toppy in her het encounters (but it's also implied sometimes Gabrielle doms and that's hot), and watsonianly at least it's for her own gratification rather than for the men, who are generally less into that dynamic.

Love her stoicism but also love that she loosens up eventually and can be goofy. Love that she loves fishing, loves fighting, loves fucking, all unabashedly. She has shame but it's for her past evil actions as a warlord, not for her intrinsic personality traits, even the ones that contributed to the warlording. Love her body language, how she fights as a power house sword and sourcery style warrior rather than as a lithe acrobat (though she can pull out the acrobatics too of course), how Lucy Lawless makes her feel larger than life. Love that she's bi and has multiple female love interests pre Gabrielle.

etc lol. I could go on forever.

my favorite male character

So few to choose from lol, so I think it's gotta be Ares. Some of his episodes make me cringe (Ties that Bind eg lol) and he often sucks, but he's consistently an entertaining villain, I love the frenemy vibe he eventually falls into with Xena, I don't dislike most of his shit in season 5, love his mortal episodes, love that he never gets together with Xena but don't mind shipping them a little on the side.

Caesar has also kinda grown on me this rewatch after not giving a fuck at all about him the first time I watched. His dynamic with Xena is interesting.

my favorite book/season/etc

I think season 2 is probably the best season, but despite some lows I think my favourite is actually season 4. It has a few of my favourite episodes (Paradise Found, Crusader, Ides of March) and I love the overarching theme of exploring Xena's darkness and saying it's great, actually.

my favorite episode (if its a tv show)

God now this is impossible to choose. I've never fully thought about it lol. Have a list of some faves: A Day In the Life, The Price, The Debt, When in Rome, Crusader, Paradise Found, Ides of March, You Are There, To Helicon and Back

my favorite cast member

no opinion

my favorite ship

Xena/Gabrielle of course. They're one of those ships that's incredibly fun to watch to see how far they'll push the gay subtext, but also has extremely solid chemistry, a lot of drama and episodes revolving around their relationship and love for each other, and enough darkness and angst to be interesting. And the old fandom often actually leaned into the drama and darkness rather than ignoring it! Modern f/f fandom needs to learn from their elders tbh.

a character I’d die defending

I was gonna say Xena, but honestly I'm a lawyer for the prosecution there lol, I like to emphasize everything that makes her darker or evil, rather than exonerating her. My defense is 'she did all those things and it was awesome.'

Oh, Najara! I'll defend her to the death for sure, anyone who hates her is wrong, including whoever wrote her second episode lol.

a character I just can’t sympathize with

There are characters you're not supposed to sympathize with, like Alti who's just evil for the sake of evil lol, but that feels like cheating as an answer. Also Michael lol, love that he's a villain in season 6 and totally sucks. Can I say the God of Love in general lol? Fuck all that shit.

a character I grew to love

Joxer 😑 It took 4 whole seasons but I did eventually warm up to him enough that Livia (episode) made me sad lol. Love is a strong word but on rewatch I was fond of him and found him more funny than annoying.

my anti otp

Hmmm... Gabrielle/Joxer maybe?

ask meme

[eclecticopposition]

fic writer questions 1, 5, 7, 15, 17, 29 wire guy, 37, 47 asbestine infelidel, and 49 of course

oh shit okay let's fucking GO

fic writer asks

1 we have been asked a few times, and answered here. everyone should read merry go merry gone.

5: What do you wish someone would ask you about [insert fic]? Answer it now!

(also answered here)

no questions. look at my ocs boy.

7. Any worldbuilding you’re particularly proud of?

(also answered here)

for wire guy specifically? all of the branched stuff. we gave a canon character five parents. we think that takes guts. and we think that a lot of the worldbuilding comes through subtly (or not so subtly) in phrygian's perspective, and the way they engage with the world, which makes us happy.

but some of our best worldbuilding was definitely in variance. some of the planetary landmarks are extremely cool. and honestly, the whole thing with biosynthetic technology is awesome. did you know that they literally grow houses out of seeds and the thing architects do is correct micrometer to millimeter scale flaws while they're in early developmental stages, so the building doesn't come out with fucked up windows or slanted floors? there are different types of specialized architects for different house ages and building types. the designers synthesizing the seeds to have particular floor plans have a completely different job.

most houses calcify when they're finished growing and become rigid structures, and further construction work involves making parts of the building malleable again. numerals don't have the same black and white distinctions between "alive" and "not alive" that we do, but it is general scientific consensus that fully grown houses are designed to be dormant and require external energy to be partially, temporarily woken up. there's a common belief among certain populations of laypeople that on some level, buildings are living beings, and houses can be still alive.

15. What’s your favorite AU that you’ve written?

oh god that's a hard one. maybe the variance mech au? or some of the post-havenfree stuff. the stuff we've been writing with ohnyxx and azyrix is pretty fucking good.

we swear there's something we're just forgetting.

17. What highly specific AU do you want to read or write even though you might be the only person to appreciate it?

we did answer this here, and you're one of the two guys mentioned. but rule number one is yes we will absolutely answer it again.

AU where ohnyxx lives a fucking happy life or something. or AU where they and kalrin do some rose bride shit. hey actually do you remember that one story we made where you can pull your soul out in the form of a sword? we think they should do that to each other. just run around with each other's swouls. and be weird about it.

29. What songs would be (or are) on a playlist for [wire guy]? Explain your choices if you want!

now there's a great question! @humanmorph also asked it. apparently everyone wants our musical takes.

we're throwing together a wire guy playlist right now. you can find it here! it's still a work in progress, but we think it's pretty good.

37. Promote one of your own “deep cut” fics (an underrated one, or one that never got as much traction as you think it deserves!). What do you like about it?

friends at the table people should at least read chapter one of six sunday. that's where we keep the figure and phrygian.

47. If [Asbestine Infelidel] was a pair of shoes, what kind would it be? Describe the shoes.

you've singled out the one fic we knew right off the bat we can actually answer this question for. and we KNOW you haven't read it. you're great.

asbestine infelidel is a pair of ragged cloth foot wraps, covered in a strange grey dust. there's a piece of an autumn leaf caught in the gap between its toes.

49. What are you currently working on? Share a few lines if you’re up for it!

well................................. you know

[hungnitan]

Amphoreus TB 3.0 Impression

To put it simple, it's introduction of new world for whole stories and of course lore abudant. I think it took almost seven hours for me, include many main story puzzles which I think it doesn't neccessary needed there.

Overall story so far is satisfying without any rush and leave some questionable things for next version. Story feels like main story + world quest combined and Genshin players should know that most Genshin world quest stories are awesome to best.

Noteable Scene :

One of screw loose TB but not at right moment ! To think writer would insert kiss jokes right after train crashes feels weird to me somehow (I wanna see too but not in this situations lol).

Of course there are many unneeded joke inserted everywhere even PhainonMydei moments just doesn't feels right remembering Amphoreus (and AE) current situations.

Additionally I don't remember TB Danheng worried on AE except the last scene (Oh please I still remember Danheng keep messaging AE like crazy at middle Luofu TB quest before...)

I remember FGO had nearly live death similar moment on LB7 (good enough NA version just release lately or I gonna forget the details lol) and they wouldn't dare to jokes like that so those scene is big minus point from me and truth enough at the end of stories Welt explain their train are fine which making the tension goes off

Ah yeah baseball bat, the backstories and now they're adding ice sword into lancer of fury user agenda...He's Kevin for sure 🤣🤣🤣

Additionally if you choose to leave Amphoreus, it stated Phainon is not a real name... That info are disclosure at Phainon flamechaser book story (the book located similar at our phone menu like Penacony sticker book)

But it's somehow fresh hearing young cheerful Phainon voice like "finally he become happier in different universe" (eventhough I'm not sure after his godhood ascend😭)

I somehow didn't suprise even in godhood place, internal strife between humans still happens. Well, it still suprising Aglaea took initiative taking care on it.

Remembering Penacony story, I'm sure the main problem / side story TB quest will feature those elder.

The one I really suprise is the fact that Amphoreus currency and language are same as HSR world uses. I could only think their Aeons (Erudition / Remberance / other one) took it and spread them as national terms.

To think RMC would unlock with Stellaron Hunter memories and the timing could not be more perfect with I ALREADY MISS KAFKA TOO !!!

Eventhough feature in banner, her involvement still small but I'm sure she will get drag by AE at next version.

Nanoka situations, seems she gonna into frozen state again. So AE current situations are TB Danheng at Amphoreus, Himeko Nanoka at express and Welt Sunday convincing Herta help them.

My conclusion : Good start, at least TB quest onward feels promising. Storyflow convince me to search Amphoreus lore from books but most TB jokes are too dry in the current gloomy world.

For future version, I think current character still have big parts + other heroes. Most likely too Phainon have bigger screentime than now as it's clearly Amphoreus is all about him (let's just hope his playable won't take too long like Sunday 🤣).

This version couldn't make me love Phainon more than before ! While on other side, I still feels nothing on Castorice Mydei...

Don't get me wrong, 90% I'm sure Castorice is just waifu bait later (I'm still hurt with Firefly case believe me) while Mydei... I'm sorry I know Gilgamesh first or you would become my first Amphoreus husbando target 😭

PS : I suggest to read every past fragment at Cremnos, as it telling Mydei's past pretty details. Now I pity his past life, no wonder his main art feels like suffocating to see 😅

[smilesrobotlover]

skord skord?

Ah yes, another overhated Zelda game that is in my top three. I’ve played this game on the switch and I will say, it’s so much better than the Wii, so if you haven’t played it yet, try to play it on the switch.

Anyways this is one of the few video games that have made me cry. The story is so good and it makes me SUPER emotional. The Link is probably one of the few Links with so much personality poured into him, his relationship with Zelda is super sweet and fun, and the characters and world of skyloft is incredible. The side quests for gratitude crystals is not only wholesome but gets you closer with the residents, so it feels like an island where you grew up with these people. There’s so much to do in this game and I just… AGH I adore it to DEATH.

Groose is easily one of the best characters in Zelda with his incredible development. He’s so complex and insecure about himself and seeing him work through his issues in the game and become good friends with Link is so incredibly wholesome to me. Impa is a strict but sexy awesome character who’s entire story and character is insane to me.

And Fi… she is such an overhated character. Link in this story is super animated and full of personality meanwhile Fi is cold and distant, and these two complement each other so well. And even though she seems to lack personality, she has some moments here and there where she’s being a character, and those moments are amazing. Her saying goodbye to Link affected me more than Midna because you could just feel the bittersweetness. This character is with you through every game with the master sword. And despite not feeling emotions, Fi was happy with Link, and she truly cared about him, just like he cares about her. And I sob everytime. I love Fi she’s one of my favorite companions ever and I wish she wasn’t hated on so much because she doesn’t deserve it.

And let’s not forget Ghirahim, one of my fav characters of all time. He’s such a fascinating and well written villain who rivals Link perfectly! And most bosses in this game are relatively easy to me. But Ghirahim is one of the few bosses that is very hard. He’s not one of those villains that talk a lot of crap and then die in five seconds. He’s a challenge! You’re definitely inexperienced and he’s clearly just toying with you in the beginning! He actually works hard against you in this game instead of sitting around, and the final battle with him, he is truly giving his all, regretting not killing you in the beginning. When he said “what are you?” To Link after being defeated is INCREDIBLE. There was actually a character analysis about him and Groose so I really can’t talk about their characters without talking for five years lol. But yeah, Ghirahim is a GOOD character. And he actually succeeds in what he’s doing! He revives his master! That’s how you know that he’s a genuine threat! Gosh he’s so good

Now for the flaws, alas. The sky isn’t the best? The loftwings are underutilized (Link’s loftwing isn’t even named :/), the world is very small and limited (except for Lanayru, they put all their good ideas into there fr), and there’s a lot of fluff. Like hunting down the song of the hero is just unnecessary to me. Faron is an idiot for not trusting you despite saving her life, then Eldin is just, completely forgettable, and Lanayru is fine. I just don’t like the song of the hero part that much. But of course when you unlock it, that cut scene is incredible.

Another thing is Demise. He sucks. He’s such a boring character to me and he’s way too easy as a final boss fight. Like you see Ghirahim giving his all and then demise just dies immediately 💀💀 but the final boss is the most cinematic boss fight ever so that def is a plus. And I also don’t like the introduction of Hylia. She makes the lore so much more boring and confusing and I wish she didn’t exist. Same thing with demise. Having them there was… a choice that was made and doesn’t answer any questions about Link, Zelda, and Ganondorf. Heck, Ganondorf really shouldn’t be included with them. Sure he’s a reoccurring villain, but he’s the same guy everytime, he’s never reincarnated like Link and Zelda. Unless you want to count that as Ganon but I don’t like that whole idea. Idk, it complicates the lore a bit and I can understand why people didn’t like that.

But otherwise a fantastic game that impacted me SO much.

[m1ckeyb3rry]

Hurricanes / Hummingbirds: II

Series Synopsis: As the years go by, you find that it is incredibly difficult to survive wars and fight storms, especially when the only thing you have by way of a cursed technique is the blessing of a tiny bird.

Chapter Synopsis: You get acquainted with Nanami’s least favorite upperclassman, as well as with your sword.

Series Masterlist

Pairing: Hajime Kashimo x Female Reader; slight Kento Nanami x Female Reader; slight Satoru Gojo × Female Reader

Chapter Word Count: 4.2k

Content Warnings: swearing, enemies/rivals to lovers, character death, canon-typical violence, angst, gore, original characters included

A/N: very unserious chapter apologies in advance

“Are you Satoru Gojo?” you said. He certainly looked like somebody who you’d expect to be a clan heir, with a shock of white hair and pitch-dark glasses perched on the bridge of his nose. He was currently engaged in conversation with another boy, this one with messy black hair tied into a bun and discerning brown eyes that widened slightly when they lit upon you.

“Me? Yeah, whaddya want?” the white haired boy said, pointing at himself. You clasped your hands in front of you.

“Please, sir, oh, please please please let me have the Sword of Syrinx! I’ll do anything — okay, no, I won’t — if you just give it to me. I’ve never wanted anything as badly as I want it, and I promise I’ll be the best underclassman you’ve ever had if you let me use it! I know it’s a special grade cursed tool, technically, so it’s super-duper valuable, and I’m just a random first year student who can’t even use a sword, but I really really want it!” you said, all in a rush. Both boys gave you bemused looks.

“Uh, what?” Gojo said, rubbing the back of his neck and glancing at his friend, who shrugged in confusion. You steeled your expression before dropping into a bow.

“Satoru Gojo,” you said.

“Yes?” he said nervously.

“I ate the sandwich you made for Nanami,” you said.

“Oh, no way! Did you like it?” he said. You knew you should lie — after all, Nanami said that Gojo’s ego was already the size of Tokyo, and there was real danger in inflating it further. However, you knew the ways of men very well, and there was only one way you could convince him to let you have the Sword of Syrinx, which you coveted so dearly.

“Yes,” you said. “Very much. It was the best sandwich I’ve ever eaten.”

“Awesome!” he cheered. “Yeah, see, I’m a good cook, too! Take that, Suguru. I can’t believe you doubted me!”

“It was just a sandwich,” his friend muttered. “Don’t go thinking you’re some kind of a chef.”

“But it was the best sandwich she’s ever eaten! Of course, it only makes sense. As one of the strongest, I’d naturally make sandwiches deserving of the title. By the way, you have good taste, random girl!” Gojo said, reaching out to pat your still-bowed head. You clenched your fists in determination.

“Y/N L/N, sir. Please call me Y/N,” you said.

“Okay. Please don’t call me sir,” he said.

“Alright,” you said. “So, about the Sword of Syrinx…?”

“Huh? Oh, that piece of junk? Sure, you can have it,” he said dismissively. You froze before slowly looking up at him, his casually arrogant grin, his lazy posture. He was tall, but the height gave him a gangly appearance. He was almost awkward, in that way of a foal or fawn, all legs and little else. The effect was especially exacerbated by his friend who stood beside him; this boy was broader, more filled out, though he was about the same height as Gojo.

“I can?” you said. Gojo gave you a double thumbs up.

“I don’t use weapons, and even if I did, I definitely wouldn’t pick such a useless, random one. Why, did you think I’d say no or something? As if! If you can use it, then at least someone can, and if you can’t, then it’ll be back in the cursed tools warehouse before long,” he said.

“Oh,” you said, realizing there had been no reason for you to flatter him. Now you had pumped his ego even more, and you hadn’t even gotten anything out of it that you wouldn’t have otherwise.

“Yeah,” he said. You blinked before what he had said really set in, and then you squealed in delight.

“Wait, I can really have it? Like, really really?” you said. Gojo nodded eagerly.

“Like, really really!” he said. It was almost condescending, but you were too excited to care. The Sword of Syrinx was yours, it was really, truly yours, and now all you had to do was learn how to use it. You didn’t even care that your only cursed technique was Hummingbird’s Blessing; if you had that sword, you were certain that nothing could stop you.

“Thank you! Thank you so, so much! If you ever need a sandwich taster or something, you know where to find me!” you shouted over your shoulder, taking off in a full sprint towards the cursed tools warehouse where Hinode, Haibara, and Nanami were waiting for your triumphant return.

“Sure thing!” he shouted back.

You were out of breath and panting by the time you returned to the cursed tools warehouse, but not even your exhaustion was enough to dampen your spirits, which had been immeasurably raised after the brief exchange with Gojo.

“He’ll give it to me!” you huffed out, doubling over to calm your racing heart, your palms pressing against your thighs as your breathing returned to normal. “Hinode, he said I can have the sword!”

“Congratulations,” Hinode said, presenting you with the scabbarded weapon. “To pay him back for his kindness, make sure take excellent care of it.”

As soon as the Sword of Syrinx was in your hands, it began to murmur with cursed energy, seeking out your own like it was trying to greet you. You weren’t really sure how to respond, but it seemed that at least your cursed energy did, rushing up to meet the sword’s, weaving in and out in an undulating motion that you could only describe as dancing. It was not something you could see; rather, it was something you felt, against your skin, in your soul, the meeting of your heart and the Sword of Syrinx as comforting as the embrace of an old friend.

“Why are you standing there with a stupid expression on your face?” Nanami said. You hugged the sword to your chest, tracing your fingers over the designs on the scabbard to occupy your ever-racing mind.

“It’s my sword,” you said simply. “I was just getting to know it.”

Nanami side-eyed you. “Um, okay. Should I introduce myself as well?”

It was obvious he was confused; to be fair, you did not blame him. The notion of getting to know a sword was a ridiculous one, especially in the way that he likely assumed you meant it. But you weren’t doing some kind of formal interview with the Sword of Syrinx, you were just letting it feel your cursed energy, which, considering the fact that it was a Special Grade Cursed Tool, didn’t seem like too far-fetched an idea.

“Don’t be so critical, Nanami.” To your surprise, it was Hinode who jumped to your defense. “Tools of such power can be finicky. It could very well be that allowing the energy of the sword to grow accustomed to hers might be the key to letting her wield it properly.”

“Kind of like boiling a frog!” Haibara said. “You know, like she slowly feeds it more and more of her energy until it accepts her as its new owner? If it gets overloaded all at once, it’ll obviously not want to cooperate, since it’ll recognize that she’s not the one that forged it, but if she’s slow and methodical about it, it won’t even realize the difference.”

“Actually, you have a point,” Hinode said. Haibara clapped his hands together in excitement; however, in doing so, he neglected to remember the cursed knives he was attempting to hold. They clattered everywhere, and he gave you all a horrified look that caused a small giggle to escape you.

“Haibara,” Nanami groaned. “You are such a disaster. It’s a wonder you’ve made it this far.”

“Sorry!” Haibara responded in a tone that suggested he was actually not at all sorry. Kneeling, he deftly swept up the knives and shoved them into the pockets of his uniform — pockets which must’ve been extremely deep, considering the fact that he was able to stash away the entire set. You wondered why he had been balancing them on his hands in the first place, if he had had such pockets available the entire time.

“That’ll be your homework, then, Y/N,” Hinode said. “Every day, you have to slowly but surely increase how much of your cursed energy the Sword of Syrinx will accept. Until the day comes that it’s entirely under your control, you’ll practice with a normal sword. It shouldn’t be a problem; it’s not like you need a special grade tool to spar against Nanami and Haibara, at least not at first.”

“Spar against who and what?” you said, glancing at the muscular Haibara and the towering Nanami, both of whom appeared to be slightly undefeatable for someone like you, someone who was lacking in training even more than knowledge.

“That’s how you get better,” Hinode said. “You practice against opponents who can really test you without the fear of them actually permanently harming you. It’s dangerous to go against cursed spirits without having experience using your technique in battle, you know.”

“I don’t even know how to properly hold a sword,” you said.

“We’re not going to spar with you until you’re ready,” Nanami said. Although he seemed generally annoyed about everything, there was a nagging thought in the back of your mind that he was just actually always like this and it was not something he could help or choose to do.

“If you want to get started now, you can go put the Sword of Syrinx in your room and meet us at the training grounds,” Hinode offered.

“Okay!” you said.

“I can show you the way, if you want,” Haibara said. “Since I doubt you know where the training grounds are.”

“Wait,” Hinode said with a shifty wink at Haibara, whose jaw dropped before he winked back in understanding. “Maybe Nanami should do it.”

“Huh?” you said.

“Why me?” Nanami said, true despair contorting his features. You wrinkled your nose.

“You didn’t have to say it like that,” you said. He ignored you.

“This better not be one of your schemes, Hinode!” he said. Hinode whistled innocently, shoving his hands in his pockets and speeding off, Haibara doing the same and leaving you and Nanami alone in the warehouse. For a moment, neither of you spoke, simply watching the empty doorway, utterly bewildered at what had just happened.

“What was that all about?” you said.

“Nothing,” Nanami said, stomping towards the door. “Let’s just go.”

“Oh, uh, Nanami,” you said, following after him, though without as much fuss and stomping. “I have to apologize.”

“Apologize? For what?” he said, stopping in his tracks and turning to you with pursed lips. He obviously expected the worst, and he was right to do so. After all, you had done the one thing he had told you not to.

“I…I told Gojo I thought his sandwich was good,” you said. His eyes widened, and he grabbed your shoulders, shaking you back and forth like he could imbue some sense into you if he did so.

“Why. Would. You. Do that?” he said.

“I really wanted the Sword of Syrinx!” you whined. “I thought if I flattered him, he’d be more likely to give it to me, but it turns out he would’ve given it to me anyways, so I did it for nothing!”

“He’s never going to leave you alone now,” Nanami said before instantly brightening. “Wait. Maybe this means he’ll leave me alone now!”

“Is he really that bad? I mean, he wasn’t horrible when I talked to him,” you said as you began to walk again. Nanami shook his head.

“See, the thing is, Haibara really looks up to Geto, one of the other second years and Gojo’s best friend. They have this whole mentor-mentee relationship, and I honestly respect it, because Geto is marginally more normal than Gojo. Gojo feels left out, though, and I think he’s been trying to cultivate that same relationship with me, but I am not interested in being mentored by some white-haired idiot that’s built like a tree, even if he is one of the strongest sorcerers alive,” he said.

“That’s harsh,” you said. “Seems like you have a lot of built up rage against him.”

“He got us matching t-shirts once,” Nanami said.

“That’s kind of cute,” you said, unlocking the door to your room and motioning for Nanami to come in. He did so hesitantly, tip-toeing over to your desk and sitting in the chair primly. He kept his back stiff and straight, his feet planted firmly on the floor, his hands folded in his lap uncomfortably.

“It is not cute! It’s degrading,” he said. You scanned the room, trying to find a good place to put the Sword of Syrinx.

“I don’t know, I think maybe you should wear it. It would probably make him happy,” you said.

“Never. Why would I feed into his nonsense?” he said. You settled for resting the sword atop your bookshelf, where it would be unlikely to fall or be knocked over by accident.

“Dunno, it was just a suggestion,” you said.

“Whatever. Like I said, he’s going to try to foster a bond between the two of you now, so I think I’m probably free from his clutches for the moment. I hope you can survive,” Nanami said.

“He’s not a natural disaster or anything. He’s just our upperclassman,” you said. “He’s definitely not as bad as you’re making him out to be. Now, let’s go, I’m sure Hinode and Haibara are waiting for us.”

“Don’t come complaining to me when he tries to get you to coordinate your outfits, then,” Nanami said.

“I think it would be nice to coordinate outfits with someone,” you said. Although you had had friends back home, they had never been best friends, they had never cared about you that deeply. Plus, when you got older, you had been considered something like a freak by those who genuinely got to know you, so while on the surface, you seemed popular and well-beloved, the end result was that you had spent much of your life almost entirely alone.

Haibara had rolled up his sleeves and was punching Hinode’s arm when you and Nanami joined them at the training grounds; for his part, Hinode was entirely unaffected, sipping on an iced coffee and occasionally swatting at Haibara’s hands.

“There you two are! We were beginning to think you guys got lost,” Hinode said, tossing the now-empty cup of iced coffee into a nearby trash can. “Alright, that’s enough, Haibara. Just because I drank bleach earlier doesn’t mean I’m entirely immune to pain.”

“It doesn’t?” Haibara said. “Oops. Sorry, sir.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Hinode said. “It does numb most unpleasant sensations, so it’s more like a bug bite than a full on hit, but after a while, it grows tiresome. So, go beat up Nanami.”

“Maybe don’t do that,” Nanami said.

“Isn’t it a good plan?” Hinode said, ignoring Nanami’s protests completely. “You guys can have a practice match so that Y/N can see cursed techniques in action, as well as get a feel of what sparring is like. Plus, it’s been forever since you guys went all out in a spar, so it’ll be beneficial for you two, too.”

“Sounds good!” Haibara said. “I can try out my new knives, too!”

“They’re going to use actual cursed tools?” you said, moving to stand beside Hinode so that he could answer your questions as they arose. Nanami had pulled out a blunt blade wrapped in cloth from his bag, and Haibara was twirling his knives in between his fingers as he made his way to the dusty practice arena. Hinode hummed in assent.

“There’s no point in practicing with less. Of course, they’re only fighting until surrender, not death, so they’ll hold back the full power of the tools,” he said. You took your bottom lip between your teeth in worry.

“They won’t get hurt, right?” you said.

“Hurt is fine. We have a reverse cursed technique user on campus — one of the second years, Shoko Ieri — so if anything really bad happens, she can take care of it. Otherwise, though, they can just walk it off. Jujutsu sorcerers have more durable bodies, and we generally heal quicker, so minor injuries can be cured in a day’s rest, more or less,” he said.

“Still,” you protested weakly. Hinode gave you a calm look.

“Would you rather twist your ankle or lose your leg? It’s minor, in the grand scheme of things,” he said. “As for me, I would much prefer getting hit by Nanami or Haibara than a curse. Now, watch them carefully, I’m going to ask you questions about their fight afterwards.”

They had not quite yet begun in earnest. Nanami was crouching slightly, assessing the situation, while Haibara was jogging in place, warming up his muscles. Hinode whistled as if to remind them to get started, but they didn’t even acknowledge it, each focused only on the other, playing a game of waiting, of chicken, daring their opponent to go first but simultaneously refusing to be the one to rise to the bait.

All of a sudden, Haibara sprung into action, blitzing forward and then punching at Nanami with the ferocity of a tiger. It was strange to see the happy boy in this context, and you wondered how someone so kind could become such a vicious creature in the blink of an eye.

Nanami ducked out of the way of the hit and swept his leg into a graceful motion, kicking Haibara’s legs out from under him and knocking him off of his balance. Right as Haibara was about to thud onto his back, he reached his left hand out, catching himself in a back handspring and using his momentum to flip back to his feet while using his right hand to send a knife flying at Nanami.

“They’re going so fast,” you said in awe. All of this had happened in a couple of seconds, the two boys moving at speeds you did not even realize the human body was capable of attaining.

“They can go faster, but I’ll cut them some slack,” Hinode said. “They haven’t sparred in a bit, after all.”

Nanami brandished his sword and used it to deflect Haibara’s knife before smacking Haibara upside the head with it. Haibara was unable to dodge and settled for covering his most vulnerable spots with his hands, crouching so that Nanami barely inflicted any damage to him. Then he laughed and, while Nanami was still within his range, spun on his heel and punched him squarely in the gut. Nanami doubled over, and Haibara took advantage of his prone position to slam him into the ground. Haibara raised his foot to step on Nanami’s back and hold him in place, but before he could, Nanami rolled over, onto his back and out of the way.

“Oh, are we being serious about this?” he coughed out, pushing himself to his feet and gripping his sword. Haibara smirked.

“No point if we aren’t,” he responded.

“I can’t believe you’re making me do so much work,” Nanami said. Suddenly, the very air around him shifted, and he rushed towards Haibara, swinging his sword at him. At the last instant before impact, he spun the sword so that it was the flat side smacking against Haibara’s legs. Though the hit really shouldn’t have done anything to Haibara, it caused him to fall to the ground, his legs twitching uselessly as he slapped the ground in surrender.

“You win!” he yelped as Nanami walked towards him. As soon as he said that, Nanami offered him his hand, but Haibara shook his head. “My legs will take a second to recover. Give me a bit.”

“Sorry,” Nanami said. “You did say to go all out, though.”

“Nah, you’re good,” Haibara said. Both of their faces were red, and sweat dripped down their brows. Though the match had barely lasted a few minutes, they were as exhausted as if they had just run marathons. “I was too slow in reinforcing my legs with cursed energy. You wouldn’t have gotten me if I had.”

“Probably not,” Nanami agreed.

“What did you think, Y/N?” Hinode said.

“What did I think?” you said. “Well, it all happened so quick.”

“You should see Gojo and Geto when they spar. Now that’s fast,” he said. “Speed is important. Using cursed energy is taxing, so the quicker you can get your opponent out, the more likely you are to survive. Unlike sorcerers, curses have no issues using cursed energy, so if it comes to a battle of attrition, you will lose every time.”

“I get it. That’s why they both went for decisive blows every time instead of trying to wear down on each other with smaller strikes,” you said.

“Good!” Hinode said. “You’re quick on the uptake. That’s good, I hate dull students. Uh, but don’t tell my boss I said that, I’m not supposed to have preferences…”

“Your secret is safe with me,” you said, pretending to seal your lips shut. “Did Nanami use his cursed technique at the end? Is that why Haibara can’t stand up yet?”

“Yes, that’s correct. He didn’t put too much cursed energy into the technique, so Haibara should regain motion pretty soon, but that’s why such a lame hit managed to completely take his enemy out. That’s the power of an innate technique,” he said.

“You said that my innate technique, Hummingbird’s Blessing, allows its user to borrow the strength of the hummingbird,” you said, staring at the lines of your palm, flexing your fingers experimentally. “I still can’t quite figure out what that means, though.”

“Your technique hasn’t fully awakened yet. Although most people figure out their techniques when they’re young, for some reason, you didn’t. It might just take some time before you can properly utilize it to the fullest extent,” he said. “Don’t worry about it for the moment, though. Just practice with the Sword of Syrinx — even that alone will be enough to exorcise most curses,” he said.

“I see,” you said. “I will do that.”

“Come on, Y/N! Let’s get ice cream to celebrate Nanami’s win!” Haibara said. He had been yanked to his feet, presumably by Nanami, whose shoulder he was leaning on as he beckoned for you to join them.

“Isn’t it still the school day?” you said, looking at Hinode unsurely.

“I don’t care. There’s nothing else planned for today, so you guys can do whatever you want. Just remember to spend some time with the Sword of Syrinx later, alright?” he said.

“Yes, sir, I will! Thank you!” you said.

“Go on and have fun,” he said. You did not think twice before darting over to where Nanami and Haibara were waiting for you, Nanami with his trademark glum expression and Haibara as thrilled as always despite the fact that Nanami literally had to drag him along as he could still barely walk.

“By the way, Nanami said he’ll pay for everyone!”

“I did not!”

Later that night, when you were alone in your room and everyone else was surely asleep, you pulled the Sword of Syrinx out of its scabbard and sat on the floor with it in your lap. Deciding you might as well multitask, you began to painstakingly polish the sword before tentatively becoming aware of your cursed energy again.

You still didn’t know how to control it. Hinode hadn’t taught you, and you had no previous experience. You simply had to trust that your instincts would guide you well and that the sword would be amicable to your fumbling approaches.

“Nanami would probably call me stupid for this,” you said aloud before sighing. “But, uh, my name is Y/N L/N. It’s nice to meet you.”

It took a while for the sword to respond, as if it were carefully regarding you, judging you and trying to decide if you were worthy to wield it. You continued to doggedly polish the blade — even if you did not keep it, even if you had to give it back to Gojo and the cursed tools warehouse, at least you would return it in a better condition than you had taken it.

Of course, swords could not talk, and this one was no exception. But at the same time, this was not an ordinary sword; it was the Special Grade Cursed Tool, Sword of Syrinx, and so some rules could be bent. Though it could not speak, its cursed energy had a language of its own, not direct speech but emotions, feelings, sensations. That was why, when the sword decided to accept you, you could feel its happiness, its sense of belonging, as if it had finally returned to someone it had lost.

A single tear traced its way down your cheek and splashed onto the iridescent blade. You weren’t sure where it had come from or why you were crying, but regardless, you wiped it off, though you let your finger linger on the cool metal.

It took a moment, but eventually, in its own way, the sword responded.

Hello.

[kevinsreviewcatalogue]

Review: Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

 Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)

Rated PG for action/violence, rude humor/language, and some scary moments

<Originally posted at https://kevinsreviewcatalogue.blogspot.com/2023/12/review-puss-in-boots-last-wish-2022.html>

Score: 5 out of 5

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a movie I missed last year, which made it kind of annoying to hear so many people praising it to the heavens as one of the best animated films in years, not least of all because I'm the kind of guy who does not like spoilers. Flying down to Florida just in time to share a house with three little kids over Christmas break gave me the perfect opportunity to check it out, and the only thing I'm disappointed about is not seeing it sooner. It doesn't reinvent the wheel or have any pretensions of being a particularly revelatory movie, but it's still an outstandingly well-put-together one in everything from the animation to the characters to the humor to the mayhem. Putting it side-by-side with Shrek, the film that put DreamWorks Animation in the spotlight and which this one is a sequel to a spinoff of, shows just how much the studio has evolved in the twenty-plus years since then, going from mischievous, Looney Tunes-esque pop culture spoofs with barbs aimed directly at Disney to a kind of family-friendly, character-driven adventure comedy that's clearly inspired by the Mouse but still has enough unique style and dramatic edge to stand out. I don't really have much to add to the conversation on this one except to say that it's easily one of the best films that DreamWorks has ever made, especially given what I thought of the movie they released just eight months before this, and one that I expect to stick around as a classic just like Shrek itself.

Set in a fantasy/fairy-tale version of Spain, our eponymous protagonist is an intelligent cat who has exploited his nine lives to become an adventurer who doesn't fear death... at least, not until he loses his eighth life thanks to his carelessness fighting a monster attacking a town. Suddenly, he no longer feels so invincible, especially once he encounters a mysterious wolf bounty hunter who seeks to claim his ninth and final life after watching him squander his previous eight. Going into retirement in an elderly cat lady's home after burying his sword and gear, Puss is dragged back to the world of adventure when Goldilocks, the thuggish leader of the Three Bears Crime Family (guess who her "enforcers" are), seeks to hire him to find the Wishing Star, a magical rock that would grant one wish to whoever discovers it -- and she won't take no for an answer. Puss decides that this star is his key to regaining his nine lives, and with help from an old flame named Kitty Softpaws, he sets out to find it himself, staying one step ahead of Goldilocks, the evil businessman "Big" Jack Horner who wants it for his own ends, and of course, the Wolf.

The look of the film is one of the most immediately striking things about it. While it's not the first film to use cel shading to make computer animation emulate the look of hand-drawn animation while being distinct from both (Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and The Mitchells vs. the Machines did something similar recently), it's going for a different set of influences than those films, its look instead resembling a mix of the fairy tale artwork that the Shrek movies have always spoofed and anime in the action scenes. The settings feel lifted almost from a highly stylized painting or storybook, while the action looks downright sublime, the film's characters doing battle, chasing one another, and facing various treacherous foes on their quest for the Wishing Star in all manner of awesome ways. Even as cats, Puss and Kitty came across as credible and cool adventure heroes, especially with Antonio Banderas and Salma Hayek Pinault leaning heavily into their live-action screen personas, Banderas playing Puss as a riff on Zorro where the only real "parody" element comes from his species and Hayek playing Kitty as the cool femme fatale who has history with the hero that they'll inevitably have to settle. Florence Pugh was hilarious doing her best gender-flipped Ray Winstone impression as Goldilocks, especially with the real Winstone himself voicing one of the three bears (alongside Olivia Colman and Samson Kayo), while John Mulaney made Horner into an absolute bastard who I couldn't wait to see get his well-deserved comeuppance. At first glance, with three separate groups of characters all racing for the Wishing Star, this film can feel sprawling, and yet it always manages to tie these three stories together in a way that feels organic.

The key to doing this was the Wolf. From the moment we're introduced to him, he's presented as a metaphorical representation of death itself, an impossibly skilled fighter who trounces and nearly kills Puss in their first encounter and who is seemingly unstoppable from that point onward, every meeting he has with Puss feeling like it could be their last. The film's comedy stops dead cold whenever the whistling announcing his arrival starts up, Wagner Moura's performance lending him an almost demonic menace without going over-the-top into cackling supervillainy. He is one of the best villains I've seen in any animated film in a long while, a no-nonsense monster whose evil combines the most terrifying elements of an unstoppable force of nature and somebody who hates you personally, the closest thing that a family film could come to an outright slasher movie villain. There have been many jokes made about this film having one of the most realistic depictions of a panic attack in any animated film, but watching it, it was no joke: I understood immediately how this guy completely disarmed Puss' suave, arrogant demeanor and left him a trembling wreck running for his life. The Wolf wasn't just scary, he was a perfect villain for Puss, a representation of how his wasted life is finally catching up with him, and watching Puss reach a place where he can finally confront the Wolf and turn the tables on him was immeasurably satisfying.

From this, we get a fairly simple moral that largely boils down to a celebration of living life to the fullest rather than either wasting it on hedonism or remaining stuck in an idealized past. It's nothing revolutionary, but not only is it exactly the kind of thing that the fairy tales this movie is sending up have long embraced, it's well-told enough that I fully bought into it. If the original Shrek was a deconstructive parody of fairy tales that sent up their moral messages while offering a few of its own, then this film serves largely as a more faithful, straightforward throwback to them, amped up with a swashbuckling action/adventure plot and some jokes for the parents but otherwise falling squarely within the modern, post-Kung Fu Panda DreamWorks wheelhouse.

The Bottom Line

It's a very straightforward movie once you get past the stylish animation, but hardly to a fault, as it's still a riotous, heartfelt, and just plain awesome ride that delivers exactly where it counts and doesn't overstay its welcome. Easily one of the best family films of the last ten years.

[spiderman616]

i need to know your favorite parts of archie. i wanna hear you talk about this so bad. er. read your thoughts about this so bad. zonic is obvious but what else (leaning toward you with chin in hands)

hmmm well if im going chronologically mecha madness is an easy one to put in. people talk about it all the time as being hype as fuck but it is. its hype as fuck idk what to say. a less discussed one is super sonic vs hyper knuckles. that was ALSO hype as fuck but had less stakes than mecha madness it was a lot more light hearted. sonic quest is also a fun little thing related to the classic games but its pretty entrenched in the current comics plot. and then after robotnik died the politics stuff is very hit or miss but it was pretty convoluted sometimes. however the whole sonic+tails world tour/fighting ixis naugus went pretty hard. not good 100% of the time but its really fun stuff. archie knuckles has some fun stuff too once in a while but not enough to reccomend full bits of it. if anything i would reccomend reading the arc where elias is recovered from angel island since it concludes a side plot from the sonic series. sonic vs knuckles battle royale is also good. the return of robo robotnik is built up really well, as well as the issue where sonic gets his adventure design via shenanigans with the super emerald. the adventure adaptation is slept on honestly, it plays very by the books in terms of adaptations because of behind the scenes reasons, but its still quite enjoyable to see the game's story put into the terms of archie AND how those developments affect the plot later down the line, and this is the last and in my opinion best full game adaptation in preboot. the rest are either omitted or only cover the beginning or abridge them into side stories. honestly ALL the stuff with mammoth mogul is a blast to read because he brings a very unique villain archetype to sonic that eggman doesnt, where eggman lacks foresight and patience mammoth mogul is literally immortal and concocts very elaborate plans and schemes. the plot about the source of all/sword of acorns is pretty good too, although that may be only when compared to everything else of its time so your mileage may vary. sonic adventure 2.5/tossed in space is a MUST READ though. even if you don't know archie that is really just top notch stuff. return to angel island also really nice especially if you want knuckles moments. jon grays art really does help a lot in this case. and of course the extended anonymous saga is awesome too, especially if youre a long term reader since it brings in a lot of stuff from previous stories. house of cards is dogged on a LOT which i dont think is quite fair. its a pretty compelling read. the scourge stuff could get grating depending on your opinions, but it has its moments. hedgehog havoc being a highlight of those moments too. the entire iron dominion saga is a good one too, (including journey to the east of course.) and its nice seeing it shake up the status quo with more game elements incorporated. the new mobotropolis thing is pretty short but its fun. extended chaotix being in knothole/the city leads to some fun moments as well since angel island is in a bit of a complication. of course that leads to the whole knuxerjak thing, which is quite honestly really awesome stuff if not resolved in a pretty lame way. the sonic universe series as a whole is really fun but highlights include the silver saga tails adventure and chaotix quest. and to cap it all off the whole mecha sally arc (coupled with silvers whole. gestures) is nice although again. the ending is pretty cheap which is a big problem with a lot of archie sonic arcs as a whole.

Now in terms of smaller MOMENTS. I mean. damn thats pretty hard to pick out since there are so many characters and interactions. but general rule of thumb if character pairings are out of left field that almost always means they'll be fun to witness if not only for a little since most stories are sonic centric. expected character pairings are also nice to see sometimes if only to deepen established relationships. in terms of set pieces it really depends on the artist, but action scenes are usually done well when there is low amounts of punching and high amounts of slapstick/cartoony violence

[thessalian]

4, 11, and 31 for Alisaie :D

4) How do they perceive themselves?

Hrm. She's honestly still trying to figure that one out. A lot has changed since she caught Remi's eye at the Tipsy Pixie, and generally she defaults to, "Just a person doing their best", because that's an easier thing to contemplate that shit like "hero", granddaughter of a god" and other such things. Alternatively, she looks around at the people in her life (the lady-wife in particular) and sticks with, "The luckiest individual on this or any other plane".

11) How does your PC show affection?

While she did develop a pretty good line in sweet-talk when she worked at the Tipsy Pixie, Alisaie is first and foremost a woman of the People, and is as a consequence a lot more "show" than "tell" about her affection. The best way to put it is that she shares herself with those she cares about in whatever way is appropriate at the time - relentless emotional support, advice, cooking lessons, learning and providing people's favourites, the things she loves and thinks others would too; it's all on the table for sharing if she cares. It's part of how the People's packs work; you love and trust these people, your lives depend on each other, so might as well share the "small things" too. And of course, Remi didn't get just one or even just a few of those. Instead, she got the proposal - Alisaie's way of sharing basically *all* of herself. ...But also physical things like hairruffles, hugs, fistbumps etc.

31) What’s your favorite part of playing your PC?

Oof. Hard to pick just the one thing. I mean, there's the "actually being able to RP with some of my favourite people", which is different when you're only doing it on NPC footing, and that's kind of awesome. The best part of playing a PC for me is how interactions with other characters help change and shape the character, and that hits very different when it's a PC rather than a NPC (even ones whose big change to their character due to interaction with the party isn't just going from 'alive' to 'dead'). Also a little bit "it's helpful to the party and not just in combat and with my ridiculous dice luck". Because, I mean, we only play once every two weeks at best and sometimes people have to miss sessions and ... you know, people forget stuff. It's way easier to have Alisaie remind the party of things in character than to drag us into OOC mode to do so. Besides, Swords Bards are win.

[ryqoshay]

Tri-Arame: Purple and White

Primary Pairing Trio: RyqoYozaLacey YuuAyuSetsu Words: 569 Rating: T AU: TTRPG style world Time Frame: Sometime during the trio's college years Prompt: Purple Content Warning: Depictions of battle

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Author's Note: Primary entry for the 26th

Summary: Ryqoshay, Yozakura and Lacey fight a dragon turtle

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Yozakura yanked on her sickle, trying desperately to affect the balance of the dragon turtle. Her fighting style was unfortunately weak against quadrupeds. But that wasn’t going to stop her from participating in the fight. If nothing else, she could at least provide enough distraction to keep the beast’s attention away from her charge, best friend and guild leader, Ryqoshay.

A couple yards away, it seemed Lacey was having better luck with her greatsword. With a resounding crack, the fighter managed to finally hack her way through the dragon’s tough shell.

“Woo!” Lacey cheered as a sizable chunk of shell chipped off.

The turtle dragon roared and tried to turn toward its attacker.

“Not so fast!” Ryqoshay shouted.

I thought she was out of arrows. Yozakura thought to herself. She turned to watch the diminutive archer wave something that was definitely not her bow. Wait, no!

A brilliant flash, a loud snap, and lightning struck the dragon.

Oh thank the gods she got a good effect…

“That was awesome!” Lacey cried, taking another swipe with her sword.

Don’t encourage her…

Ryqoshay waved the Rod of Wonder again. However, instead of more lightning, a stream of multi-colored stream of sparkles splattered across the turtle.

And the creature became purple.

Ryqoshay burst out laughing. Lacey cheered. And Yozakua sighed.

At least it was ultimately a neutral effect. But it didn’t help defeat the still dangerous foe.

Yozakura yanked again on her sickle, trying to upset the balance of the dragon turtle.

---------

“Ne, Shizuku-san.” Setsuna bounced with excitement. “Can I cut some scales off the dragon to keep?”

“I didn’t know Lacey was the trophy taking type.” The Dungeon Master said.

“Her big sister was, so why not do the same.”

“Alright.”

“Also, they’re not actually for her.”

“Oh?”

“I would like to use them to make a necklace for Ryqoshay-san.”

“I’ll help with that.” Ayumu spoke up. “Uhm, is there anything white on the turtle that Yozakura can take?”

“Well, the effect description says the target turns purple.” Shizuku checked the entry in the book. “But I suppose I can say that its teeth stayed white. You could take a few of them.”

“I’ll do that then.”

Yuu laughed. “Thank you guys for the consideration. Ryqo-chan really has the best girlfriends with unwavering love and loyalty and spoiling her and such.” She smirked. “Kinda like me. Still, I wonder if she’s the type to wear such things…”

“I think Yuu-chan would wear a necklace if Setsuna-chan and I were to give her one.” Ayumu pointed out.

“Yeah, probably.” Yuu shrugged. “I mean I did start wearing my hair with twintails, and dying it because of Ayumu. So yeah, Ryqo-chan will accept the gift.”

“Although you three still have to defeat the dragon before you can take trophies from it.” Shizuku reminded.

“Then I’m gonna use the rod again.” Yuu said, shaking a pair of d10s.

“Ooo… I hope you get the fireball.” Setsuna said.

Yuu laughed again. “Of course Setsuna-chan wants a fire spell.”

“It’s a classic!” Setsuna insisted.

Ayumu smiled as she watched the events of Yuu’s actions play out. She loved watching her girlfriends enjoy the game, even if it meant that her character had to deal with a few odd things. Just seeing everyone having fun made it worth it. And she knew Yozakura felt the same way in game, even if she had trouble saying so.

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Author's Note Continued: Stole a scene from an old D&D game I played and swapped in the characters YuuAyuSetsu are playing.

I haven't written much about Setsuna's character, as she was originally the DM and didn't want to play one for fear of favoritism. But this game is DM'ed by Shizuku, so she is more comfortable playing. Also, Lacey Rayshun is a newer addition to my Roughnecks roster, so I'm still figuring her out. For both of these reasons, I would like to write more of her, and Setsuna playing her.

And continuing my self challenge, Unwavering was the prompt from '21 and Classical was from '22.

[arianaofimladris]

I struggled through the other four episodes, scrolling now and then. I mostly wanted to see scenes with Geralt. And no, I did not watch on Netflix.

General impressions:

- it's boring

- throwing unrelated bits of scenes from various partss of The Witcher does not make the season closer to the books. Yeah, I do recognise these scenes, but some of them are simply meaningless to the main plot, like Vespula or Ciri on the market with Fabio.

- the series still keeps the subtlety of a brick thrown right into your face. Such was the case in season one with scenes like Yennefer having her insides out to become pretty. Such is the case with season three with characters talking about everything right into their faces, like Tissaia commenting on how Yennefer finally managed to become a mother. And I wonder what is the reason behind it - is it the fact that scriptwriters cannot deliver things on screen so they need to tell them? Or is it treating the viewers like complete idiots. Or - they know they don't deliver on screen so they need to tell the viewers everything. Overall, this gives a very poor impression on the quality of writing.

- plot holes and characters acting stupid because scriptwriters apparently couldn't do better. Like the whole thing in episode one, with using Ciri as bait and setting a trap on Rience - and letting him escape. Just thinking about this scene, you can come up with a dozen scenarios in which Rience escapes while Geralt is rescuing someone or busy fighting or idk, just not dying himself because whatever. But no, Geralt actually jumps blindly into a random portal (which is stupid as hell), beats Rience and leaves him. It would have taken him like three more seconds to slit Rience'a throat or just drag him back with him to Sherrawed. But no, the plot needs Rience alive and if that is the best the writers can deliver... Or Geralt and Ciri on the boat, literally waiting for a monster to hunt but when it does appear, they have to run across the while damn boat to get their swords. It makes characters behave like idiots. Not so good.

- The series still requires not the suspension of disbelief, but suspension of brain. Now yeah, I'm sorry, I'm not average American viewer for whom this series is primarily done, but gosh, I can't turn off thinking.

- random things being discussed by characters sharing bed or other weird situations bordering on intimate. Yeah. Awesome.

- politics being dropped all over when they mean so little, since there was no political exposition earlier. Looks like they are trying to mimic Game of Thrones and failing.

Plus sides:

- Geralt, obviously. I'm basically ignoring the rest to see some good scenes with him and of course Henry Cavill is delivering. I like his fights so far, also how gentle he goes with that Ciri imposter girl. That is kept in character with the books and it is painful to think how good this series could have been if other characters (and the relations between them) had not been butchered.

- Geralt's relation with Ciri. Despite my issues with Ciri, the way Geralt acts towards her is believable.

- Yarpen. I really like this actor and the way he delivers his character.

- A dwarven lady with a beard. You get a plus for that, Netflix, doing one tiny detail better than Amazon with the rings of power crap.

- Tissaia. The actress is perfect for the role and she plays it well. She acts her actual age while still looking beautiful with her angular face and perfect hairdo. I'm ignoring whatever the relation she has with Vilgefortz (weird choice, considering how distrustful she was towards him in the books, but whatever. I don't care enough about her to be bothered by such change)

Now about the rest.

- Jaskier. I have no idea what's going on with this character, but I see no Dandelion. And I'm not talking about the ugly looks or his romance or whatever it is with Radovid. Ignoring that, ok? My problem with Jaskier's creation is with the way he behaves. In the first season, his primary role was to be a comic relief. He was the Donkey from Shreck, funny at best, annoying at worst. But at least he had this boyish look and charm, though the series failed to deliver his deep friendship with Geralt. 

Right now? The cocky, mouthy, outspoken Jaskier was turned into some meek creature who acts pathetic. I really don't understand. He is the bard, he can come up with a cheeky retort on spot, probably in rhymes. He knows how to sweep the crowd, how to talk his way out, how to act on a court. In here? He acts pitiful, he is portrayed as having very low confidence and self assurance, the exact opposite to the original character. He was stumbling over his words when Vespula threw him out or when Valdo Marc makes an appearance. He complained and complained about having to help Geralt in setting the trap for Rience. Are we still talking about the same guy who risked his life to get to Brokilon to the driads, once he learned Geralt was there, badly wounded and in need of a friend? Who decided, no questions asked, to join Geralt in his seemingly impossible quest? Sorry. Nope. He's back to his comic relief role when paired with Ciri. 

- Yennefer. After the butchering in season two, I'm not surprised. Creating her as meek and apologetic and SWEET of all things they could come up with? Cold, sophisticated, elegant and seemingly having no heart book Yennefer of Vengerberg turned to this? Sadly pining and writing letters, or trying to win Geralt over with some cute joking? Talking openly about her insecurities about coming back to Aretuza? Crying? Being called sweet by the banker. Acting like a bit lost, sweet girl and not a 90 year old woman. The series is trying hard to turn whatever they screwed in season two into mother/daughter relation and it's not working. Well, maybe it is if you watch a soap opera while washing the dishes.

The peculant teenager we saw in season one, then butchered by the script in season two, now turned into a nice, sweet, laughing and smiling girl. Yes, girl, because with the actress's young and yes, sweet look, that is the general impression I get. The actress is delivering well the role she got, but I'm sorry. That is not Yennefer. She only has her name and eyes, because they couldn't even do right such basic things like curls or trademark black&white look, choosing instead cheap store outfits. Gosh, I managed to curl more a $15 wig from China. Surely Netflix has better budget for costumes?

- the whole thing with Ciri bullshitting about uniting the races and becoming a queen. What. The. Hell. Is. That.

- the sorceresses. I'm supposed to recognise on spot that the lady on the screen is a sorceress. Tissaia delivers well and Yennefer actress looks pretty, like a sorceress. But the rest? Not really. If I was asked to show one thing that made Keira in episode 2 different than, say, Anika or Vespula, I wouldn't be able to point it. They just blend in. Where are the stunning, beautiful ladies? Yes, I know, Netflix has points to check out on their list, even if it's at the cost of inconsistency with their own creation. They did show in season one how the imperfect girls like Yennefer changed their looks to become beautiful, yet now they change that. Again, I know, there was a box to tick. It's not like canon has strong and prominent fat characters, right? How about Dijkstra or Nenneke? Just saying. 

- the costumes? Geralt looks good in black leather, I like it better than the armour he previously had. Still has really awful lenses in close shots, sadly. Ciri looked alright in her slightly rough outfit. But for God's sake, these printed fabrics? Store shirts? Seriously? There are woven, embroidered or jacquard fabrics easily available and they would look way more genuine. Less modern. 

- I enjoyed hunting for Percival bits in the soundtrack.

- Ciri imposter looks more like Ciri than Ciri. Definitely younger.

- the fifth episode was a freaking struggle. I thought going over and over the same clips as the plot unfolds would be good, but gosh that was tedious. I understand the idea behind it, pretty much like in crime movies, when the detective unfolds the events and we get to watch the same glimpse but with additional pieces. It's just - god, the dance scene was cringy the first time and having to rewatch it twice or so was just awful (and not less cringy).