#the game mechanics in this fictional game show is something i didn't know i would be so curious abt

[6lostgirl6]

Yandere Alphabet - Stu Macher

TW: Toxic relationship, stalking, mentions of suicide (not detailed), mentions of murder, kidnapping, obsessive behavior, controlling behavior

A/N: Please inform me if I did not tag something correctly. Please know the difference between fictional and reality. While fictional, these types of relationships are extremely toxic, especially in real-life. If your relationship is showcasing these toxic behaviors, please seek help from someone to get out safely. Reblogs are heavily appreciated!!

Affection: How do they show their love and affection? How intense would it get?

Stu is very affectionate towards his darling and is not afraid to show it. It can be pretty intense, but it's only because he can't contain it all inside or he will explode.

Have you seen how he was with Tatum in the movie? It would be exactly that and more.

Blood: How messy are they willing to get when it comes to their darling?

Stu is not afraid to get messy for his darling. Does that mean he needs to kill a few people? That doesn't matter to him, he's only showing that he can protect you and it's simply an act of love from him!

Cruelty: How would they treat their darling once abducted? Would they mock them?

Between Billy and Stu, Stu would treat you the same as he would before kidnapping you as his goofy self. He would still make jokes and silly actions if it means getting you to smile. If he mocks you, it's only because he's being playful. If you were genuinely upset and crying for him to let you go, he would try to comfort you.

Darling: Aside from abduction, would they do anything against their darling’s will?

Besides you simply spending time with him? No, Stu wouldn't really make you do anything you didn't want to do. He might be a little pushy, but he would eventually back off if it starts bothering you.

Exposed: How much of their heart do they bare to their darling? How vulnerable are they when it comes to their darling?

In comparison to Billy, he is very open about himself and his feelings for you. Sure, before he abducted you, he had to hide his yandere tendencies. However, now that you were finally home with him, he wouldnt hold back anything from you. He can be very vulnerable, if something is bothering you, he would tell you.

Fight: How would they feel if their darling fought back?

He would honestly feel very hurt if you tried fighting back. I believe that Stu would be a little bit of a delusional yandere. Of course you wanted him to take you away and keep you to himself? You just didn't know it yet.

Game: Is this a game to them? How much would they enjoy watching their darling try to escape?

He finds it very entertaining to watch you try to escape him, especially when he first kidnapped you. Seeing you run and cry out in fear, fight back when he finally pinned you down and your failed attempts at escaping your new home. After you've settled in though, he would expect you to simply follow rules and obey him.

Hell: What would be their darling’s worst experience with them?

Again, it was your kidnapping. Seeing your friend's lifeless eyes staring into your own and your boyfriend standing over them. Blood staining his clothes, you could see the smile slip and quickly chase after you. After the reveal that he was the one that killed off your friends was shocking and you cried from being foolish enough to trust him. He might even have Billy help him with kidnapping you as well and Billy would not be gentle.

Ideals: What kind of future do they have in mind for/with their darling?

He wants to grow old with you! He genuinely believes that you are his soulmate! Marriage, maybe a few children, he wants that with you. He wouldn't have it any other way, as long as you comply.

Jealousy: Do they get jealous? Do they lash out or find a way to cope?

Stu can become very jealous. However, he doesn't lash out, he would probably sulk about it for a while. As ghostface, simply killing his rivals is his new coping mechanism.

Kisses: How do they act around or with their darling?

He's very playful with his darling, constant jokes and harmless teasing. He's not afraid to show his affection in public and doing random displays of affection like randomly dipping you or twirling you. He'll randomly pull you in kisses that leave you completely flushed.

Love letters: How would they go about courting or approaching their darling?

Stu would stalk you, but he makes it pretty obvious. However, you might see it as something innocent like a boy having a crush and he simply doesn't know how to act. Yet, you don't realize that he's been stalking you as you walk home and putting anonymous love letters in your locker. That's when he lets some of his deeper desires come forth.

Mask: Are their true colors drastically different from the way they act around everyone else?

Not at all. You wouldn't even know there was something different about him. However, his mask will slip a little, eyes holding something a little more sinister. We've seen how in the movies he can go from laughing and smiling to become the complete opposite.

Naughty: How would they punish their darling?

He doesn't give out severe punishments. It honestly depends on what you do. However, he'll take away rights when you break his rules. You managed to get outside without him, your banned from your daily walks with him. You tried contacting someone online, you're not allowed on the computer, etc.

Oppression: How many rights would they take away from their darling?

Stu would take some rights. For example, you weren't allowed to be around sharp objects, so you wouldn't harm yourself! You would never intentionally harm him! He wouldn't allow you to walk outside without him and limited access on the internet. And phones are off-limits. He's very watchful.

Patience: How patient are they with their darling?

For you, Stu is very patient. When you were first brought home, he gave you space while you adjusted to your new living situation and gave you a few rules that wouldn't overwhelm you. After a week, his patience will slip a little but always remind himself that you simply need time.

Quit: If their darling dies, leaves, or successfully escapes, would they ever be able to move on?

Stu would try his absolute hardest to find you and bring you home if you managed to escape. However, if he was unable to find you or God forbid you died, he would not be able to move on. He wouldn't even be able to continue existing. He can't live in a world where he doesn't have you. He would kill himself.

Regret: Would they ever feel guilty about abducting their darling? Would they ever let their darling go?

At times, he has moments where he starts to think that maybe you were right. He doesn't regret killing your friends, in fact it thrilled him, yet he will start to think maybe he shouldn't have kidnapped you. However, those thoughts are quick to leave him. Stu is very trusting, if you simply follow his rules and obey him, he wouldnt mind taking you out for a walk. His property is very spacious, so he would allow you to go outside with him. No, he wouldn't let you go though.

Stigma: What brought about this side of them (childhood, curiosity, etc)?

I headcanon that Stu is a bit of a delusional yandere. Therefore, he doesn't see things as they naturally are and his obsession thay overcomes him when meeting you just ignites something in him that was dormant.

Tears: How do they feel about seeing their darling scream, cry, and/or isolate themselves?

He would feel heartbroken and even a little guilty. He brought you home because he wanted to love, protect, and make you happy with him. Yet, it seems to only cause you pain. He'll talk to you about it, let you express your feelings through sobs. He would listen, but he wouldn't understand. He'll try his best to comfort you though.

Unique: Would they do anything different from the classic yandere?

Stu doesn't give out severe punishments like most yanderes. He would never starve you or deny you basic needs, he cares about you too much. You're his obsession.

Vice: What weakness can their darling exploit in order to escape?

Stu is actually pretty sensitive. Simply saying things about how you hate him and don't want to be around him would make him distance himself from you and sulk. He doesn't like people seeing how emotional he actually is and that would allow you some time to think of an escape plan but he knows. He always knows.

Wit’s end: Would they ever hurt their darling?

Oh, never! Stu values your safety and happiness, he couldn't handle it if he accidentally hurt you. The worst he's done was get you a little bruised when he pinned you down when you were first kidnapped.

Xoanon: How much would they revere or worship their darling? To what length would they go to win their darling over?

Oh he is very expressive in his worshiping for you, he's equivalent to a lost puppy. He loves following you around and talking to you, you always make his day. He would literally kill for you if it meant winning you over. He would try anything.

Yearn: How long do they pine after their darling before they snap?

Stu would pine after you just as long as Billy, perhaps even shorter. If you're not dating him by the six month mark, he's going to kidnap you. He's simply speeding up the process.

Zenith: Would they ever break their darling?

Yes, he would. Not through threats and violent outbursts, but through his personality. You'll eventually start to believe that what he did was normal because he's just a lovable person.

Taglist: Comment to be added!!

@prettywhenibleed @ghoulgeousimmaculate @rottent33th @slaasherslut @strrvnge

[dreaming-of-barbi]

That's so fucked up that people are romantizing Franco, because even Red Barrels are showing him as a total creep and disgusting person. In Outlast Tag I have a feeling that some artists are making him completly different character, making him charming/safe/lovely. I even have seen some people who were drawing him with normal face (without big forehead) and you couldn't tell them that it's the right character design! I feel like Franco enjoyers are more agressive than fans of other Outlast character. Even with Coyle/Eddie simps they seem to understand that they are evil and they murder others, but with Franco I feel like they can take it when someone tell them that he's grown up, murder people in very brutal way and his voice lines are just disgusting... it really seems that people are getting agressive only because someone tell some shit about 🎀✨️Franco🎀✨️. I know his fans isn't the only one that have stick in their ass (cause I seen a lot of shit bout Coyle/Big Grunts/Easterman etc.) but yall need to understand that FRANCO IS A GROWN ASS MAN and you would run for your life if you'd meet someone in irl as 1% fucked up as he is. Saying that he's just a Baby and he made nothing wrong is just 🤮 and problem is in yall if you justificate him and things he made.

idk how to tell you this ,,,, but this game is fictional. The characters are fictional. You're free to feel however you want about them, just like I and anyone else is.

I partially agree with the part about changing his appearance to make him look more "normal" or whatever, but at the same time people are allowed to interpret their favs however they want to. They can draw / write for him however they want to. I don't like "fixing" his face, just because it (personally) feels like saying "he's too ugly", but again, that's just me. As an artist, I know that people are going to have different interpretations of a character I like. It's just part of other people existing in the world. Not everyone thinks like you do, and that's okay.

Do you know how many posts I saw (and STILL see) about Eddie Gluskin, doing essentially the same thing as what you said people do with Franco?? That man would cut you open to "make a baby in you" no hesitation and people still ""romanticize"" him (me fuckin included I LOVE YOU EDDIE). Its just part of liking fucked up characters, some people are going to want to make them more "normal".

Personally, I see the normalization as more like wanting to give him some normalcy in his life, because of his past / lore. I love the idea of letting Franco have a normal life, be a normal person. A life where he never had to deal with the stupid Mafia stuff, had a decent father and never ran into Murkoff, having a normal, happy life. But, I also seriously adore his original, fucked up character.

Honestly, who actually cares if people are "justifying" his actions??? None of them are real. He is not real. I have never understood the sentiment that you have to make sure people know you don't justify a fictional characters actions... they are not real. It's not a real person. None of the things he did happened.

Maybe it's just me, but I would not run from someone like him. That's not some edge lord "im so evil and dark" bs but because of my real life experiences. Been with and around people in my life / family who are quite like him and I didn't run.

I imagine some of us are using it as a sort of coping mechanism, because (at least for me) some of us dealt with people who treated us like he would. Though, that's getting into personal territory, and I won't try and speak for others.

All I can really say is either learn that not everybody's going to have the same ideas as you or block the tag. Sorry if that's too harsh a response, but life is too short to really give that much of a fuck about someone /something other people like.

And I've said this before but this is literally Outlast, all of the characters are this fucked up, it's not just him.

Like does no one remember Outlast 2??? Does no one remember the pile of dead burnt babies, or the hundreds of other fucked up things in that game?? I really feel like Franco does not compare.

So, can we please just be over with this now? I mean, drama is totally fun and I love it, but I can imagine others don't.

[zionmantis]

I would love to hear about how the DE speaks to your experiences with psychosis!

DE seems to be an attempt to represent thinking through game/story mechanics, and I really appreciate that it doesn’t seem to just represent “normal” thought but also neurodivergent or dysfunctional thoughts. Made me feel seen, so I’d love to hear how it made you feel, if it’s something you’d want to share!

Ah, thanks for the ask! I hope my tags on your post didn't seem rude; reading back I was so worried they did <3 You made an absolutely wonderful post; I wouldn't have reblogged it if I didn't love it. I'm ADHD too, and it's so great to see a character we can relate with and to see how positive reinforcement from a person like Kim can really make a difference.

Excuse me while I ramble a bit! This is stuff I want to post about all the time but I worry people will hate it, so questions like this really make me happy because it gives me an excuse x)

One of the reasons I adore this game more than any other is that it's both breathtakingly sad as well as absolutely hysterical, and humor is how I've started approached my issues of mental illness in the past. Now, that way is not for everyone; some people don't want any sort of laughter at it, and that's completely valid and makes perfect sense, but humor is just how I've been able to adjust to memories of really bad times in my life without completely hating myself. For me, the game does a really good job of making a hard subject funny without making it seem like we're laughing AT Harry, if that makes sense, even if we think some of his antics are hilarious. I also love love love that that humor is also tackling the, mmm, less "romantic" (?I'm not sure that's the word I want to use for this...maybe "palatable"?) issues that can come with severe mental illness. Like if I remember right, there's a nonstandard ending where Harry can end up living under a bridge and throwing his own shit at people who pass by, pff.

For me it was a surprise to come into this fandom and find that not everyone sees what he's going through as being psychosis (same with ADHD; he absolutely has that, at least to me). I've seen a couple people -- I think it was on Reddit -- argue that what Harry experiences is not psychosis and is just a manifestation of his thought processes and impulsive behavior, and for me that is just...wild xD (and I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but it's fun to discuss, I think?)

But here's the deal for me: if someone sticks their thumb up their ass in public because their friend dared them to and they think it will be funny, that's impulsive behavior. If someone sticks their thumb up their ass in public because a voice in their head told them it would make them a better detective, that's a delusion.

So what does that have to do with me? Well, for me, I have a rare diagnosis of OCD with psychotic features, and (gonna put the rest of this under a cut in case it's triggering for people to read about psychotic episodes)

mine, before being involuntarily (but needed at the time) hospitalized twice and properly medicated, tended to be things like...I would think my limbs were detaching themselves from my body, or one time I wouldn't open my eyes for literally almost two days because I thought all sharp-cornered objects would cut them. Hallucinations would involve seeing what I thought was my skin being pulled as my limbs detached and occasional auditory hallucinations of crowds in my head (where I'd then think they were trying to tell me something Important and drive myself crazy sitting and listening to unreal crowd burble noises), but none of the stuff fiction likes to show because it's easier to depict (never had voices in my head telling me to do stuff or saw a super clear hallucination of a person or monster unless you count sleep paralysis. There were occasional shadows and vague faces that move in walls which I still get when I'm extra tired, but the only times I ever thought those things were real was when my brain was telling me I was receiving otherworldly messages.) There were other things, too, behavioral stuff I'd rather not talk about because it's still so shameful for me.

I thankfully respond really well to medication, which is especially good since OCD with psychosis is notoriously hard to treat since the types of drugs for OCD vs. psychosis seem to do the exact opposite things and block one another.

Anyway, back to DE. This is a bit...shallow, but it was extremely refreshing to play a game where the main character is at least as big of a disaster as me, if not worse xD;. I FEEL SO SEEN, haha, and not only that, but it's a protagonist in an extremely popular game, and fans like him anyway??? That's fantastic. I never thought I'd see the day.

Now, why does he have psychosis -- as in what diagnosis? I'm not sure, but I don't think it'd be OCD with psychotic features like me (even if he potentially has OCD, which I'll discuss in a moment.) I'd say he probably has bipolar 1 and/or (since not unusual to be comorbid), schizophrenia, though I lean more toward bipolar 1 even though the game itself says the word "schizophrenia" out loud a couple times. (To be clear, I'm not a mental health professional, but I don't think the writers of DE are, either. I would also like to say that if anyone reading this is schizophrenic and feel that Harry is as well, your opinion is way more valid than my own and I'd love to hear from you.)

I lean toward bipolar 1 because of the obvious -- he's gone through both manic and depressive stages in the past and does so in the game with a ton of delusional thinking combined with (short-lived or skin-deep) inflated sense of self (Superstar Cop, Honor Cop, etc.) It's also well known that folks with bipolar tend to self medicate. It's less well known that bipolar often has psychotic features as well.

As for an argument for schizophrenia, I'd point toward Apocalypse Cop, that paranoid delusion (??? mmaaaaybe, haha,) about the world ending (I really only know about paranoid schizophrenia; I don't know much about the other types, so it's entirely possible Harry has one of those instead,) as well as his lack of awareness about hygiene, though that could maybe be explained by his amnesia and the fact he was on a days-long bender before the game started. The reason I'm a little bit hesitant toward it is because Harry seems too aware of his own problems and the fact that he is not experiencing life the way most other people do, (he actually questions Kim at the beginning if Kim also hears voices,) and the couple people I met in the hospital that had schizophrenia were (when still adjusting to medications or had yet to find something that would work for them,) really unable to have that kind of self-awareness.

As for the OCD, I'm not as sure of that for him like I am with ADHD and either his bipolar and/or schizophrenia, but I think there's some pretty good arguments to be made. To me, Harry's constant harping on things that no one else thinks is interesting or important is a factor of his ADHD but can *feel* like OCD, but more so when he is stuck in verbal loops, which could definitely actually be OCD rather than, say, brain damage, since he seems to be aware that he's doing it. Some of the more bullying Skills also feel SO much like OCD, the ones telling him to do things that are nonsensical and that he doesn't actually seem to want to do feels like -- just for one of my many, many non-hallucinatory, fully OCD moments in my life -- when I just had to put a lit match in my mouth because if I didn't, *everyone I love would die,* pff. (Spoiler alert: it burns and it tastes weird.) Actually, I'm just now realizing why Authority may have been one of my least favorite Skills, as funny as its situations could get (ICE COP HAT FUCK SHOW?!??!?)

Anyway, I'm sorry for such a long answer to your question, @linisiane, but it made me so happy you asked! I really appreciate your question. This game is so good for making most people with any kind of neurodivergence feel good. I think it might be the most important fictional thing (for my own well-being) I've ever found. There's so much you can say about it. In fact, I know I've forgotten some stuff I wanted to talk about, but oh well! I can always add or something later if I feel like it. If anyone has any questions about this, you're very free to ask me. I'm also super excited to start talking to more people in the DE fandom; I have yet to convince any of my friends to play it for more than ten minutes.

I love y'all so much! I mean it. This fandom is great.

[meto4]

I really adore how your compsci knowledge shows through your art. How do people from scientific or technical fields share their knowledge to a general audience without either boring them or sounding only superficially knowledgeable? As a Homestuck and former STEM major turned humanities major (fulfilled the disappointing prophecy, wasn't smart enough to stay in STEM) I think this would have helped me a lot.

Hi!!!! First of all thank you very much for the ask! I'm sorry I didn't answer earlier, I just felt extremely underqualified to say anything on the matter. But it's all good now.

Anyway, here's my epic important opinion. In general, I just don't think you should concider the general audience that much when writing a story you're personally invested in if it includes heavy technical stuff. You're inevitably going to sound boring to a lot of people.

Some of my favorite media is very much concidered boring by most. Even Homestuck, I think, while being very popular among tumblr users, could fall into that category - the game mechanics descriptions are hard to read, the dialogues are long and the lore is confusing. But that's what makes it Homestuck! Those things are not flaws, actually, for some people (myself included) they're the main attraction point. There is fanfic written specifically to expand the world, to add more details about how the game works, there is speculation about every class and aspect and fictional programming language!

I used to think about appealling to the "public" more - to concider what a normal, average person would think of my work and to try and make it more palatable - that, sure, might work if "normal people" are your chosen target audience, but they don't have to be! You could make it for the freaks and i PROMISE they will appreciate it more than anyone.

Pretend you're already talking to someone vaguely interested. Make it look like you are VERY excited about the subject! Describe science as inherently beautiful, something to be marvelled at, even worth dedicating your life to, whatever it is! Let your interest bleed through your writing, be it fiction or non-fiction, mention cool examples of interesting concepts, things that you personally like or have researched at any point, you don't even have to be an expert, if you have even thought about incorporating such things into your work then you probably have something really interesting to say!

But I honestly don't really know if you should listen to me :D I'm just a homestuck blog.... :))))

[hillbillyoracle]

Not sure what to ask about, don't want to overstep what you may be comfortable talking about, or if you even have experience with it (mental health is a broad spectrum). But do you have any advice on healing from dissociation? Or differentiating between reality and magical thinking?

I do have some personal experience with this. I won't share all the experience itself much as it's pretty personal but I'd love to share some stuff that's worked well for me.

I unfortunately don't know as much about the research side of this as I'd like. It was mentioned but not discussed much in the program I left when I got sick (BSW). And a cursory look at some research shows most interventions that show promise require a therapist lead technique. There's a lot less on self treatment.

So given that I'll focus on what's helped me.

On Healing Dissociation

I personally resonate with those who've posited that dissociation is an extreme freeze response - as in fight, flight, freeze. So that fundamentally frames both what I've tried and what's helped me.

I don't know enough to debate whether trauma has to have been involved for "real dissociation" so I won't. I just know it's in the mix for me.

Know Your Triggers

I know this is cliché advice but I think for dissociation more so than many other symptoms it's been super key. I really struggled with this. What ultimately wound up being helpful wasn't a log format but just journaling and reflecting on the times I'd dissociated.

For me they were all rooted in a very specific find of interpersonal fear. The exact details of the situation could change but if that specific fear, that someone would do a specific action in a specific way came up, dissociation would flare.

I think I had the idea that triggers were topics or material similarities for previous traumatic experiences but for me that wasn't the case. The internal experience of it tended to be a bigger trigger than the external material similarities. I think because as long as I had a different internal experience of something I could assure myself that this situation was different but the minute that was gone collapse into freeze became almost inevitable.

Avoid Dissociative Activities

Depending on how bad things are this might be day to day or it might be for periods of high stress/triggers. For me, when I really decided to take dissociation seriously I had a kind of drying out period where for several weeks to several months I just didn't engage in dissociative activities at all but I'm at a point now where I limit them when I either know I'll be exposed to triggers or I already have been.

So what are dissociative activities? They're a lot of what you'd expect. They're "brain off" activities. Scrolling through social media, binging shows, binging a game - basically anything you could do for multiple hours without taking a break has the potential to become a dissociative activity.

I've also personally found fiction in particular can be quite triggering of it. That might not be everyone but it's worth seeing if that's an issue for you.

For activities that you need to do but that can become dissociative like sleep, it can be a tough needle to thread. It might be silly but tying wake up times to things you actually like can be helpful. Texts from friend have helped me. Having someone actually physically come in and wake you up can help if you have that option.

Movement

Since dissociation is a freeze response, movement has been very key to shaking it. It's not always possible, especially at first, but the minute I have some leeway in motor movement I try to get moving. It doesn't have to be much, just walking has helped. Sometimes if I can feel it coming on, just going for a long brisk walk will stave it off enough for other coping mechanisms to be more effective.

I think it's just as good for prevention. When I'm walking and doing some strength training more, it comes up less. There's something very regulating to the nervous system about it would be my guess.

Polyvagal Strategies

This is a whole rabbit hole and there's no way I could go into everything here. I recommend searching for more about it. But the polyvagal strategies that have helped me dissociate less have been cold exposure (I take cold showers not infrequently), getting outside/listening to nature sounds, self massaging my neck in particular, and humming.

Which strategies work best for which people really takes some troubleshooting so it's worth looking a list of things to try out and highlight the ones that work.

Schema Therapy + Internal Family Systems

Even if you don't have full blown Dissociative Identity Disorder, these are two modalities that can be helpful and have a self help component. It's pretty easy to find workbooks for these (especially schema therapy) online for decent prices.

I think where these shine is in getting a better idea of your internal "map". Where you feel and align yourself one way and where you feel and align yourself another. Knowing your habitual responses allows you to shape them differently if you so choose.

Because both of these modalities involve a multipartite self, they have often felt more realistic and relatable to me as someone with dissociation issues. And sometimes you just want to sit down with a workbook and think real hard about your life. So these are good for that.

What Healing Looks Like

So one place where I differ from a lot of others is that I don't think a "unified sense of self" is really necessary or possible for all people. Like I really don't think it'll ever be in the cards for me. There is a certain amount of, for lack of a better term, internal dissociation I've chosen to just roll with as it doesn't cause meaningful dysfunction in my life when it arises.

So for me healing has primarily been building better self management skills so that I don't snap to dissociation reflexively in the situations I used to. It caused problems in those areas and I'm thankful that it doesn't overpower me like it used to. I have more of a say. That increased agency is healing to me personally.

This is all to say, you may never reach a point where you don't experience aspects of dissociation but I'd argue that healing is rooted much more in functioning rather than whether you experience a symptom at all. Every step toward more function and less reliance on dissociation as a primary coping method is in of itself healing in my book.

On Reality and Magical Thinking

I struggle with this as someone with OCD. And I get that's not how you might be struggling with it Anon so I'm not sure how much of what I'll say will apply to you, but I'll share it all the same.

I personally think most people engage in magical thinking on some level and scrubbing all of that might not be realistic. What's helped me is focusing on the areas where it causes the most problems and letting the rest go for the time being.

As far as knowing the difference I think it comes down to knowing your patterns. My pattern is that magical thinking will feel hopeful in a very emotionally intense way rather than a calm and collected way and that it'll be certain of a specific result in a specific time frame. But yours might be different.

It can help to have a friend you trust to point it out to you where they're able so you can begin to piece together what the similarities might be.

Rely on the Experts

I find the expert in the field that my magical thinking/obsessions are focused on and find out what they have to say. I then am pretty strict with myself about only making decisions based on those expert opinions in those areas. This is helpful for if I don't know whether what I'm dealing with is actually an obsession or magical thinking as well. If it aligns with the experts, it's probably not or it's unlikely to cause issues. If it diverges, especially greatly, there's greater risk and I don't rely on my own knowledge.

Grounding Techniques

Getting grounded often helps me start to parse magical thinking from reality. So getting really present for as long as I can manage and then thinking about the topic or issue again can help me catch it sometimes.

Some of my favorite grounding techniques are finding something os note through the five senses, finding five objects for each color of the rainbow in your environment, and feeling the weight of your body on a surface and just breathing with that awareness.

Thought Stopping/Say "I Don't Know"

For areas where there are no experts (my personal relationships) or I can't find or understand them, I rely more on thought stopping. You can go the CBT route of have a preprepared though to substitute the thought with. I tend to make my default replacement thought some version of "well, I'm not so sure about that." Because it's when the certainty calcifies me in that there are the most problems.

As for how to tell whether something is magical thinking without experts, I think it can help to have a default position of I'm not sure. It at least gives some lead time for me to mull things over or try strategies that I have more certainty in.

Reality Daydreaming

Sometimes my brain just really wanna daydream and wander in unhelpful ways. So I cope by pointing it at a list of "problems" I'm mulling over (how to rearrange my room or fridge, how would I rearrange a friend's room if given the chance, if I ever got a garden going what would be in it, etc) instead of letting it get too far into the weeds in unhelpful stuff ("if I do xyz this friend will contact me again so here let me imagine a whole future of us being buds when they get back to me").

It's ultimately a form of harm reduction which is sometimes all you can hope for.

Hope this is helpful to you in some way anon and I appreciate the question!

[thecorvidcurio-if]

ROs hobbies?

Vicente: Composes and plays music, mainly on piano, cello, and violin (he plays many other instruments but those are what he has at home.) He enjoys knitting, crochet, and cross-stitch, embroidery (honestly, any kind of needle-work.) He also rereads classic romances often. Writes some poetry but never shows it to anyone. He and Thea also take care of the rooftop garden together and he cares for some plants in his own apartment, if that counts as a hobby.

Abby: It's hard for Abby to properly invest in any specific hobby because he jumps from interest to interest so quickly. Though, there are some activities he drops entirely and some he keeps coming back to after he takes a break to do something else. The things he comes back to most often are:

Parkour, climbing things he isn't supposed to climb (climbing things he's allowed to climb isn't as fun,) skateboarding, roller-blading, he tries to get into gardening because he likes the idea of taking care of something and helping it grow but he's very bad at it. He has a laundry list of other things he'd like to try (base jumping, sky-diving, cave-diving, scuba-diving, bungee-jumping, etc...) but due to reasons that will be explored in the story he can't run off and try those just yet.

Marina: Making jewellery, building/repairing anything mechanical, swimming (doesn't get to do so as often as she'd like,) fishkeeping (I think that's what it's called when you keep aquariums,) and WCMX (here's the wiki page for that.)

Thea: Singing (hobby as well as work,) playing the harp and lyre, writing lyrics for Vicente's compositions, shopping (especially for other people,) reading trashy romance novels and then tormenting Vicente with information about them, and taking care of her car.

Kaida: Herpetoculture, snooping, alchemy, searching for and learning things he didn't already know (about literally any subject,) a LOT of reading, writing out his analyses of what he reads and learns, and then rereading and analyzing that as well. Some other hobbies as well but those would include spoilers.

Shiloh: People watching, lurking in various online communities, painting, drawing, working with charcoal, playing games where its character can have friends so it can live vicariously through fiction

[cheemken]

along with bw and b2w2, what other pokemon games do you love and which ones are your least favorite

Unova and Hoenn and Johto games my absolute fucking beloved

Anyways under the cut bc it's really just me rambling abt stuff hahaha

Your honour hckdndk Emerald was legit the first pokemon game I ever saw fr, and Treecko was the first starter Mon I saw too, but when I got my phone and downloaded my first pkmn game, I didn't know Emerald at that time and the thing that shows up most was FireRed and I thought that was it so like imagine my confusion when I was going through the starters and I didn't see Treecko anywhere and the vibes are like, different lmfao

But when I discovered RSE man ofc I downloaded all three of em, I finally found Treecko hahah and like, when I saw the other starters they were so goddamn cool man the Hoenn starters are peak fr, all three of em were so fuckin dope and I really wanted to choose Treecko ofc bc he was the one I was looking for all these years, but then I saw Mudkip and yeah the rest was history hahah

Also dyk, I encountered my first ever shiny in Sapphire hahah it was a shiny Shroomish, unfortunately, I was out of pokeballs so I didn't get to catch it ;w;

But yeah y'know, until now I still wish I could play ORAS, I have a tab now y'know I can dl Citra, but like,, it's still lag as shit, I tried it on X so yeah owo. Ah well hey, maybe one day hahah either way, RSE be dope af, it's honestly so so homey for me idk why, it's just,, there's smth abt it that feels more at home than any other pkmn game, even Unova, like,, the music for Littleroot Town would get me man chdmdb hahah but maybe bc it's like a tropical region, and I live in a tropical country so hey, it's the sense of familiarity ig hahah

And then the Johto games, Crystal was the first GBC game I played and the first gen two game I played and it was so cool man, seeing the old sprites, seeing them move a bit, how cool Typhlosion was, having to battle Red for the first time hahah was even dope when I found out Lance became Champion, and while I'm not very fond of Kanto, it was cool that the games let us visit another region, that was the dopest experience honestly hahah

And like, I was curious tho bc I wanna know what I'd get when I completed the pokedex there, granted I never completed the dex prior to that, so busted out the cheats bc I really wanted to find out, and like,,, nothing owo. But hey ig, guess Crystal gets that point of being the first game where I completed the dex albeit cheated hahaha

Then I found out abt HeartGold and my guy let me tell ya my soul fucking ascended when I discovered my pkmn can follow me around man like that was dope as all fuck my Typhlosion back then was so goddamn cool jcmdndnd such a shame that mechanic wasn't in gen 5 anymore, it would've been dope plus story wise it would've made more sense if it was itroduced or was still around in the BW games

And ofc, I was an og Unova stan hahaha I think at this point we all know I'd throw hands for the gen five games lmfao it's just cool as fuck man like,, idk it really is the peak of pkmn for me, like yeah there are some cool games now like PLA and ScVi and all that but like,, BW/BW2 are just the dopest for me hahah like it legitimately set the standards for me I'm ngl, I mean c'mon, the story was amazing, there's so much going on, the league actually did something instead of just vibing around, like it's so fucking dope man it actually made me care abt all the characters in it bc they show what they're like outside being gym leaders, they interact with each other, the game shows us abt their friendship and how they're all willing to help each other and the region out like to honour this is the game ever for real I can never get enough of the Unova games man

Also real shit, N being my trans awakening lmfaooooo you don't understand how much I wanted to look like N back then I thought it was just young me having a fictional crush but no I deadass liked his whole ass aesthetic I wanted to be like him and here we fucking are owo

Anyways my least fave of the pkmn gamesss

I honestly don't vibe w the Kanto and Sinnoh games lmfao

Idk man, the Kanto games are just boring for me and the Sinnoh games dont appeal to me much, like it really took me a while and a whole lot of coaxing for me to actually finish Platinum bc half way through I just wanted to stop bc it really wasn't that fun of an experience for me

Idk ig it's the fact both games are kinda,, over hyped?? Like, a lot of peeps still think the gen one/Kanto games are the best and then there's the people who like Sinnoh but let's be real most of them just kinda favour it for Cynthia. Honestly at this point I see Cynthia and Red kinda like Sans from Undertale, overrated and almost everywhere, the fandom hold them in such high regards that they just kinda ignore other characs or everything just kinda,, revolves around em? Idk, but, majority of the stuff I see are like that so hey y'know take this w a grain of salt hahah

And like, not that I hate those characs ofc, just that I don't see Red as a "legendary" trainer, and I honestly don't see the hype in Cynthia's fight, it,, it really wasn't that hard for me idk but hey

But ig it's also the fact that Kanto didn't give me much and Sinnoh was slow as shit even w the fast forward on in my emulator like my guy it's smth else💀 that plus the tons and tons of HMs you need to get through the game man it broke me o w o

But y'know, that's just me, if you like these games then hey, you have fun and enjoy playing em, those games are just not my cup of tea hahaha

[tokiro07]

Is the anonymous opinion thing for real? Sure here’s mine:

- Very pedantic and get sidetracked way too often in any paragraph longer than 20 lines.

- Friendly and savvy to the point where your rants feel both like side-story conversations and unorganized amateur reviews from someone who keeps enough distance from fiction to enjoy but not entirely imitate.

- Should be hailed as a Western “protector of the weak” for WSJ. Seriously, I’ve never seen someone who would go to such lengths to analyze Jump’s history and its forgotten and unpopular IPs, while also acknowledging their flaws in reviews and pointing out problematic ones. It takes dedication to not be drowned out by the cynicism of the WSJ landscape and toxicity from some childish fanbases to keep on analyzing I bet.

- I used to watch Tsun and Dere, and the entire crew was fun to watch, but also it makes me wonder: what were some of your childhood games and did those actually influence your taste in games since I saw some peculiar game choices other than the obviously popular ones.

Tsun and Dere?! God damn, you've been following me for a while. Still hoping we'll be able to get back to it someday, but I'm sadly not holding my breath

"Pedantic" and "[easily] sidetracked" are painfully accurate, to the point that I wonder if I sleep-walked to my computer to send this to myself

I do try to give off a friendly vibe both online and in real life, I feel like life is better when the people around me are happy with me rather than upset, so I'm glad to know I'm succeeding at that!

My reviews take a lot of inspiration from video essayists like TotallyNotMark or MrMorj while still trying to keep my own voice, so based on that comment, I'm going to say that it probably shows. I've always wanted to try my hand at making videos like those, I'm just trying to build up the confidence to now

I think there's already a youtube channel called Shonen Flop dedicated to talking about canceld Jump properties, but I would love to be able to take a look back at a number of them in that style myself. It's not the main thing I want to focus on if I become a video essayist, but it's definitely something I'd like to touch on

I first started playing video games when I would visit my aunt who had an old NES with the basics like Super Marios 1 and 3, the OG Mario Bros, Duck Hunt, Zelda 1, and the notoriously difficult Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Of course they were all hard for me, I was a little baby boy with no dexterity or capacity to understand game mechanics, but I didn't care, I was just having fun. That was definitely what led to me liking Nintendo more than all of the other options, since it guaranteed I'd always be excited by the prospect of a new Mario or Zelda

I think it was the GameBoy Color and GBA that really got me, though, since those were the first consoles I actually owned for myself. I have tons of formative memories playing those, but to actually answer your specific question, I have exactly one core memory where I noticed my preferences actually forming

My mom was taking my brother and me on a road trip and let us rent a few games each from Blockbuster; I chose Wario Lands 3 and 4, and while playing them, I noticed that while 4 let you have your full skillset from the beginning, 3 needed you to unlock it as you went. I found the concept somewhat confusing at first, but once I realized what was going on, it made sense that it was a way to motivate the player to keep going and to revisit areas. It taught me going forward that just because you can't do something in a game now, it doesn't mean you won't be able to later

I thought the concept was interesting and saw the appeal, but I didn't really like it in the moment. I made the decision right there "I prefer games where you have all of your abilities from the beginning." That feeling still persists, but it's much more complicated now that I've played so many more games and games themselves are so much more complex

Not every game can communicate its mechanics quickly and concisely, so drip-feeding them is a great way to get someone acquainted to a complex system, but at the same time that feeling of limitation in the beginning can prove detrimental to the experience if not balanced correctly

Aside from that, my taste in games never used to be based on brand or anything, it was just whatever was the most fun, which led to me playing a lot of weird esoteric games. I've been thinking about them all day, so here's a quick, non-exhaustive list of my favorite childhood games

Dokapon: Monster Hunter (GBA)

Planet Monsters (GBA)

Magi Nation (GBC)

Kirby: Tilt n Tumble (GBC)

Game and Watch Gallery 4

Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak (GBA)

Frogger's Adventures: Temple of the Frog (GBA)

Sonic Advance (GBA)

Shaman King: Master of Spirits (GBA)

Megaman Xtreme 2 (GBC)

And of course, the ones that still persist as my all time favorite, Legend of Zelda: Oracles of Ages and Seasons

[wozman23]

The Illuminating Brilliance of Alan Wake

These last two day, with a tropical storm derailing my plans and work, I decided to jump back into the world of Alan Wake for the third time in anticipation of Alan Wake II releasing October 27th, this time via the remaster on PS5 thanks to it being included in the PlayStation Plus lineup a few months back.

To say that Alan Wake II is my most hyped game would be an understatement. Never having purchased a 360, I didn't play the original upon release in 2010. But it was on my radar. And sometime later, when a Humble Bundle released that included it and American Nightmare for something like $2, I jumped at the opportunity… Cruelly, my PC couldn't run it. But then, at the tail end of 2013, I bought a new PC… and a few months later I discovered it could run it!

I was astounded! I still vividly remember playing through it that first time, experiencing everything about it that impressed so much back then, and still does to this day. It quickly became one of my favorite games of all time, and I joined the cult of people hoping for a sequel.

Now as for the remasters, I'm not one for them. They often seem like quick cash grabs. So I never intended to buy the remaster when I still had access to the PC version, as well as the Xbox version via backwards compatibility. And in playing the remaster, it does show its age. Animation and dialog are really rigid. The vehicles control like they have ice for tires. And the visuals don't hold a candle to modern games. But it's just such a fascinating romp that I really don't care. What it did well then, it still does well today, even if its no longer in the prettiest of packages.

First off, the combat mechanics are simply sublime. I've also never been a big fan of survival horror games with a few exceptions (pretty much just Alan Wake and the Dead Space franchise - which I think has many parallels in terms of strengths). But the whole "Remove the darkness from enemies with light to make them vulnerable to damage" is so cool. It never gets old, especially thanks to the variety of weapons and tactical advantages that each has. The flashlight, revolver combo is a staple, but firing off the flare gun or tossing a flashbang provides a completely different level of satisfaction.

Second, the narrative despite favoring many cliches, is just so damn good. Even after my third time playing it, I'm picking up on little details. Yet, somehow, I feel as if they only lead me to more questions. I think I understand less now than I did almost a decade ago.

What exactly is real in the world of Alan Wake? Is Bright Falls actually a cursed city where written works become non-fiction? Did Thomas Zane actually exist, or was he just the deus ex machina created by Alan? Does Alan actually exist, or is he just the product of Thomas Zane's poetry? How much of Alex Casey is Alan, or vice versa? Is Alice dead? Is Alan dead? Is he actually in some sort of psychosis or perhaps a coma? Is everything a dream, or work of fiction crafted by the hands of someone else?

Its ambiguity is its strength. It often takes you in one direction, just to contradict itself at a later point. I really have no idea what the actual truth is, yet I love the ride and speculation all along the way.

Another strength: Barry. He's such a great character. Comic relief characters, and comedy in general, are tough to pull off in games. But Barry is just such a likeable character. One of my favorite points from the game is when he shows up draped in Christmas lights as an aid to ward of The Taken. It's such a silly, yet practical, application of the use of light in the world. And it's totally Barry. He's a buffoon, who doesn't seem to have much know-how in terms of survival instincts, yet you root for him. I'm trying not to pay too much attention to Alan Wake II pre-release, but I hope he plays a prominent role again. Another strength of the narrative: collecting the manuscript. They offer all kinds of insight into the world and how everything is interconnected. Sometimes they build backstory. Sometimes they further explain things that have happened. Sometimes, like in the instance of Barry getting separated from Alan, they create tension with other characters as you get to witness events second hand. And sometimes they just foreshadow things to come, even becoming tongue-in-cheek in some situations. They're a really fun way to incorporate collectibles, and they fit the narrative well.

That tongue in cheek nature isn't just limited to documents. There are The Old Gods of Asgard too, two more quirky characters who are either completely insane, or perhaps the only ones who actually know what is going on in Bright Falls. Their stage set piece is another high point in the game. By that point, it feels as if you've got combat mastered, and you can just have fun taking down swarms of The Taken. It's so satisfying. And that leads perfectly into my next point.

Remedy has also had a long history of working with the band Poets of the Fall. I never played their Max Payne games, so the moment when "War" comes on the in-game radio served as my introduction to the band. And that too was one of the standout moments I vividly remember from my first play through. I think collaborations like that are not made enough in the video game industry. One of my other all-time favorites, Psi-Ops: The Mindgate Conspiracy (still waiting for that sequel that I sadly know will never come) did this well too, commissioning the band Cold to write a song, "In My Mind" specifically for the game. It's not a well known song of theirs. I saw them a few months back, and knew there was zero chance that they'd play it. But it's the main reason I'm a fan of theirs. Just as Remedy's collaboration with Poets of the Fall is the reason I'm a fan of theirs.

I've got to work my way through the two expansions again, but then I might go back and try to platinum the game. I've never played on Nightmare mode, so there might be a bit more for me to come across that could help provide some clarity within the world… Or just confuse me more… There are so many little details to love about the world. I love the quaint charm of Bright Falls. I love the Twilight Zone parody of Night Springs. I love that Sam Lake makes a small appearance. I love just how weird, and quirky, and mysterious it is!

I'm also enjoying revisiting Poets of the Fall tonight, since I really never gave their more recent albums an abundance of attention. The instrumental "Rogue" just took me by surprise.

If you haven't played Alan Wake, do yourself a favor and give it a look. It made me a rabid fan of Remedy. Control was a great distraction, with its own interesting tie-ins to Alan Wake, and I'd like more of it too, but I'm really just ready for the proper continuation of Alan Wake. C'mon, October 27th!

[rampagingpoet]

As someone who was on The Gaming Den a lot around the time of the "Bear World" memes, I can explain that one.

The bear-summoning meme arose from the combination of two criticisms of Apocalypse World: a thought experiment about perception-type checks and the way GM Moves can introduce threats.

On the perception-type checks front, "you found a bear / a bear found you" is a plausible response to literally any roll if you're in an environment bears live in. Succeeded a check? You know where the bear is because you succeeded. Partial success? You found signs that there's a bear in the area. Failure? Well maybe they got separated or dropped something... or maybe they realized they're two feet from a bear cub! That would put them on the spot!

The Principles don't contradict this. You're supposed to make sure the PCs lives aren't boring and respond with fuckery - and "you ran into a bear" is neither implausible nor boring. But on the flipside if they didn't roll anything there would not have been a bear. Sure there might be one in the woods, but it isn't onscreen until the results of a player or MC move put it onscreen.

(This is one of the reasons Apocalypse World doesn't actually have perception checks. Read A Sitch isn't a spot check or a search check, and it doesn't quite work when you try to use it as such).

On establishing threats, the rules of Apocalypse World explicitly state that the MC can make as hard a move as they like on a failed check. Several of the MC moves bring threats onscreen or otherwise establish that they are nearby: Announce Future Badness, Put Someone in a Spot, possibly some Threat Moves for Threats that have already been encountered, etc. And again the Principles explicitly state you're supposed to be looking for opportunities to disrupt the status quo and that you should be making things difficult for your players about two times out of three ("fuck with" rather than "fuck over", but that's a delicate balance).

The MC has license to introduce threats on any failure, and there are very few situations in which a threat appearing would be implausible. And game mechanically the cause and effect is very clear regardless of the fictional justification: someone failed a roll, and then a threat showed up. This isn't a wandering monster check where there are procedures that introduce threats over time regardless of PC actions - the PC taking an action and failing directly causes something bad to happen at an inopportune moment.

Sure you're not going to literally summon a bear every time someone rolls a 5, but maybe tense negotiations get disrupted by a rival gang striking the Hardholder's settlement. Maybe someone really needs their fix and pulls a knife on the Angel while they're with a patient. Maybe you're in enemy territory and failing to jimmy that lock open meant their next patrol caught up to you. The MC probably isn't going to introduce a new threat on literally every failed roll - but it would be within both the rules and the Principles to do so much of the time.

This is really weird from a "trad game" standpoint! In D&D the expectation is that the world (especially in a dungeon) has a definite state with which the players interact. Furthermore there are ways for the players to gain information (or fail to find information) about that world state without affecting it. If a D&D character searches for secret doors, their roll only affects whether or not they find any secret doors present. Any orcs that appear during or shortly after their search are unrelated.

Meanwhile in Apocalypse World, making checks to learn about the world state directly modifies the world state. Successful checks nail down something about the world that was previously nebulous. Failed checks allow the MC to introduce threats that were not previously present. If dice are being rolled, the state of the world is changing.

Combining these thoughts - any failed roll can summon a plausible threat, bears are a plausible threat in the woods - lead to the meme that rolling 6- summons bears.

TL;DR Bears were shorthand for "a plausible Threat". Using bears specifically was from a thought experiment about perception-type checks in Apocalypse World. The central disagreement was a matter of taste about how RPGs ought to model their world state.

I feel like maybe I'm out of the loop on this, and you are one of the most well-versed people I've ever seen when it comes to ttrpgs, so I'm hoping you might be able to enlighten me on this. I've played a good few games in my time, but I've been running into people who seem to have an almost feral hate for any "Powered By the Apocalypse" game. Now I can't say for certain all of them I've played (at least 3), but is there something about the system that just enrages people?

I know that some people dislike PbtA games for reasons that boil down to matters of taste. One of my good friends, the lead writer of @anim-ttrpgs does dislike PbtA games, and in his case it boils down to a number of reasons: he feels the structure of these games is often a bit too restrictive and ends up with characters who are defined largely by their narrative tropes; and another reason he tends to dislike them is that the popularity of the framework has led to a lot of lazy PbtA games that don't really do anything interesting with the framework and are kind of just lazy and bad. That's a surface level read of his points and he's actually written a long post about it, but especially on that latter point I do agree with him: it's nowhere near as bad as the proliferation of lazy D&D 5e hacks, but on the indie RPG side there are a lot of cases where someone feels that a PbtA hack would be perfect for their first TTRPG. The thing is, it's very easy to make a PbtA game, but it's extremely hard to make a good PbtA game. Some of the best games I've seen using the framework are actually quite involved and have lots of interlocking parts, but a lot of the ones I've seen are simply kind of. Meh.

But there's another strain of PbtA haters out there that I know of and this group of people is best characterized as "people with a grudge against certain types of games doing the worst faith reading of those games to find 'flaws' in them." I think the most visceral hatred of PbtA games I've seen was on The Gaming Den, where a bunch of dudes convinced themselves that PbtA games are bad because on a roll of 6- a GM could just make bears happen out of nowhere. So, you know, it was a bunch of guys who did a surface level read of Apocalypse World but never read the MC principles, because if they had they would have realized that "Make a move that follows" is one of the MC principles.

All of which is to say, it's more or less the same that's going on with pretty much any RPG: some people will read a game and give it a shot and decide it's not for them, and often come away with a way to articulate why they disliked it. Other people will go in wanting to find a reason to dislike a thing and do the worst faith reading possible. And a lot of people will simply never read a game and simply accept that the previous group's reading of it is true.

So none of this is to say that none of the people who you've encountered have actually read a PbtA game and played it and actually formulated their opinions through experience. But knowing what nerds can be like it's probably at least some of them.

[samspenandsword]

1. Idk how I missed your follow celebration but i hope not too late!! It’s the 29th where I am! First of all congratulations on the follow count! Second can I please request a ship request and a bestie request? I’m bisexual so either gender is fine! Here we go:

2. I go by she/her and am 20 so I don’t mind some nsfw!

3. Appearance:

As for looks, I’m 5’1, average build, tanned olive type skin, dark brown eyes, full lips, dark brown shoulder length wavy/kinda curly hair with curtain bangs. I also wear glasses with a slight cat eye to them.

4. Personality:

For personality I’m creative, introverted, and individualistic. Though I’m introverted, around my friends I can be quite talkative, humorous and outgoing. However I definitely treasure my alone time the most.

5. Hobbies/Interests:

As for hobbies escaping to new worlds while reading books/comics, watching movies, and playing rpg video games. My favorite genres are fantasy and sci-fi, though I do love a good classic from time to time. Apart from that, I love working out.

My interests on the other hand are art focused. I’m currently in art school working with both digital and traditional mediums. I love my practice and everything from interaction design and digital illustration to graphite drawings and inking.

6. Likes/dislikes:

Likes: coffee, chai tea, dark chocolate, rock/blues/jazz/ music, cafe art shows, arcades, comic book stores, purple, thai/Indian/Chinese food, roller blading to classic rock with the wind in my hair, quality alone time

Dislikes: people i am unfamiliar with and have to make small talk with, the biting cold, rain, non fiction, staying too close to reality and not being allowed to daydream/imagine/roam freely in my thoughts, physical touch, overly crowded areas

Random stuff

My favorite planet is Dathomir. Don’t ask why but I love the aesthetic and the witchy spookiness. Also maul and ventress yes pls. Idk if I’d want to live there but the vibes are immaculate.

If I had to live on a planet tho it’d prolly be Naboo, Alderaan or coruscant (pre empire ofc)

Thank you and congrats once again!

Hey there!! You're absolutely fine, your request was before the deadline (I'm so sorry it took me so long to get this out I'm such a flake oml lol). Thank you so much for participating, and I hope the week has been treating you well so far!

Sam's Pen and Sword Follower Celebration (Closed)

Danzalladagger's Follower Celebration Request

Ship request 👄

Okay, okay, okay, okay, listen. The sequel trilogy I know is pretty polarizing, especially here on Tumblr (I don't write for them most of the time), but you and Rey would be so CUTE!!! She sees your art and she literally had no idea that something could be so beautiful. You get a bit bashful because it's just a rough sketch and the dimensions are all off and tbh it was really just a warmup but Rey falls in love with it and it warms your heart so much you give it to her. She scrimps and saves money to get it properly matted and framed and she just adores it. Also, pls get this girl some healthy emotional relationships she would just flourish on Naboo. The water!! The greenery!! It's warm enough for you both but it's not a desert! HUGE plus. The war ends and Rey just wants to come home with you, to a peaceful place where she doesn't feel weighed down by her past and her powers and her responsibility. She wants a place where her friends came come and go and enjoy being there. She loves that her friends can become your friends. But the both of you also get overwhelmed with too much social interaction, and quiet nights in together, ones where Rey sits and tinkers with some mechanical bits and bobs. Ones where you've ordered takeout and you're sitting working on a new piece of art or reading Space-Dracula with Space-Ella Fitzgerald playing quietly in the background. Peaceful nights. A peaceful life. It's everything Rey didn't realize she wanted until you came along.

"It wasn't that bad." You were a bit pale in the face. For all your interests and talents, a pilot you were not. Your beautiful, powerful, pure partner, however, was a pilot of extreme skill. But every time she flew it was like she was in battle, and the ride had gotten a bit rocky there. You'd think you'd be used to it by now. "Rey, my love, you fly like Poe was on your ass." "Poe could only hope to keep up with me." You giggled a little. Poe was also a fantastic pilot, and he and Rey had had a few "friendly" competitions to see which one was better. And every single time, they asked you and Finn to judge. And every single time, you and Finn stayed the fuck out of it and were happy to let your partners be competitive little flyboys. You and Finn were quite happy to gallivant off towards a coffee shop with pastries and laugh at their antics. "Good thing he's not here to hear that," you said. "He'd be squaring up right now." "Again, he could only hope to keep up with me." You laughed again, with a fond little roll of your eyes, and reached up to kiss her cheek. "Come on, Reybird, home's awaiting." Rey smiled, that beautiful, radiant smile of hers. The one that made your cheeks warm and stomach flutter. The one that had stolen your heart. The one that you did not want to go a single day without seeing. And it felt like you were already home.

Bestie request 😎

I came this 🤏 close to putting Sabine Wren down as your ship request, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought you two would be better suited as besties. (Also I hope you're okay with me putting down a Rebels character 😊). You two would bond so easily over art. Sabine is also well-known for her individuality, creativity, independence, and introversion. Sure, she loves being with her friends and family, but sometimes Sabine just needs some goddamn alone time. And you just have to do, "same lol." I think Sabine and you would also love meeting up at your favorite (space) Thai joints cause you two can handle spice and no one else on the Ghost Crew can lol. You and Sabine would also love working out together, giving each other shit for being out of shape lol, griping and being dramatic about how tired you are.

You could hear the gentle hiss of Sabine's paint gun somewhere around the corner from you. You wondered if she was leaving behind her trademark starbird or if she was leaving something a little more detailed. The longer the paint gun went, you knew she was painting something a bit bigger than her signature symbol. Your own piece was coming along nicely. A smirk curled at your lips as the details and colors came together, a mural of pure beauty materializing and giving the drab slate durasteel wall a bit more character. Your didn't use a paint gun yourself, only for linework. You preferred a classic brush to blend and apply the colors of your work. Even if it took a bit longer. You weren't worried. You and Sabine had yet to be caught. A few more flicks of your brush brought the piece together. And with a quick arc of some black paint with your gun, the piece was done. "Nice." Sabine had finished her own work and was now sniggering at your mural. You smirked over your shoulder at her. Your mural was a wonderful rendition of one Grand Admiral Thrawn being strangled by that chimaera he seemed so fond of. You were quite proud of it. "Thanks." You slapped up a stencil and sprayed with your gun, leaving your own symbol to sign your work. "What's yours?" Sabine's was as comical and poignant as your own. It featured a figure cloaked in black, a figure you recognized as The Emperor, with a lightsaber through his ass. You sighed a little dramatically. Oh, if only. "Come on, I've still got some ideas to get out that will get me grounded if Kanan or Hera sees." Sabine flourished her paint gun. You barked a laugh. "Then I want to see it!" Sabine grinned, and as the two of you darted through the city to find your next displays, you left behind nothing but fresh paint and the knowledge that rebels had been there. Rebels were everywhere.

[iaf]

Wondering if The Hollow kids have limitations to their powers? Like, I don't think Kai or Nisha could ever run out of fire but, if I remember correctly, Kai's hands could possibly overheat? And if they're wet, it takes a few tries to light up?

And then there's Reeve. There seems to be a "weight" limit to his telekinesis. The heavier an object is the less items he can levitate (ex. Multiple barrels and only one car). Also, in the s2 finale when Reeve tries to hold off Iris in her giant form, he can't hold it for too long and gives out.

But, I can't recall any limitations for the other characters. So I'm curious if this aspect was intentional? And if it is, why are only these two powers limited? Was it always like this? Or did something happen in a past Hollow game that caused for a change to be implemented? So many questions...

[nanaloco]

Being bestfriends with Jeno

'You know, I think I like you'

Warnings : none (I only write fluff)

Genre : fluff, Bestfriend!Jeno x Gn!Reader

What it would be like to be best friends with Jeno ( who secretly likes you)

Disclaimer, I'm not claiming I know anything about them, this is pure fiction for fun :)

• Your friendship is almost like a sibling relationship

• Like twins

• Not in a weird way, you two just act like you are

• You always look out for eachother,

• Will always stand/sit next to eachother

• Move in sync and sometimes say things at the same time

• Bicker a lot and share the same mannorisms

• It's just because you two hang out so much and  you soak up eachothers personalities like sponges

• So you're both kinda a mix of Y/n and Jeno

• It's gotten to the point where your friends (the dreamies) question it

• 'Theres no way you two didn't grow up together'

• Despite the sibling dynamic, theres always some sort of tension between you two

• Too many almost kisses to count

• And shyness every now and then

• Jeno is overprotective of you

• A hand behind your back in crowded places

• If you ever pop to the store real quick during a group hang out, you'll always bring the other their favourite snack

• 'Im jealous, why can't Y/n bring me food everytime she goes to the corner store like she does for Jeno' - probably haechan

• 'Theres obvious favouritism here'

• He's probably the person you call when something bad happens

• 'Jeno, I've just bumped the back of this persons car wtf do I do'

• 'Jeno I need to take my car to the mechanic please can you come with me'

• 'Jeno theres a cockroach under my bed!'

• 'Theres no more icecream in my fridge'

• No matter how ridiculous it is, he'll come running

• You and jeno probably end up on the same side in group arguments, not because of eachother but because you both agree with the side you're on and more the less think the same

• You two have matching shiba inu plushies, his is the black one and yours is the orangy beige one

• Tries to get you to be active with him, will try to make it fun,

• 'If you go on this 1 hour bike ride with me, I promise I'll get you food after'

• 'If you hike this hill with me, and make it all the way to the top, I'll buy you your favourite expensive meal everyday for 2 weeks BUT if you fail, you have to join me on my wednesday morning jog everyweek for 2 months'

• His over protectiveness took new heights when you got pushed to the side by an old man trying to get to his bus late at night

• And his idea of a solution was to hold your hand at all times

• Which slowly shifted from late at night coming home from the gaming cafe you all stay at late at night

• To the grocery store

• To school and the cantine (if u want to imagine you 're in school / uni)

• Essencially, he started holding your hand everywhere

• For safety, because you always are losing your balance

• That's a logical solution right?

• As long as it's not infront of the dreamies it's fine right?

• Until one day you two showed up to your meet up spot, holding hands

• 'Somethings not right here, Jeno and y/n came here TOGETHER, HOLDING HANDS!?'

• 'Well maybe we did'

• Jeno just shrugs, not letting go of your hand despite your loosening grip

• As you guys are just walking around, Jeno would just turn to you and say

• 'You know, I think I like you'

• Leaving you in absolute SHOCK from the sudden confession

• The thing about Jeno is that he's a very direct person

• He doesnt beat around the bush with things that are important to him

• And he's willing to put in the work for however your relationship changes

Just wanted to add this picture because jeno is such a cutie

Thank you so much for reading 💕💕

Requests are open literally spam me!!!!

[agentravensong]

specifics for anyone who wanted to know (huge spoilers!!!):

- called that kamila was jowd's daughter and the "family member" who witnessed the event five years ago basically as soon as it became clear that lynne wasn't (pretty easy to call, i think)

- knew that "sissel" was the one who kidnapped lynne when lauren the flute raised the idea in her playthrough and, after sitting on it for a bit between vods (initially doubted it because it messed with my perception that "sissel" was closer to lynne's age, which, it turns out, had a whole other explanation behind it), i realized it perfectly explained jowd's painting of him: wanting the face of the person whose life he stole to be the last thing on his mind before paying the price for that act. and also from my ace attorney experience (watching rtgame's lps), having one past Incident that all the main characters are involved in just. made sense.

(my backup guess for if the hostage taker was someone else important was cabanella, and that jowd had covered for him all this time, hence his comments about his coat's shadows. had no answer for how he would have come back, other than maybe jowd "stealing" his life was in fact not so literal? but we'll get back to that idea.)

- with the reveal that kamila had apparently died and been saved by someone else after leaving the apartment, my one guess for who it might have been was missle. not the hardest thing to guess since his last scene was, if you took it as more than just a punchline, setting up his return to the plot. even more than that, though, i was going off of a vague cultural understanding that everyone who's played this game thinks missle is like, The Best Dog in Fiction, and i figured that him doing something as big as actually saving kamila on his own would bring him closer to that acclaim. and then he went and proved it right ten times over. oh missle. what a good boy.

- now the big one. if i was buying the idea that "sissel" was the one whose life was stolen by jowd, then i needed to have some kind of an idea for how he came back only to die again in the junkyard. and, well...

like with me knowing there had to be more to missle because of the fandom love for him, there was one character that i had been keeping in the back of my mind because of the prominence in which they showed up in the few bits of ghost trick fanart i'd seen in the past: the fuckin' cat.

so, before i knew about the meteorite, or the manipulator, my crack guess was that, somehow, instead of just dying, the cat's soul and "sissel's" had swapped places. so the sissel we had been playing as was originally/actually a cat, who'd been operating as a human all this time.

as i started playing the game for myself (instead of just watching lps), i tried to keep an eye out for any illusions to sissel being cat-like. there was the kind of basic knowledge about the world that he didn't "remember", and his name rhyming with missle, and a couple other small moments maybe? and also it had come up on lauren's stream that a slightly different spelling of "sissel" can refer to the kind of rope used for cat scratching posts, if i remember correctly. but none of that was enough to make me think it was more than a crack theory.

(then after missle introduced the "swap" mechanic, when we found out there was another guy with even more powerful ghost tricks, i faintly considered the possibility that, perhaps, this "manipulator" might have his own version of the swap -- swapping souls.)

(i didn't have the thought until after The Reveal that, if the powers a ghost gets are individualized, then of course, it makes all the sense in the world for a cat to gain the power to fuck around with objects. of course.)

"sissel" and the cat did not swap souls, i know that now. but, considering that the actual details of what happened are something i could never have predicted that early on... the fact that i was right about sissel, the guy we play as, being a cat actually??? i don't care what anyone says, i'm taking that as a win.

i am genuinely proud of how many of my ghost trick predictions from about the halfway point of the game or later ended up coming true. like, there's a couple that were very obvious and/or i heard come up in the let's plays i was watching first, but i also had a couple of shot-in-the-dark predictions that i got the core of correct without really knowing any of the mechanics that would lead to that.

i def had some wrong guesses (like a guess that the junkyard superintendent's knowledge of Certain Things was because he was related to someone somewhat visually similar to himself, that was a nope), but that's just how it goes.

and the fact that i was right, in a very non-specific manner, about The Reveal, made me so giddy that the other stuff hardly registers.

[mypoisonedvine]

im not a minor, i turned 20 not that long ago. i was raped as well, 2 times to be exact. i get if it’s your coping mechanism, and i do sincerely apologize if i offended you because to be completely honest i did not know it was a copying mechanism. i was just curious because you popped up on my page from a reblog and thought i’d check it out. i’m not following you but i’ve seen some of your works before and i was impressed. this is giving me the wrong impression. have a good day.

we don't need to trade/compare abuse, as always I am sorry that happened to you and I wish it didn't happen to anyone, including myself

it's actually a very common coping mechanism, maybe not writing itself but certainly consumption of media that reminds us of the abuse. it's a way to recontextualize it. I know I'm not like perfectly coping with my experience, but without this sort of outlet I would've never been able to regain control of my own sexuality after years of abuse. and I'm still on my journey to fully accept what happened to me and why.

I'm just hurt that you would think that I'm intentionally encouraging this behavior by writing fiction that includes it. the irony is that the fic was based on game of thrones, a TV show with numerous graphic rape scenes, based on a book series with numerous graphic rape scenes. I'm curious if you think George RR Martin is pro-rape or that his stories inspire rapists. I think it is fair to say that there are people who are sick and abusive who seek out media as part of their illness; I don't think anyone becomes a rapist because they read a story.

what's frustrating about this situation is that half the time I have people hating on me and my way of coping saying "this shit is everywhere, it's like the whole website is plagued with dark fics and I can't avoid them!!" and then there's people like you who have literally no idea what's going on, have never heard of dark fics or why they exist, maybe even don't know what "noncon" means. I'm not saying either of you are lying but I can never fucking live because it's always one or the other and not enough "oops that's not something I'm interested in, let me move on"

I hope that all makes sense, I'm not angry at you, i hope you're not angry at me, I just want us to understand each other

[abracadaze]

sophie walten character analysis tidbit that i thought would be short but became long </3 i'm breaking this up into little sections because i don't want to scare away my target audience (adhd havers) with a wall of text. lots more is under the cut! i didn't want to clog anyone's dash lol

- jenny shows sophie the bunnyfarm machine because she thinks sophie will enjoy the weird glitches ("these glitches are very freaky if i'm totally honest. that's why i wanted to show you this in the first place, i know you're into that.")

- from this, it can be pretty safely extrapolated that sophie enjoys horror, or at least creepy things (sophie does not seem to be particularly interested in arcade games, as evidenced by the fact that jenny has to explain to her very basic game mechanics, like what a joystick does)

- however, when jenny starts talking about the weird rumors surrounding bsi, sophie begins to sound anxious and worried, and she ultimately changes the subject when jenny brings up the fact that someone might have died on bsi property

- (immediately after that, she zones out, and when jenny asks what's wrong, she says "oh, yeah, i was just thinking about, um..." and trails off. obviously the rumors are upsetting sophie more than she lets on. i wonder what she might be thinking about..?)

- later on, once the 'glitches' have become more apparent and more unsettling, sophie says "i feel like this could be related to a person, trying to tell the player something. maybe even a ghost, because this game makes it seem like the people shown on screen died."

- it's interesting to me how quickly sophie jumps on the possibility of something supernatural going on, almost like it's something she thinks about pretty often

- ok, in summary: sophie likes horror but dislikes scary things in real life, and she seems to believe in (or at least accept the possibility of) the existence of ghosts

all of this is to say... i think these facts about her are a direct result of her trauma. even with the pills, she must remember having had a family and then losing them all. the terrifying uncertainty of what happened to her original family, even if it's only a vague feeling, could have pushed her towards horror media as a strange form of catharsis. in horror movies, you get answers, and generally the characters have some kind of agency, something she really didn't have when everything happened. they are fictional and distant from her, and that may make her feel a bit better

the stories of bsi employees going missing wouldn't exactly be pleasant for anyone to hear, but for sophie that must've struck an especially sensitive nerve because, to her knowledge, that's what happened to her family; they went missing, never to be seen again. she doesn't need a reminder that people are still going missing in brighton. despite enjoying horror media, real deaths and disappearances are too much for her

finally, her acceptance of the supernatural... i'm sure she's contemplated whether or not her family is even alive anymore after eight years of radio silence. people cope with death in a lot of different ways, and sophie believing in ghosts—that her family might still be with her, even if they're no longer alive—makes perfect sense to me

idk if this is all super obvious and i am just mansplaining basic plot points to u guys lmfao i just thought it was interesting and wanted to put it into words. thank u for reading this far if u did <3