#they had an enemies with benefits type of situation going on

[minhyongi]

Loki has killed Thor. It happened in front of the watching eyes of the Avengers and when they finally capture him he is neither denying the accusation nor showing any kind of remorse. It's all clear and cut if not for the fact that Tony knows it wasn't Loki. Because at the very time of Thor's death Loki had still been lying on the warm bed they had shared the night together in.

[shima-draws]

IT'S NAHU TIME 🎉

More info on him below <3

Name: Nahu

Age: 24

Hair color: Orangish-pink

Eye color: Dark teal

Element: Darkness/Dragon

Nahu is THE boy of all time. He's lovable. He's STOOPID. He's absurdly powerful. He's really chill unless you mess with his friends, then he goes apeshit. He's got a boyish charm that every single member of his group is attracted to. He's the official leader of the group and they would do ANTYHING for him 🥺 He's got the sort of qualities that just naturally draw people in and make him someone worth following. He's got that sort of selfish selfless aspect that makes it so he does what he wants (a very "marches to the beat of his own drum" personality) but it always ends up benefiting other people somehow. He doesn't see the world in black and white; if someone is in trouble he'll do anything to help them even if they end up becoming his enemy down the line--that's just the kind of guy he is :"D He's not the type of person to hesitate, and this usually ends up getting him in trouble as he tends to dive into things headfirst without stopping to think, AKA he has no impulse control whatsoever so he's a walking danger magnet. He'll do things his own way and his friends have learned that there's no point in arguing against his decisions bc he'll turn around and do it anyway! They've gotten used to it at this point but sometimes they still question the way his mind works lmao

Despite the fact that he's kind of dense, he's shockingly perceptive when it counts, able to cut through right to the heart of things. Being a dragon elemental probably helps with that since it heightens his senses and makes him hyper aware of others and their true feelings. In the case of Ione this proves especially helpful since Nahu really doesn't have the attention span to properly learn sign language but he generally gets the gist of what Ione is trying to say even if he doesn't understand her entirely. This leads to interesting situations where Ione will say something and mean something completely different, and only Nahu can pick up on that due to being able to read her emotions better ;)

Again he's fiercely loyal, especially to his friends--he views any sort of betrayal on their behalf the ultimate sin, and will fight with his life to protect them. He's got an unwavering belief in all of them, even if the situation seems dire or if they lie to him for his own safety. He loves them like his family and will sacrifice anything for their happiness 😭 This leads to him being very stubborn in some cases.

Nahu has zero knowledge of what personal space is so he’s up in his squad’s business ALL the time. Which they get used to pretty quickly, since he’s so physically affectionate. His favorite thing to do is press his forehead against whoever he happens to be clinging to at the time. Whenever a new member joins and they happen to see Nahu doing the forehead touch they’re like oh hello what?? 😳 Nahu does this most often with Ezio bc Ezio was the first one to join up with him and is the most familiar with his affection. (Also it’s really fucking funny to just imagine Ezio, who is SO stoic and straight faced all the time, casually leaning into Nahu’s touch and knocking their foreheads together. They make me ill) Eventually it becomes a comfort thing for all of them. Since Nahu’s their leader whenever they’re unsure he’ll just look at them and KNOW and come over and lean his forehead against theirs and it’s so soft...

He loves exploring, viewing visiting any sort of new place and just traveling in general as a grand adventure. This leads him to dragging along other members of his group with him even if they protest :"D But it usually leads to something fun happening anyway!

When he was a child, Nahu was very close with another girl his age. They made many plans together, including growing up and going out on adventures, but unfortunately the girl had a terminal illness and passed away (in his arms, no less). This, in turn, triggered Nahu's magic to go out of control, causing the black "stains" on his arms that are basically an irreversible manifestation of his darkness magic. He was a bit self conscious of the way his arms looked at first but now he’s totally chill with it (and. When he uses his powers dragons scales sprout on his arms and glow and it’s sick as hell.)

Due to the trauma of his friend's death, whenever someone in his friend group gets sick, Nahu freaks out and mother hens to the extreme. Generally he's a very carefree person so it's always very jarring for them to see him so worried (since he's always got the utmost confidence in them too). He's just not the worrying type! They end up having to take care of him more than the other way around. It's very sweet (but also sad considering the reason behind it).

Nahu hasn't cried once since before his childhood friend died, and honestly he really hasn't taken the time to come to terms with her death, instead choosing to ignore any mention of it entirely. It's just trauma he's never recovered from, and he stubbornly refuses any attempt in bringing it up, even to his squad. This has definitely caused some tension between him and the girl's father, who just wants Nahu to accept her death so he can move on :"( Nahu just doesn't want to accept it. Despite him being very open with his emotions this is the one case where he keeps a very tight lid on them. When he cries for the first time in front of his friends they flip their SHIT because they've never seen him cry before.

I haven't hashed out too much of his own personal goals yet; I can say tho that he's searching for his mother who disappeared when he was still a baby. His father is a famous adventurer who kinda took off on him as well so he grew up under the care of several others. Nahu's never held this against his father; he's not really the type to care much about that. Instead he finds his father's dream-chasing adventures to be quite inspiring, which eventually leads to him making the decision to leave on his own and find his mom.

Anyway I love him he is THE baby boy ever send tweet

[oph3liatlou]

Heyy,

I‘d love to request a Haymitch x reader fic! Just something wholesome. Some bullet points for the context:

-age gap

-she falls first he falls harder

-enemies to friends with benefits to lovers

-maybe a tiny bit of spice

The rest is totally up to you!!!

— PAST EMOTIONS

@mariechristine00

pairing(s) - soft!haymitch x recovering!fem reader

word count - 801

warnings - mentions of sex (past tense), light bickering, age gap (haymitch is 42 & reader is 27), implied situations.

proofread? - yes.

note from author - why did his flirting make me giggle 🤭 ???

summary - you were rescued from the capitol along with other victors - haymitch is your first visitor and you're happy to see him.

“You don’t happen to have any alcohol on you, do you?” Haymitch asked. He was your very first visitor since you had been brought to District 13 - along with Peeta, Johanna, and Annie. You considered Haymitch as a friend, of sorts…though you two didn’t get along when you first met.

I smile gently when you saw Haymitch was your first visitor. you were definitely happy to see a friendly face. “You think I’d be able to smuggle something like that in?”

“You’d be surprised.” He said, in a matter-of-fact tone. “How’d your visit with Coin go?” He asked, now stepping into your room.

“Haven’t gone yet.” You shook your head. “She thought I’d be in the same shape as Peeta.” And this was true, Coin had said that you should get your rest.

Haymitch seemed to find your words amusing, chuckling slightly before sitting in a nearby chair. "How are you feeling?" He asked, in a much kinder tone than that of how he spoke to you before. He didn't seem like the type to care about other victors' welfare - but he was much more attentive to you since your rescue.

This out-of-character nature seemed to confuse you when you pointed that out to him. "Since when have you started being so nice?"

He shrugged, raising an eyebrow as if he just found your question amusing. "You're not in a condition to be picking fights, are you?"

You scoffed. You two always had this banter going on with eachother but - the tension was released the few times you had slept together.

His grey-blue eyes met yours. "Besides..." He continued. "I've always been nice. To you."

You chuckled at his comment. "No, you haven't. We hated eachother when we first met."

His smirk grew at the mention of your first meeting. He looked as if he had remembered something that amused him greatly - though he kept it to himself. "Maybe, but even then...couldn't deny the chemistry, could we?" He asked.

You gave him a side glance with a soft chuckle. "I wanted to smack you in the face the first time we met - if you wanna call that chemistry..."

"And I would've loved every second of it," He said, his smirk growing. "You have to admit, the physical tension..." He trailed off, hoping you'd finish the sentence.

You smiled looking up from your eyebrows. You had been tracing designs on the blankets of your rather uncomfortable - recovery bed. "I know." You mumbled like a child would have.

"And the times - when we acted on it..." He let his sentence linger again, trying to get you to look over at him - which you eventually did. The playful smile on his expression seemed to indicate that he really did remember - quite clearly - the intimate times you two had spent together.

You met his eyes again and shook your head gently. This wasn't something you wanted to talk about now - especially since boundaries had been set beforehand.

"C'mon. You're telling me you don't remember? I certainly do..." He teased, getting up from his chair and sitting beside you on your bed. "We might've decided not to take it any further, but we both enjoyed every second of it, didn't we?"

You found yourself sighing. "Maybe we should've taken it further." You realized why you had agreed with him on the initial arrangement - you knew there was a chance that you could've been killed since you were helping the rebels. But now you were safe and recovering in the underground of District 13.

His smile grew again at this - it seemed that he had been secretly hoping the same thing this entire time. "I couldn't agree more." He admitted, wrapping his arm around you and pulling you into a small side hug. "It's not too late..." He murmured, brushing your hair off your cheek and leaning closer to you.

You looked at him softly. "I'm not too young for you?" You joked gently. You were much younger than him, maybe by 15 years or so.

Haymitch smirked in response to your question. He mimicked your joking tone. "I think you're old enough to make your own decisions. Wouldn't you?" He whispered, his voice tinged with arousal as he moved his head closer to yours. His warm breath lightly brushed against the side of your face - as a chill seemed to travel up your spine.

You nodded with a gentle smile. "The age difference doesn't bother me..."

His lips met yours softly, before he pulled you even closer to him. You felt his warm body pressed against yours as his hand started to softly caress you hair. He broke away from the kiss with a soft laugh. "God, I've missed you."

You smirked gently. "Show me how much you've missed me-" You paused. "I'll close the door."

read my merged works here!

[demonicnarwhale]

Carapaces!!!!

RC / Raptorial Clerk: RC is one of the archivist on Prospit who deals with mainly Prospit's history and keeping things neat and tidy (just in case if it's needed then carapaces can go to him and retrieve that information) there's other archivists for different sections of society like political, economical, etc. When Midnight City happens / fall of the kingdoms he ends up being a librarian teehee

his origins: and due to his specialties being historical archiving, he's in the same department or area as HK and the two are actually hatch friends!!! YAYYYYY!!!! (they are both smiling)

HN / Harbinger Newel: Newel is just the sort of look the outpost tower he's situated at looks like as seen in the small doodle. He just blows his clarinet looking instrument (i giggle since he choses to play the actual clarinet in CMS) when there's some arrival. There's a certain tune he plays depending on what it is. Enemies/Derse army or Prospit army / workers.

WN / Willowy Notary: She's basically some note taker for court records and such. The cloth covering her eyes is a form of "judgement solely based on the case itself" rather than having any bias (that and I wanna continue her lil "no eyes can be seen" thing going on :D. So like she sits in the court room (grinning so wide when i get to share their architecture and infrastructure) and notates what happens and is being said so that if the case needs to be continued/looked at later to come up with the "right" decision they have a reference. Or if there's important documents being signed and such, she's a witness. (like whatever actual notaries do)

MG / Monoceros Goliath: I thought I was gonna be so smart with the first word, tried searching up for a word to describe a horned animal or synonyms for rhinos (cuz haha helmet rhino beetle) but i got no answer(s) and the ones I did related mainly to constellations. Monoceros mainly just being some Greek word for a legendary animal with a horn so like a unicorn. Weeps guys I'm not cut out for elaborate names.

Also she's (so far) a pawn mainly or somewhere near being a rook but not quite there hence being goliath as she's pretty strong/big for a pawn yay. oh yes and she's well aware of innocent lives (aka farmers or pawns that aren't in either army) and so she'll send out a warning or make it known so said carapaces can evacuate/gtfo (both for Prospit and Derse). Like she wants to make it fair and also avoid unnecessary bloodshed. Or something like that cuz overthinking on it makes me think it sounds silly and odd.

Her armor does have some little pearl-like beads cuz why not :) and- and- and it's supposed to be like constellations with the metal engravings (that im too simple minded to give detail to)

Tallest soldier i have and the shortest (also! I had realized that Dynastinae is, THE SCIENTIFIC NAME FOR RHINO BEETLES OAUGRHAUGHRA clawing at my under eyelids (ive realized this while typing this all out <3) so it's either she's MG or DG

SH / Splendorous Headhunter: Basically she goes out and recruits or finds Dersites (who don't already have a job) some role in society that benefits both the community and themselves. Like she's not just going to randomly assign them jobs but try to understand the individual and go suggest jobs. Cuz like, there's of course other Dersites in this similar role (as her) that don't care. But to SH she thinks of it like "why would I make someone miserable, it makes no sense to force someone to do a job they dislike cuz work won't get done at an efficient rate" that and so there's no strikes-

CC / Canorous Clergyman: just listen to this: (and Powerwolf in general please guys oaughh I fucking love this band so so so so so so much)

Midnight Madona teehe i love Powerwolf so much oaugh my goodness (so much so i would've done gone gatekeep em but then i realized. that's corny. and this sorta genre??? is corny on its own in the best way possible, to me :)). but yes im just adding this here because i kept listening to it when drawing this mf

Midnight Madona (Orchestral Version) also the orchestral version fucking ROCKS (and all the other songs they do orchestral versions of) and is what I like to imagine Derse's choir would sound like (the tone or feeling more than the words teehee and of course not with a big ass orchestra track behind ok you know what I MEAN) like do to around the same time stamp as the version above gehehee

I also already kinda explained his whole deal in a previous post. here be CC. But basically, he's more of a figure for individuals to look to either for help or a sense of "oh so this is what we should be doing for our society". So yeah, he's like, the royal family lol, no real political power as he's a lower status bishop. Like, he's a Bishop for the individuals, to ensure they fall in line and yadda yadda support the community and all. Kinda like, a pastor lol

KH / Kinetoscopic Hallucinator: Due to Derse being, ya know, Derse, connections with these fuckassers (horrorterrors) is prone to happen. As we've seen with players and even Feferi having gigglybob and yay yadda Derse Void dreamers yadda. Basically he gets to listen to all the wonderful stories of the past these eldritch beings share with him. Whereas Prospit gets those lil clouds from Skaia to hint at the future. So, he takes the words and stories from horrorterrors as signs of "precautions" or warnings of what may happen in the future. A sort of doomsday gig going on.

Teehe. He still gets to deal with trying to predict Derse's future but that's a bit hard on him so he turns to memorializing Derse's past, and the Horrorterrors give him information that can precede Derse or even what was missed from its history. But it's mainly just them messing with him going "oooh Derse is doomed in the foreseen future! OoooOoooh" and he goes "aight bet" then boom red miles upon ye. Oh and the kinetoscopic thing is just the fact he has his own lil kinetoscope where he enjoys (the process not the actual fact he needs to listen to them) trying to figure out what the Horrorterrors tell him and depicts it as short stories and then draws frames for a lil animation. He just replays them only to get a sense of dread lol. Later on just outcasts himself in his tower to deal with the horrorbobs instead of looking like a loon in front of everyone, possibly to Derse's moon because ahA obvious motifs! of like, the horrorbobs keeping him chained down and yeahhh

It's basically the medium or locations for Sburb/Sgrub but at the moment I'm more focused on Carapace + etc instead of trolls and humans. I ain't no physic astronomer or something so I'll go back and change things up if it's needed but like, I can bs some stuff right??? yeaaahhhhh.

The idea is like I know it's made for the game but what if no game??? It still very much takes after the set up for the medium with Sgrub but woe upon yet.

The locations of Prospit and Derse is why HK (Historiographic Knitter) and KH (Kinetoscopic Hallucinator) are able to look into the future/past. Due to the locations of their respected planets

HK being on Prospit can receive snippets of the future but it's all randomized so it's like she needs to put it all together, or just write down what she sees. She uses these to make stories or piece them together then create textiles for them along with the stories recorded of the past

KH being on Derse, yeah you read his gig.

Skaia: Trying to deal with what the point of Skaia is for both sides. I think I'll go with it's just been so embedded in both societies to either protect or destroy it that carapaces at this point just need to continue what their ancestors had fought for. Honestly, I'm just going to go with Jack Noir doing his red miles thing and destroying Prospit and Derse then killing (almost) all soldiers and the Kings on the battlefield leaving Skaia dormant. (But then whYYyy would he do that in this context)

Midlay: Basically this version's planet of where exiles go and where Midnight City will soon be made.

The Veil: just asteroids to make traveling to and from Prospit and Derse to be dangerous-ish so it's not like carapaces can just go to the opposing planet and cause chaos. If it's really needed then there's only a handful of carapaces suited for that job.

Dream Bubbles: I know it's thanks to Feferi that they're a thing, so they're not a part of this actual universe, BUT I thought they were just cool to include where I think they'd go.

Green Sun: hi Doc Scratch

In terms of like biology/features of carapaces:

I'm going with Carapaces either being like RC where they got them bug-wuggy/crusty marine life features or like HK with a more chess-come-to-life sort of look, thinking it might just be from the cloning? or however these freaks are made getting fucked over with the system or something, just cuz it could be like "oh it derives from chess pieces but also some bug-crustaceans-alien thing" and sometimes the bug-crustacean just wins. It's totally not so I can shit and giggle with other designs and stuff, what??? no. And then of course carapces can have spawn of their own, but lay eggs yadda yadda and so some of these features can get passed down and such. It's just cloning is used in both kingdoms to ensure there's a steady flow of carapaces to work on the planets or get thrown into battle and yeah.

NOTE AS OF NOW: I just copied and pasted information i had saved on them all and so I will most likely go back and fix things up, or make a new post if it's anything major like "Oh I'm changing this character up" but yeAH

[smhalltheurlsaretaken]

I've said all of this stuff already but I'm pissed rn and it's therapeutic to type it out:

Maul's presence on Mandalore in TCW s7 is NOT a priority. The political situation on Mandalore, while shitty, has been the same for the civilian population since s5, with or without Maul there. Things can wait a bit.

Sure, capturing Maul is possibly time sensitive (since they don't know how long he'll be on-planet), but taking back Mandalore isn't. If Maul leaves before they show up the planet is just as easy to take. Bo-Katan is using his presence as an incentive because she doesn't have the necessary forces to win, whether or not he's there. The situation is only urgent for her because if Maul leaves then the Republic has no reason to help her cause. The situation is not urgent for Mandalore because, again, it's been the same for basically a year - Maul's presence has little impact on the people, his forces are the problem and they have never left.

The Republic didn't "refuse" to help after s5, they just had no more reason to. Almec is still legitimately Prime Minister (accepted by the people) and Mandalore is an independent sovereign system that has spent actual years refusing outside interference. The second Maul bails "helping" goes back to being called "invading".

Capturing Maul is also not even a priority to the Republic (Republic =/= Jedi Order) because Palpatine ordered the Jedi to stop bothering with him in s5. Officially Maul is 'just' a crime lord, and he's not allied with the Separatists or even attacking the Republic. It's well established in TCW that the Jedi don't have the manpower to deal with the underworld anymore. What's the point of dismantling black markets and crime rings if the planet gets bombed into oblivion the next day? Priorities.

The Jedi can't do what they want with Republic resources. As awful as it is, the Clones belong to the Republic. The Jedi can be ordered to pull out of a situation whenever the Senate pleases. (see above)

Capturing Maul (what would be the Jedi's goal going to Mandalore) would really best be accomplished somewhere he doesn't have all his forces backing him up (again, confronting there is for Bo-Katan's benefit because her own goal isn't just to capture Maul but to beat his forces which she wants the Republic to do for her)

The Battle of Coruscant is ABSOLUTELY a pivotal point in the war and the main priority. The second the Separatists show up above the Republic's central seat of power? The political and military capital? The most densely populated planet in the Galaxy? It's time to drop literally everything else. The Senate is there. The Temple is there. A LOT of their troops are stationed there. There are hundreds of thousands of billions of people living there. Even pulling forces out of allied worlds to go help Coruscant wouldn't be a dick move, just a desperate one - nevermind waiting to send troops to a neutral-on-a-good-day-and-more-or-less-enemy-the-rest-of-the-time world.

The Jedi don't even refuse to help.

They don't.

Why am I typing all of this to defend their refusal to help? They don't refuse to help.

Obi-Wan wants to take a hot minute to THINK ABOUT the implications of going guns blazing into neutral sovereign territory to confront a dude who has an extremely personal vendetta against him and is known to set traps of precisely this kind. (And Obi-Wan is right to consider these things because HEY! IT IS A TRAP! MAUL SLAUGHTERS A BUNCH OF CLONES AS A BREADCRUMBS TRAIL TO LEAD SOMEONE HE HOPES TO BE OBI-WAN INTO A TRAP!)

Obi-Wan also answers to the rest of Council, just like every other Council member. Bo-Katan gets pissy that he's not giving an answer right that instant because SHE needs Maul to still be there, but thinking things through is literally Obi-Wan's job description.

And after all this, after the attack on Coruscant and the political considerations, THE JEDI DON'T EVEN REFUSE TO HELP.

The Mandalorian traditionalists' favorite pastime is attempting to kill Jedi. Not too long ago, Bo was right there when Pre was trying to kill Obi-Wan. And then trying to kill Ahsoka. And then allying with the Sith (who notoriously want to kill all the Jedi) on two separate occasions (Dooku and Maul). The Mandos PRIDE THEMSELVES on hating the Jedi. There has never been in canon an instance of a Prequels-era Mando warrior helping a Jedi out for altruistic motives.

Bo-Katan is appealing to the Order's decency (saying that her people suffer etc etc) but she doesn't even have the honesty to couch it as a real, desperate plea for help. Instead she presents the situation as transactional, as though she was bringing anything concrete onto the table. If the Republic comes in, takes Mandalore for her and captures Maul, she has contributed to the effort how, exactly? What has she given the Republic? How many people fight for her is left pretty vague but we really don't see that many of them. Plus it's her planet. Fighting for it isn't her giving the Republic anything, it's still her helping herself. And yet she gets incredibly pissed when Obi-Wan takes time to examine the 'deal.'

In light of the two previous arguments, the Jedi would in fact have been perfectly justified in telling Bo to eat some freaking humble pie.

THE JEDI. DON'T REFUSE. TO HELP.

Sure it's Obi-Wan specifically who okays the operation, before the rest of the Council can make a decision, but do they order the troops to pull out afterwards? Nope. Do they sanction him? Nope.

They do help.

They really shouldn't have let Bo-Katan in charge but hey, they get all massacred after that and the Republic's backing is literally what gives Bo-Katan legitimacy in the eyes of many clans for decades after (see the Protectors' position in Rebels. Her legitimacy stems from SATINE'S and the Republic apparently backing her up as Satine's heir. It's not from kicking Maul out.)

(I love Bo-Katan as a character but as a person she's. huh. a lot. She changed from outright villain to morally gray character because the villains got a lot worse not bc she got better lmo)

So the Jedi absolutely did help afgfdsdfgfdsdfd why are people getting pissy about Obi-Wan - who has a complicated history with Mandalore that involves a loved one getting murdered in front of his eyes by Maul - hesitating to help

They really didn't refuse to help.

They really had every reason to

It would have been perfectly reasonable in fact

Yeah they have a mandate to protect innocent people but there were a lot more innocent people on Coruscant

Innocent people who did want their help instead of yelling GTFO every time they showed up

Because the Mando civilians sure didn't want them there

Oh and also? They didn't refuse to help

[dark-manga-stuff]

Galatea - The Eyes of God

Something I love about claymore is how the abilities that the warriors possess, usually have some type of character or thematic significance. Both of those hold true for Galatea, she is the literal and figurative eyes of the organization which granted her the name “God Eyes”.

With her ability to sense yoma energy from so far away, and literally telegraph conversations, she has one of the most valuable skills for the organization. And in the world of Claymore, the organization is the equivalent of a god.

It’s made clear from the moment we meet Galatea, that she will be an anti-hero character. She walks the line between ally and foe, with her ability also comes with the possibility of manipulating the organization, which she does here, she’s playing the middle game.

Right after we meet her, we get the confirmation that she’s a strong claymore and a top 3 claymore at that. And considering Alicia and Beth’s strength, top 3 is ridiculously good. Galatea is made to be a threat which is why she’s classified as a monster by Miria.

We get our first look at Galatea when Clare goes to fight Riful and save Jean. Galatea is still playing the anti-hero role in where she walks the line between helping clare and helping the organization. This character duality shadows her true intentions for the rest of the story.

Galatea has a strong aura of confidence and a bit of arrogance coming into this. She arrives to capture Clare, but she still decided to manipulate the organization and it’s still unclear what she has planned for Clare.

Galatea being “God Eyes” allows here to basically manipulate the battle, her yoma energy reading abilities allow her to harmonize with her opponent, shifting the battle in whatever direction she desires. The fight all comes down to concentration and prediction.

Another detail about Galatea is just how strong is she? With the yoma power she’s number 1. But what holds her back is that she can’t keep this form for long, the higher her power goes, the lower chance of coming back. The only downside to having this immense amount of power.

Galatea eventually reveals her true intentions as she was doing a personal investigation rather than one for the organization. At this point in her character she works for her own benefit and if the organization gets in the way, she makes a way for herself.

This statement is also made before we’re aware that Alicia and Beth can awaken and go back to their normal states. This is an ability far surpassing and shattering the limitations of yoma energy and holds other characters to a greater standard, a complete change of form.

Galatea allows Clare to walk freely, at first she seems very loyal to the organization. But after spending that time with Clare and Jean, I think she just wanted to test their resolve. She seemed hopeful for another meeting, I love how she keeps up the anti-hero thing. The next time Galatea and Clare meet, a lot went down. Galatea left the organization and went into hiding, as a nun. This works thematically & in characteristic fashion cause her title is “God Eye” and she’s doing the thing that would draw her closest to god which is being a nun.

Galatea only grew stronger through the seven years she was in hiding. She completely destroyed her eyes so now she really lives up to the “God Eye” title. Galatea now relies entirely on her energy sensing abilities. She had to adapt or else she’d be dog food for new claymores. Galatea still remains the same after all that time passed, still calm and collected, she doesn’t overestimate her strength but is aware of her capabilities in combat. Galatea still has a master way of turning a situation into a team fight, even if they started as enemies.

The circumstances in her return are also reminiscent of when she was sent to capture Clare. The dynamic shifts when you are the one wanted by the organization. Galatea is now the hunted instead of the hunter. I love the significance of the second meeting between Galatea and Clare, it shows the massive gap that she put between them in terms of power. Clare surpassed her and she did in fact, stay alive. Clare mastered a flurry of techniques and increased her raw skill.

Roles are reversed and Clare is the one that saves Galatea from an awakened being. Clare is also incredibly poised compared to last time which is a perfect way to show her growth, by bringing back a familiar situation. After meeting Galatea back in the Holy City of Rabona, Galatea isn’t too involved in the combat anymore, her abilities simply don’t match up to the 7 ghosts or new warriors but that’s fine since they are the spotlight of the story. I’m satisfied with the shine she did receive.

This is the end of the thread, Galatea is a fantastic character from being a main player to a supportive member, I loved every part of her involvement in the series. This was a very fun thread to make.

Credits: T Water

[genaleah]

It's probably beating a dead pig at this point, but I haven't seen anybody else mention this enemy in the game.

(Under a read more for antisemitism)

This enemy type called "Mr. Pinch" can be found in one of the later levels of the game, in the slum section. He hides in the upper portion of the screen to grab the player and fling them upward. He also pulls a coin out of their back pocket.

I don't think I need to pull up the direct references images, but this guy looks like an extremely antisemitic caricature. I've also seen the same said about the merchant npc "Mr. Sticks", but I think that design is a bit less egregious.

Its just that when you have TWO character designs that look this much like antisemitic cartoons, and their gameplay behavior is about money/greed, there's absolutely no way to wave that off as an accident or fluke. And especially after seeing so many of the creator's racist, misogynistic, ableist, and transphobic comments; I'm not willing to give him the benefit of the doubt on anything.

This whole thing is a huge bummer. I don't think that this situation is quite that same as Hogwarts Legacy, most people didn't go into it knowing anything about this guy's views, and the game had just come out about a month ago. A lot of folks were having fun and enjoying the positive aspects of the game like it's animation, gameplay and music. And aside from this enemy and the racist cheese slime, there isn't much within the game itself that comes across as negative. It's also really easy to miss how bad those enemies are when you're playing, I talked to some other people who had played and none of them had noticed Mr. Pinch's stealing animation. But, once you know about them, it can sour the whole experience.

I've seen a few different reactions to this situation, some people have talked about pirating the game and modding out/replacing the nasty elements, and I've seen other people who are going to stay away from anything remotely related to this game because the entire thing gives them a bad feeling now. I think those are both totally reasonable. But I'd say the barest minimum should probably be to not financially support this game anymore. Avoid buying the soundtrack, plushies, etc, and don't buy it on Steam if you hadn't yet.

[egg-emperor]

You're the expert on Eggman so I'm really curious to hear your answer

If Eggman found that Sonic died (something along the lines of Sonic was killed by someone else or he fell victim to some strange disease) would Eggman be upset that he didn't get to experience killing Sonic himself or would he immediately begin partying and start working on his vision for Eggman land?

I know Eggman would be ecstatic about finally getting to move towards his goals with no obstruction, but I guess what I'm really asking is how would Eggman feel knowing that something else took the life of his greatest enemy and he'll never get to experience the thrill of being the one to do it

(Also, in this hypothetical situation, Eggman did not kickstart the events that led to Sonic's death whatsoever. It was mostly out of nowhere, and Eggman is just finding out about it.)

Aww thank you I'm honored to be considered an expect hehe 💜

I feel his initial reaction is always to be absolutely delighted and burst into laughter because his arch nemesis is dead and that will never be a total downside for him. The two moments we've seen his reaction to Sonic presumably being dead, he's been overjoyed, standing out as some of his happiest moments in the entire series lol

And while technically he was pretty much responsible for both as Sonic wouldn't have been cyber corrupted in the first place if Eggman hadn't kicked it all off, we still got to see how he feels if he isn't the one to really directly finish him off, calling it his "only regret". While he would've preferred it of course, he can be happy about it regardless. It's still hilarious and delightful to him

Though if he had no involvement at all because it was from some other foe that isn't connected to him, or a sickness, or anything else, I could see him being a little disappointed or even mad about how he couldn't get the glory of killing him. Like in a possessive "Hey, that was my prey! I was going to be recognized for my power and brilliance by killing him!" type way-

But overall he'd still be happy he was gone, the benefit of him no longer being around to get in his way remains. Plus he could still get the glory of defeating the rest of his friends if he's not feeling satisfied when he can't take any pride and credit in anything. As long as he gets the sense of accomplishment and bragging rights in other areas, I think he'll be happy enough in the end

So I'd say he'd probably still have the same mindset of when he said Sonic denied him the pleasure of finishing him off. His initial reaction would always be joy and laughter, even if after it wears off, he pouts like "But it should've been me that did it though >:[" and feel a little unfulfilled. It feels like he was denied one of the greatest thrills, catharsis, and satisfactions he could feel

And he could go "Wow sucks that for years I've aspired to put that blue pest down myself and the opportunity was ripped from my hands. I wanted to put him in his place and prove myself before I rid of him forever!" Because let's not forget, the reason he kept Sonic alive in prison in Forces was because he wanted to show him his completed empire before banishing (killing) him

He would wish he could've shown his glorious empire to Sonic and said "Ha I told you I could do it, I was never bluffing! Now the world is mind and my glorious empire will rule supreme and you're nothing before me. Now goodbye forever!" And really rubbed his accomplishment and superiority in his face, then had the glory of killing him himself. That's his absolute dream scenario

Accepting that he isn't ever going to get that could be a tough pill to swallow after years of anticipation and fighting for it but it wouldn't stop it from overall being a great positive thing overall that Sonic is dead. What's done is done, so I think he'd be able to replace it in the end by proving himself to all the rest of those that try to resist him and getting the joy of killing his other enemies himself

l can also see him still thinking it was hilarious if he died in such a lame way if it was due to a sickness or something instead of in an epic battle lol. He might not have been able to prove his brilliance in it but Sonic at least proves his patheticness. Like how I can see him looking down on Maria for her terminal illness and dying by a bullet and using it as a reason to say he's better in both cases

Then he can personally prove his power and superiority by destroying or dominating the rest by himself. He'd know how to look on the bright side of it and find other ways to use his demise as proof of his own brilliance either way. In the end it'd still result in him cracking open a bottle of champagne and celebrating that blue bastard's end and the beginning of his glorious empire XD

So I think the upsides would outweigh the downsides no matter what, as he'd still get what he always wanted with his main dream of dominating the world and building and ruling his empire. It's just along the way defeating Sonic also became a part of it so it can be a bit a bummer- but he won't let that sour the happiest time of his life when the world is finally his, he has an empire to rule!

But I mean hey, maybe Eggman wouldn't want to accept it, to the point he'll go back in time to save him or find a way to revive him 06 style, something so noble and heroic. Like oh my god maybe he actually can't live without Sonic and needs him in his life! - But then it's actually just so he can kill him himself and get the glory and the credit. Dig him up to make sure he gets it lmfao

And he'd still do it in a way that he gets to prove himself, by taking him prisoner for a while while he builds his empire, shows it all to Sonic to really anger him and then gleefully declares that they'll engage in one last epic battle to the death with him, where he plans on finally killing him. That would be pretty fucking awesome. But if he loses and Sonic gets to live on, it'd immediately become his biggest regret!

[solarwynd]

hot take but pjms are loosing the plot w the never ending album promo comparison debate. its not a jimin-against-the-world type situation, but a members vs bang-sb-jk situation. that was very clear to pjms last year but it seems we’ve gone back on some of that progress. trying to pit the others against each other and nitpick similarities and differences between all of their individual releases actually takes attention away from and benefits the real culprit but oh well.

the levels of demand among the members have always been different that is not new information to the members, their fans, or their management. the real issue (at least for me) is not others members getting “more” or different promo rollout than him. let’s be serious, how did more or less music videos help any of the other members out? what difference did a cd make for most of them? and there are many other examples where the others (except for one ofc) got things he didn’t that weren’t necessarily helpful for them.

all of the members have gotten different sources of promotion, which i actually encourage. what would be the point in all of them doing the exact same thing? at one point, jimin was considered privileged about getting his physical album to be available on the same day as its digital release. then that became a norm for the others.

but by constantly nitpicking normal differences (among 6 members) in their rollouts we lose sight of the real mistreatment or whats actually disadvantageous to him. the real issue is not the (5) others getting different things, it is him not receiving the *level of support that his demand requires*. i dont see an issue with the other 5 getting a little boost here and there, because they lack demand and its only natural for them to expand their horizons and find a new audience that does support them. however, jimin ALREADY has an audience and is not being given the support that corresponds to it (e.g. radioplay, award shows, timely certifications, praise from his own damn label, etc) despite it being actually successful. bottom line, team “global superstar” is the common enemy here and all of the other solos are too busy fighting each other to accept that.

Solos pitting the members against each other is how they’ve always operated though. That’s literally what they all get off on including pjms. Comparing numbers and claiming that the member they stan is better. And while I’m sure other solos do recognize that Bang favoriting JK has had some negative affects on the member they stan, they don’t really have it out for him because they’re main enemy will always be Jimin. He is their common ground. Somebody they can all team up against and hate in unison. But regarding pjms, they still universally agree that Bang and Hybe are the real prime culprits in all of this.

I agree that rapline getting bulkier rollouts in contrast to Jimin hasn’t helped them and I never wanted to have identical rollouts because creatively that’s boring. What I and other pjms have always wanted is fairness at base level, like the CD, playlisting and servicing to radio because we know beyond that most likely he isn’t going to get JK level label aid that would be proportionate to his demand in the states. It’s been established that it’s intentionally set like that by Bang and Scooter.

The MV situation is simply because Jimin asked for a visual and was denied. If Jimin had never mentioned that, no pjm would be stuck on him not getting those 2 extra MVs. I’d just see it as something that I’d also like to see from him down the line. It was never about wanting them because we believed it was crucial for charting or exposure. If all seven members got the same amount of those 3 things, I’d have no qualms on that end. And the numbers made off that would just be left up to who has more interest and that can’t really be helped with how skewed it already is.

Common sense would dictate to any label or management that you’d push what has demand in the market that shows it, but Bang and Scooter are stupid men and Jimin isn’t who they want to push so they half ass everything surrounding him. We all know that already. So it’s not that pjms are failing to see the bigger picture, cause we’ve already come to that conclusion like you said. It just keeps gets rehashed because everytime a member has a comeback and gets something Jimin didn’t get for FACE/LC it just irritates all over again. Can’t really fault us for being annoyed in retrospect. But again, we’ll see how they go about PJM2 because for the other members obviously things have went better for them promo wise and *hopefully* it’ll be the same for Jimin too.

[lemongingerart]

Chapter 3 - Taris (II)

Fic summary: The second arc of my Armitage Hux x OC fanfic, “chocolate cookies and tarine tea”, in which both need to deal with the mess they got into (and with each other, eh eh eh). Involves cookies that won't be eaten and tea that will get spilled. Same goes for certain feelings... they are going to be hungry ant thirsty 😏

You can find the link to AO3 and other chapters on Tumblr in the pinned message on my dash, both for the first and second arc 😊

Rating: Explicit. This is going to be very NSFW. So, Minors, do NOT read or interact. 18+. Family, friends and colleagues, please don’t read this. :’-)

Tags & warnings: TRoS fix-it (kind of), Hux!lives, Hux doesn’t like Kylo, Not a Redemption Arc, maybe a little bit, shameless fem!OC insert (there are cliches but entertaining ones imo), slow emotional burn, medium sexual burn, Enemies to Enemies With Benefits to Lovers, Hux is still a villain don't forget, Virgin Characters, masturbation against the door, pinv, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Awkward Sexual Situations, Past Child Abuse, dubious first kiss, Dom/sub Undertones, Mental Breakdown, Unprotected Sex, wet Hux, that deserves a tag/warning on its own, Minor Character Death

I will add tags as we proceed in the story, please let me know if I forgot one!

Taglist: @mylifeisactuallyamess, @morby and anyone who’d like to join 🥰

A/N:    I realized that both Taris chapters are short... too short to read on their own.That's why I decided to review and publish the second part, so at least we get some general ginger 😊

"I need you, remember?”.

Did I really say that out loud? 

Armitage shivered from disdain, hating himself for sounding so desperate. He wasn’t, and by any means this was not the signal he wanted to give the headstrong girl. Who knows what that overexcited mind of hers was thinking now. If she even begins to think she has power over me and tries to stab me in the back… 

Only now, he started to realise there was some truth behind these poorly chosen words. He was completely dependent on Miko to make his risky plan succeed. He felt vulnerable, having to place his faith in her hands. He was supposed to be guiding her with his tactics, hopefully coercing her into doing the right thing and making sure the mission ended successfully. But right now, with the connection cut off, she was out there all by herself and he felt lost, the lack of control eating away the last piece of trust he harboured for a positive outcome. Stars, he hadn’t been feeling confident enough with the plan and her possible lack of abilities in the first place, and this was the consequence. A new level of distress, right on top of his other concerns.

It was already about half an hour ago, when the direct line with her earpiece commlink had fallen away. She had signed him that she was just about to enter the designated building by then, so no doubt the place was shielding off all type of communication.

That left Hux without any means to know what was going on, and he felt empty and way too nervous to his liking. 

Hux started checking the perimeter sensors now, making sure no one was spotting his shuttle with the naked eye. They could mess with clearance codes, but anyone who took visual confirmation of the shuttle would know that they weren't exactly a cargo vessel. Something that should automatically sound the proximity alarm, but you can never be too certain, he sourly thought, aware of how the stress was eating him and making him do irrelevant things.

He sat down in the cockpit’s seat again and brought his hands together, the fingers locking when he rested his forehead on them. He didn’t know what to think, he wasn’t used to just… waiting. How long was she going to take? Every minute that passed made him wonder if things weren't going to work out as planned, or even worse, she was selling him out. Maybe something happened to her, out there in the streets, and he could be waiting here for nothing.

He tried to think about something else, but the only other thing apart from Miko he could focus on, was his anger and spite towards Ren. 

Ren… Resentment was all that he had left. That, and the knowledge that the unguided projectile with a lightsaber and the other officers had always tried to put him aside. That they were out there, wrecking the First Order. But they underestimated him. He would prove that he has what it takes to lead the Order. They will see.

The proximity alarm bleeped, and he only noticed by now that Miko’s location sensor had become active again. He made a mental note that he shouldn’t dwell too much on Ren and the misery he brought to his life and the Order. The self declared lord of the Dark Side shouldn't be plaguing his mind, now or ever, he wasn't worth the attention. 

He swiftly stood up, ready to check on the girl; he was dying to know what happened and if she in fact obtained the coördinates to the Resistance’s base. 

Actually, that feisty girl has proven to be an adequate distraction from these dark thoughts, he realised once again while watching the sensors bleep and pressing the command to lower the ramp. Seems like he should appreciate her company after all. If only not to overthink his sightless situation and drown in his depressing theories. 

Miko was coming into view of the cockpit’s transparisteel viewport, and Hux paused his movement. 

What is she up to now?  He wondered, started seething, when looking at the small cargo container floating behind her.

[xueyuverse]

Summary chapters 18-25 of Qiang Jin Jiu

Li Jianheng organized a banquet that was a disaster for Lanzhou and Ce'an.

Let's do it by steps.

Xi Hongxuan was at this banquet too, but he and Lanzhou, of course, pretended not to know each other.

Everyone agrees that Lanzhou is such a beautiful crystal. Fact.

Xi Gu’an lost the Empress Dowager's favor, which was already expected to happen after the student strike.

“Second Young Master Xi, take off your shoes, and we can use them as boats to play with.”

A moment to talk about fatphobia both in this novel and in other Eastern and Western books. It's very common to see fat characters in a position of evil, being described in a way that causes disgust, repulsion and humor, which, honestly, is very frustrating. I was a fat child, currently I only have a belly with some fat, and if reading these descriptions is already something very bad for me because it affects me personally, I imagine what it is like for fat and obese people. I can't speak for everyone, of course, but the lack of responsibility and sensitivity at these times is still undeniable.

Continuing.

The Donkey Roast was truly horrible. It was Ji Lei's mockery of Lanzhou that ended up hitting Xiao Chiye for free. They were both caged beasts, their freedoms are under the control of others, so of course Xiao Chiye demonstrated his fury, he can exercise his right.

I have things to talk about cezhou, but I'll save them for last.

Li Jianheng becoming the emperor will only benefit the Xiao clan, which fortunately I had already understood. Drawing for me:

Xiao Clan x Hua Clan = enmity/cold war. Because of Shen Wei and Zhongbo, the Xiao clan is under the control of others, Xiao Chiye being trapped in Qudu under the Empress Dowager's control is what keeps Libei on a leash. Xiao Jiming cannot and will not miss the opportunity to put Li Jianheng on the throne now that he has the opportunity.

There are also basically three factions: Hua clan/Empress Dowager and her subordinates; Emperor and his subordinates; Xiao clan and its allies. Ce'an and Lanzhou have the same enemies: Empress Dowager, Emperor, Ji Lei, Pan Rugui and all of the Empress Dowager's employees.

“They can deliver a powerful blow head-on like an iron wall, but they cannot respond with sufficient agility to a battle that involves back-and-forth pursuits. Drag him for too long and the exhausted ones will be Xiao Jiming’s troops.”

Ce’an proved that he can handle this type of situation.

“However, he attacked at exactly that exact moment. How could he have done this if he didn’t have extraordinary vision?”

And that's why he managed to survive (in part). The other party was Lanzhou who sided with him.

“But now, the Emperor no longer wants them, and so these twenty thousand men have become weapons without a master. It's okay if they really fall into the hands of a hedonistic young master. But if they fall into Xiao Chiye’s hands… Then what else is there to stop Xiao Jiming from sending troops to protect Prince Chu?!”

And that's exactly what happened! Ce’an won the loyalty of the soldiers of the imperial army, it was also thanks to this that he had a great victory.

If he was being prudent, then he shouldn't let Xiao Chiye get so close to Prince Chu.

The Xiao clan never intended to be on a leash having to prove their loyalty for life forever. They will do this until the opportunity they no longer need comes (which it did).

Lanzhou was one of hundreds ordered by the Empress Dowager to kill Li Jianheng. All the Imperial Bodyguards were on Li Jianheng's trail thanks to Ji Lei.

So that the holes in the government's financial accounts would not reach the Emperor, someone intercepted Xue Xiuzhuo's memorials. In summary: a budget of X value was created for city X, but the value delivered was Y, the remaining numbers disappeared. This embezzlement of money has been happening over and over again for years. No one knows who took all this money.

And those who know what is going on and who are doing this are clearly Hua Siqian (Hua faction, obviously), Pan Rugui, Ji Lei and everyone else allied with the Empress Dowager. Hua Siqian has power over the amounts that are handed over every year, Ji Lei controls the Imperial Bodyguards and intercepts letters and memorials that are from/to the Emperor when it is convenient, Pan Rugui likes to embezzle money too.

Even the Empress Dowager's influence makes the civil servants pay respect first to the Hua clan and then to Pan Rugui's residence, automatically paying respect to Empress Dowager, Hua Siqian, Pan Rugui and Ji Lei, who are the real rulers of this country. shit. The Emperor is truly just a puppet.

“Imperial Concubine Wei is already half a month pregnant, so how can Prince Chu ascend the throne?!”

The Empress Dowager's side wants a new heir created by her who can serve as a puppet for them to continue their corrupt schemes and influence. The Xiao clan wants Li Jianheng on the throne because that way they can get their freedom. It's difficult to think logically with an imperial policy where no one thinks rationally kakaka

Ji Lei suddenly spoke up. "Commander-in-Chief Qi is far away in Cangjun Commandery in Qidong. The Imperial Bodyguards are responsible for all incoming and outgoing correspondence. Your Majesty, it's time for you to wake up from your dreams!"

And here the battle officially begins.

Hua Siqian looked at Li Jianheng and smiled evilly as he said, "Prince Chu harbored the intention of staging a revolt in the hunting grounds. He even brought a bow and arrows. The evidence against him is conclusive! What are you waiting for? Kill him!"

He says this now and later he says that Li Jianheng is being held hostage by the imperial army. Lost in character lol

"As Viceroy of the Imperial Army in Qudu, I, Xiao Ce'an, want to see who will meet their fates under my blade!"

Just an appreciation of this scene.

"Whoever is able to break my arms and legs, I will not only give him a hundred taels of gold, but I will also call him Master."

"But if you can't break them, then your life is lost.”

It was a crucial battle. If Li Jianheng lives, the Empress Dowager's party would be known as traitors; If he dies, the Xiao clan, Qi Zhuyin, the imperial army and others would be so tied hand and foot that any movement could lead them to the guillotine, or to a rebellion that they don't want to cause because no one wants to die. It's a cold war.

Then there was a thud as the tip of Qiao Tianya's blade collided with a sheath. 

Shen Zechuan pressed his sheath against the other blade.

Lanzhou made up his mind. Thank goodness it was at the most crucial moment, it would be difficult to continue following the tide and be Ce’an’s enemy from that point on. If he didn't turn against the Imperial Bodyguards he would be increasingly trapped by the Empress Dowager.

His back collar was slightly open, and there were still mud stains on his neck. The contrast between them was too…

Very seductive. 

Xiao Chiye watched him. 

What sorcery was this? This man was still wielding a blade to kill earlier, and he wasn't acting like a woman, so why did he think of such a term?

After here, Ce’an spends a lot of time salivating over Lanzhou.

"I beg you." Xiao Chiye sighed. “Sit on my stomach. Don’t sit down anymore.”

MASTERPIECE!!! ABSOLUTE CINEMA!!! HOW MUCH I FREAKED OUT READING THIS SCENE!!!

Ce'an and Lanzhou have a lot in common, both in interests and personality. They fight very well together and have a good dynamic of biting and blowing, dog and cat, etc. I like all of his interactions, especially because Lanzhou is very cynical.

"Continue daydreaming. The political situation has changed. It's time for my Imperial Army to piss on your heads from above!”

The Qidong Cangjun Commandery's banner suddenly unfurled, and he saw that the one in front of the galloping horses was precisely Qi Zhuyin.

Ce’an turned the game around. This battle has been won. Holy shit, these chapters were incredible.

[stupidrant]

Yes, thank you for bringing up the Atreus matter and him not being responsible for Kratos's past sins. I may be critical of some of Thrud's behaviors and her personal choice to perpetuate Odin's toxicity when it suited her, both in terms of Aesir vs Jotunn history and even more so on domestic matters. Such as Thrud willfully ignoring Odin's abusive behaviors towards her own family or shaming a victim of his domestic violence - Freya - just because she wanted to get into Odin's good graces and get his approval to become a Valkyrie.

However, it'd be problematic to hold her accountable for Odin and Thor's actions while not holding Atreus to the same standard (and we know Kratos committed war crimes in the past and innocent people died because of him, if the information I have about the original saga is correct). Like you say, Atreus is not to blame for anything done by someone else, including his father, but he might be forced to face the wrath of some of his father's past enemies.

Same challenge might come Thrud's way which might prompt her to delve into Aesir and Jotnar history more thoroughly and thoughtfully (as opposed to just going with the flow and doing what benefited her at the current moment).

Regarding Angrboda, she generally had a limited experience with social interaction and admitted just that during her first meeting with Atreus. She instigated communication with other people mainly - if not entirely - for their benefit, without asking for help or support (be it physical or emotional) for herself (she only asked Atreus to help her with the hard labor she was engaging daily in Ironwood to take HIS mind off of the stress of the prophesy and teach him about their heritage because that was what HE wanted/needed at the moment).

We know from Skjoldr that Angrboda turned to Midgardians post Ragnarok to offer HER assistance to help them hunt for food, providing her wolves.

Likewise, Angrboda's first conversation with Kratos was when she wanted to soften the pain of impending father and son separation and revealed a vital piece of history about Faye. Notably, Angrboda spoke of Faye and her love for Atreus with utmost respect even when she noted that Faye "went up against their people" to protect him. Therefore Angrboda doesn't appear the type of person to consider anyone who doesn't tow the metaphorical "party line" a traitor.

She herself valued Atreus's free will and free choice above the prophesies or her own late mother's words because she respected him as an individual. Despite what her mother had said about Loki needing time to ready himself for giant magic and soul whispering Angrboda went along with putting a soul in the giant Serpent when Atreus himself was terrified of what he was doing (and guided him through the process, remaining calm even when he believed it didn't work).

Likewise, Angrboda shared HIS responsibility when he gave her the marbles even though, again, it contradicted the prophesies or the story of the Jotunn Champion Loki that she grew up knowing. When he asked to call him Atreus she didn't argue and later did just that (after a very traumatic encounter with Gryla).

Another interesting and adorable detail is that when Angrboda realized Atreus wasn't ready for the Champion title she tried to lighten the situation and ease the weight of it for him by teasingly calling him "Champ" numerous times. Thus turning a mantle frightening and burdening for him into a personal playful joke rather than a grand responsibility to their people he wasn't yet ready to assume.

Post game it's Kratos, Freya and Mimir who come to visit Angrboda and Fen in Ironwood - once again, THEY seek her out, not the other way round. Angrboda, as we see, is keeping herself busy with her daily chores, to which recently departed Atreus once again added Fen (and Angrboda agreed to take "good care" of him twice, no questions asked).

When Kratos asks about other giants, Angrboda evasively mentions her grandmother and their strained relationship (and only because Mimir presses the issue) but doesn't delve into just how bad the situation is for her. Thus, once again, preparing to deal with this problem on her own.

Therefore, while it's important that Angrboda gain a support system in the form of other people who would reach out to her and offer their help (because she's too emotionally independent to ask for it), it's unlikely Thrud becomes one of those people. They differ fundamentally in terms of values and attitude towards life. Thrud has a consumerist/personal convenience approach whereas Angrboda values responsibility and respect for others above all else.

The possible scenario you mention about Thrud using her training as a form of addiction, thus sliding into her late father's unhealthy habit of avoidance instead of tackling problems at hand, is not out of the realm of possibility. But I personally wouldn't mind that scenario if it is addressed as an unhealthy way of dealing with issues and if she works through it eventually.

Once again, I believe that Thrud could benefit from Freya's influence who already went through the process of facing past pain and trauma and moving on from that ("[the sword] no longer holds his [Odin's] legacy but it will serve as mine" could work as a parallel to Thrud and Mjölnir).

Thrud was selfish but im sure she'll get better with time despite all of that. while she heavily derives from her father, im sure after all of the events plus with sif around to help guide her as much as she can maybe freya and sigrun as well. with them around, surely she will be more selfless. as for Angrboda, i agree i would appreciate it if she had a bigger support system ready for her and i think outside of atreus, i would love it to be gryla and i'd hope to see some off-screen progress between her and angrboda so that way by the time next game comes, its more light. also would love kratos offering himself more towards her which i anticipate the most lol

[skyrim-forever]

for theodora, 1, 5, 13, and 17 for the oc asks?? :3

Hello friend <3 Eeeeee thank you so much!

1. What kind of person is your OC in a crisis? Are they calm and collected? Do they panic? Or are they chronically the cause?

Theo is the type to sort of turn off her brain during a crisis and go into survival mode. A great example is Helgen, just as she's made peace with dying; Alduin attacks and brain off, just going through the basic motions to survive with Hadvar. After this survival mode turns off the gravity of the situation sets in and then she uses her self-destructive coping mechanisms.

5. Does your OC have a signature weapon and/or attack? How long did they train to master it?

Theodora is a dual-welder! She was taught by her Uncle Elo growing up, he started teaching her around 11, at her insistence. Her father Ricardo was a bladebinder and although he tried his best to teach her; she did not inherit his raw talent for magic, like at all. "Humans are worse at magic" is a statistical error, Theodora who is completely incapable, is an outlier who should not have been counted😛 Her uncle gave her enchanted dwarven swords that she has used ever since.

13. How important are romantic relationships to your OC? Do they prefer casual sex, short flings, or long term relationships? Do they want to get married or are they content with what they have? Or do they have no interest in romance whatsoever?

This is the question!!! Okay so, little background info. Theo's parents were a pirate (Ricardo) and a noblewoman (Kassandra) who ran off together, her mom wanted more in life than to be some noble's wife, she wanted to see the world. Theo's father adored her and took her to Elsywer, Black Marsh, Morrowind, showed her parts of Tamriel had never seen. Wonderful happy story until Kassandra goes overboard.

This kind of makes Theo fear love, especially seeing how her father never got over it (understandably so). She then loses him and her uncle in her teens which starts a pattern of destructive behaviours. She uses sex as a coping mechanism and to get things she wants. She prefers short flings, but has had at least one friends with benefits situation. She had a roster in Cyrodiil and a like two people in Skyrim she saw on the reg. There was one person she fell for but she knew there was no future there so they break things off just as feelings hit.

Then she meets Ondolemar and adds him to it but then she's like "hmm, I kind of like sleeping with him the most" and she stops seeing anyone else. This is the downfall :P They spend more time together and feelings develop and by the time they notice what's happening they are in to deep. She starts embracing love as a beautiful thing and finds herself wishing they could get married and be together. As you've read my tes-summer-fest fic, they do <3

So many roster -> long term "enemies with benefits" fling -> lovers -> marriage and three kids, quite the progression haha

17. Does your OC have an enemy? What happened between them? Is it mutual or one-sided? Is it petty or serious? Is one party seeking revenge? Does one person want the other dead or are they content to hate them from afar? 

Theodora does have an emeny, well a main one. Due to her father's outspokenness and criminal enterprise interfering with the East Empire Company in Anvil, they entered a quasi-territorial war. This only ended when the head of the company in the city, a Breton named Jean Rostorard, nearly emptied his treasury hiring mercenaries to attack her father and crew. He was successful in overrunning them, killing her beloved father and uncle. Theo then spent the next 10 years planning her revenge. She joins the arena to become a better fighter and thieves guild to become sleathier. She uses some of her flings to gather information even.

The plan was not to kill him but rather make him finally give back his wealth to the city. In my story after Anvil was destroyed in the great war, the East Empire Company stepped in and acted as though they were going to improve things. Instead they just exploited the people and hoarded the wealth. As Theo's father was greatly against this and used his own money to build infrastructure, employ people etc. Theo thinks the best revenge is to have his wishes honoured. Also she knows her father wouldn't want her to kill someone for him and at this point in life she isn't psychological capable of killing someone. You can read about this here if you're interested!

Though, eventually when she ends up back in Cyrodiil she discovers he has not made good on his end of the bargain and she starts formulating a way to kill him. This is after the Civil War, Alduin, and Miraak; so killing has unfortunately become something she can deal with.

[dr-nero-is-god]

all three of the neros for the ask game :))

THANK YOU but knowing that you are a fellow nero appreciator I feel we are simply 🤝 on this matter

nathaniel nero

one aspect about them i love

I love how suave he is. If we were doing a live action film, some type of Jeff Goldblum or Robert Di Niro (lol) BUT ACTUALLY I JUST CHANGED MY MIND BECAUSE actually I would cast TIM CURRY and he would be a BEAUTIFUL HORNY GRANDPA and we would all be 10% more gay after encountering him.

one aspect i wish more people understood about them

He is both charming and insufferable in equal parts. I had a grandfather who was much like him, to be honest (or perhaps it is just a quality of beloved old men). But I think there is something enneagram-4-ish in Nathaniel that is that he spends so much time individuating from everyone else and getting wrapped up in being The Architect that results in something more depressing and self-isolating than he might be willing to admit out loud.

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character

out of everyone in the series, nathaniel has had the most sex! this is partially because of his age. this is also because he is a whore.

as well as

one character i love seeing them interact with

Obviously it's Max. I love how much they do NOT get along. Obsessed with them both.

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more

Laura. No explanation just vibes!

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character

I 100% believe that Nathaniel has had other children and grandchildren by random women who he is no longer in touch with. And he can't tell Max because he will a) get yelled at and b) potentially have to get in contact with those people to assuage Max's Attitude About the Situation. So the two or three secret families he has created over the years have an absent father and they resent him for perfectly ordinary reasons, never knowing that their absent father is kind of a big shot.

maximilian nero

one aspect about them i love

He's my best friend, he's my pal, he's my homeboy, my rotten soldier, my sweet cheese, my good time boy. What's not to love?

one aspect i wish more people understood about them

He would kill the person he loves most in the world. He wants to save everyone, and will try, and when he can't, he will kill them, because that's the person he has to be, because no one else can be.

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character

It's pretty much my headcanon that he's secretly nice which more or less influences all my writing about him. Is it correct? Nah. But that's okay. :)

as well as

one character i love seeing them interact with

mmm! raven. lol.

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more

Diabolus!!! nero darkdoom prequel WHEN

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character

He and the Contessa would go on holiday together before the enemy times and would like go to wine tastings and museums and things and would get dreadfully bored with one another and yet SOMEHOW they never actually stopped doing it.

raven

one aspect about them i love

I love how much is unspoken in her character. She never says she loves Nero because she doesn't need to. She never needs to say that she's loyal to Otto, or to Diabolus, or to anyone, because she doesn't need to. She doesn't need words to be the woman she is which is frankly insane in a book which is, as you may know, primarily consisting OF words.

one aspect i wish more people understood about them

Raven is truly the H.I.V.E. Barbie. This is all to our universal benefit.

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have about this character

She has a dark sense of humor and she's a little rude and she doesn't often make a good first impression. She accepted this when she was not a teenager anymore.

as well as

one character i love seeing them interact with

Diabolus!!!!! THEY ARE BEST FRIENDS OKAY

one character i wish they would interact with/interact with more

SHELBY. WHERE HAS ALL THE FEMINISM GONE AND WHY CAN'T THESE TWO HAVE ANY

one (or more) headcanon(s) i have that involve them and one other character

Raven is really quite fond of playing jackbox games with the c4. Party games completely blow her mind and she especially likes Tee KO because to her it is the most insane thing that children play with and she never got to.

[veilkeeper]

I HADN'T SEEN YOU REBLOGIGNG THAT ASK GAME!

ok so. one moment while i throw all of these at you, there will be two of these.

firstly for Roz (my beloved): 3 + 10 + 13 + 20 + 23 + 26 + 32 (im curious about the burn scars) and 48 <3

(consider the amount of questions payback, lov u <3)

oh... the quencies.... (im delighted) okay this one might take awhile

(questions from here)

3. What is your character’s moral alignment?

true neutral leaning to neutral good. they make most of their decisions from the "what benefits me/the people i care about the most" viewpoint with a little bit of the caveat "without needlessly fucking over random people"

10. If your Tav didn’t become an adventurer, what else would they be doing?

the last time they were in faerun they were making a living as a bounty hunter/contract killer in baldur's gate. they were good at it. so probably that!

13. How does your Tav fight in a combat situation?

in game mechanically a lot of their time is spent using ensnaring strike on an enemy and then shooting them until that guy is dead, rinse and repeat until the encounter ends. occasionally they'll also pop divine favour for some extra radiant damage, or cast shield of faith. in my mind palace where roz is allowed to be a powerful scion even before the tadpole, they do that but with a hefty dose of "also i can light you on fire with my mind <3"

(putting the rest under the cut)

20. If you’re romancing anyone, why did your Tav fall for them? And why did that character fall for your Tav?

ive talked about this a little bit before, but initially roz was not falling for astarion. it was like, "okay yeah we'll sleep together because you want to and i dont really care." but eventually, as roz got to start seeing a more genuine side of astarion and he started to really... mean the things he was saying to them, it became a lot more about "i think i can care about you, and maybe... just maybe... you could care about me?" and that's the sort of thing that shakes roz to their core. and coincidentally, astarion kind of goes through the same thing.

23. What is your Tav’s favorite moment they’ve had with their lover?

not you sending me questions that are making me go (*/ω＼*) in real life... okay with halsin i hc back in the shadow cursed lands that he would turn into his bear form and let roz sit up cozy against him because they are always cold (they are a toothpick) and i think that was just... really nice for them. with astarion.... i think the first time they end up in roz's tent together without any blood-drinking or sex. without even the suggestion of it. that's when it first hits for roz that this might actually be about more than a transaction, so that's their favourite moment.

26. What is the most prominent color in your Tav’s color scheme?

answered here!

32. How did your Tav get their scars, if they have any?

i promised id wait for this information to be ASKED for so here we go. basically i hc that roz was from a really small creche and when they were young-ish (10-12) a training raid drew a little too much attention and the creche was attacked. and well... you know how ive said before that they arent a very good githyanki? when their creche started to burn, instead of taking up arms, they hid. everyone in that creche had either told them they should be culled or had tried to cull them, so they didn't really care if the place fell apart. however, while they were hiding, a pile of burning debris fell on them, fucking up a lot of their right side. they managed to escape the creche and do-gooder types who had no idea what was happening saw a dying kid and dragged them to the nearest temple of lathander, and the rest is history.

48.  Where does your Tav feel most at home?

not to be so so so so so sappy, but whenever they get to cuddle astarion. dont tell him this, but he's kind of. everything to them.

[astralartefact]

Placeholder Name for Atarase's Media Diary

Entry 002 - Dragon's Dogma 2 <<Prev: 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim

Synopsis

A prolonged camping adventure with the loyalest boys and a mage prodigy who gives me sass only often enough to make me paranoid she has the evil guy disease that kills everybody (might just be puberty)

Special Shoutout to whoever I stole Zoe the Beastren Healer Girl from (Your character name is/was Melina), she was a regular fixture of my party and is mine now.

How much did I know before playing?

I didn't play the first one, but I kept up with the marketing somewhat, and I was hyped to finally play it.

Did I like it more than I expected?

I fully expected to like it and I did. From what I've seen from the game before I bought it I knew its approach to an Open World would be my kind of game - and it was.

But seeing the discourse (and we will get to the discourse) this feels like a daring statement to make lol

Since I liked it, here's what I hated about it

Okay, this is the weirdest criticism to have about a game I completed in 113 hours, but it wasn't big enough. When I unknowingly made my way to Battahl and realized it wasn't as big as the other biome my reaction was a sad o: face and that feeling stuck around until the end, everything was just "I wouldn't mind if this was bigger :/" and it did impact my enjoyment of Battahl as a whole (Agamen not as much).

The game as a whole is really cool - I really loved it, I'm having to stop myself from starting a NG+ right now, and I think given an endless stream of new content I could literally play this game forever - and to some degree I feel like its size was calculated pretty well by the devs and shouldn't be bigger (if it was a lot of other minor details would suddenly become much bigger problems) but I guess it feels unexhausted.

I disagree when people say the open world is empty and one note - I personally had a great time exploring the entire map and I think the variety inside of the biomes is realistic and nuanced, I think if they just rethemed what's there into more different, but smaller biomes that wouldn't have done it for me either. The world might not be "new and exciting" everywhere you go, but every space in a given biome has some nuance in its topology and context that makes it stand out from the rest and it really feels like this world could be a real place exactly the way it is.

And since being grounded and 'realistic' is kind of this game's entire deal, having beef with that is to me kind of pointless, that just means you should have researched better what you're buying into (and we'll get to that!)

But I guess it feels like they could have done more, that all of these systems slotting in with each other would have benefitted from more stuff. Take the pawn specializations and classes for example, I think all of them are pretty neat but there aren't that many so running into 'one of that type' doesn't really change anything, especially since situational ones like the Elvish Speakers are coded to appear where you need them and you only "need" them in one specific place so you don't ever really have to think who you take with you. Same with environmental hazards like those water dams.

I guess that's the good thing of being able to expect Capcom to overdo it on DLC - I think adding more stuff like that in for example an expansion would really benefit this game, even though I will say that I think for the game that we have right now, the stuff that is there is enough.

Because in a fit of madness I don't even mean stuff like the enemy variety with that? I thought for the size of the game world the enemy variety was fine, not great but fine, even if it was on the smaller side at least the variety of their placement was really well thought through so I didn't really fight two of the same enemy groups in a row (the only problem i had with the enemies was that the enemy groups spawn way too densely and too frequently, you can't move an inch without aggroing another hassle of a fight and it also happens with paths you just cleared half an hour ago so map movement starts to become a chore at some point)

Finally: Men. But we'll talk about that.

What did this game make me think about?

We can only change the world by wanting to change it :) I love that as a theme, I'm really glad this is becoming a contemporary staple

Specific Impressions that will stick with me

THE TITLE SCREEN BEING DRAGONS DOGMA (NOT 2!) UNTIL THE THING HAPPENS i noticed that and it made me fall in love with the game so much more, it being a stealth remake and how it plays with that is so fcking cool i love that (again, I haven't even played the first one)

The coastal path to Bakbattahl. As I was randomly exploring I was wondering what the red waymarkers along this cave path were, so of course I followed them until at the end of this seemingly endless pilgrimage I finally realised what they were leading to. The entire experience of travelling along the cliffs and having to watch out for the harpies and the griffon was just really beautifully crafted. That whole journey will defo stick with me for a long time.

CHARACTER CREATOR OPEN WORLD RPGS ARE THE BEST Character Creators are my VisualNovel where the general audience seems to think they're cheesy but no, you don't get it, it's just that devs don't use them right because barely anyone has thought about their artistic merit yet. i can add so much visceral character development to my journey by changing hairstyles, adding scars, making my pc more muscular after training a new class, etc.

the day one of these games shaves a pc's head when they're imprisoned or adds scars when losing to a monster instead of a Game Over (all optional ofc people would scream if they forced that on their waifu) without me having to do that on my own is the day i will die happy

Outstanding Audio

The boss themes were cool? I did like the music and didn't just feel ambivalent about it but I couldn't tell you any specific piece :(

Favorite Character

Well, my character and my sweet pawns of course.

Aside from that I really liked Nadinia, even if she didn't get to do all that much, I just really love characters like her.

Also I guess the Smith Girl in Battahl, I liked her :)

Favorite Arc/Story Line

I liked Sven and Ser Menella's quests, but more than anything I loved seeing how doing quests impacted evacuating the cities after being baffled that the quests just ended without a conclusion. So I guess the entire final arc? (btw get good guys, i did the colossus quick kill without the arrow and seeing that pay off afterwards was amazing)

Favorite Set Piece

Travelling to Battahl along the coast

Watching my Pawn fight as the colossus

Everything that had to do with the capital-D Dragon

also having a healer with a child-like voice around and being paranoid about the dragon plague any time she gave me sass (she has like two or three lines out of nowhere that felt very pointed and i was so scared)

Favorite Scene

The ending scene with your pawn turning into the plague dragon. something about that did it for me.

Best Performance (I played with JP voices)

Kakuma Ai of Edelgard fame gave Nadinia such an edge that I really appreciate, she really made that character for me. For some reason I thought she was going to be a well-meaning but helpless pacifist priestess type character and thankfully she was not just that, she knew full well what she was doing while still also kind of being that pacifist priestess.

German Localization Notes

I thought the Localization was great! It fit the setting (I think Vasall is a better term than Pawn, fight me) and there were barely any blatant mistakes (I remember one spelling error and one time I was referred to as female, but that might be a programming error instead)

From what I did understand from the JP Pawn Dialogue I think they changed a bunch from the "original Japanese" though (might be an EN issue though, we don't have our own DE Voice Over so it would make more sense to keep with the 'default' language's text instead of JP) but also I don't really care since 90% of the dialogue is just Pawn Chatter where the phrasing of the content isn't particularly narratively important

--- ENTERING THE PRETENTIOUS SECTION OF THIS ENTRY ---

What about this game gives me Hope for the future of gaming?

This game is so fucking cool. I love this game for how weird it is. The stuff people complain about? Glorious. I love every single thing.

I loved having to have a physical fist fight with the save feature every time I was scared of making the wrong narrative choice. Yeah, it's kind of dumb and annoying, but from the devs' perspective, from the game they wanted to make and the overall vibe they were clearly going for it just makes sense. You're suppossed to roll with your wins and your failings - and if you can just always win then what's the point. You're not supposed to save scum as "un-quality of life" that may be and this is one way to kind of limit it to preserve the vibe they were going for.

Only having one save state and limiting character makeovers (they already fixed this one) makes sense because you're not supposed to play this game 'in parallel', you're supposed to play this game in succession - in a cycle, even. Your character isn't supposed to suddenly be an entirely different character, you're supposed to connect with the story through this character that is yours and to that goal, continually letting you change them completely would hinder that.

And since clearly this is actually a stealth remake of the first one I also really respect them not changing the shitty Beloved system? For some reason it's much more interesting to me that they kept it exactly the way it was, despite being stupid.

I guess I love stuff like this because it forces you to interact with the game as a piece of software engineering to make your own goals in this game come true. And yes, to me that's a good thing, because Video Games are pieces of software engineering - They're pretty much the only type of media that can do this.

Let me, the person who needs to make Self-Inserts for Maximum Escapism, be the one to tell you that I'm with Brecht when I say that in all sincerity, Immersion is a skill issue. Fuck Immersion as an aspirational trait of a piece of art. Especially capital-G Gamers have no clue what they're talking about when they use the word Immersion - and I get to say that, because I know that Presence exists beside the two popular buzzwords Immersion and Suspension of Disbelief - and this shit gives me so much Presence, I can't even begin to tell you.

I had to read the phrase "This game not maintaining 30FPS is breaking my immersion" about a game that made me pick up a child that had developed a crush on me, run in circles until my stamina ran out in order to drop it in a way that makes it crash into the stone floor, spraying blood everywhere because it was the only way I could make the child like me less - and I had to do that multiple times all so I could ensure I wouldn't end up kissing a child in the ending.

And while doing that, I did think "It's stupid the game works like this", I did feel fucking bad for the child I was abusing all so I could romance... well I romanced a random guy off the street because the men in this game were kind of boring - and yet in hindsight I was completely immersed into what I was doing because I was unironically engaging, grasping for agency in the systems put in place by the game's developers. I am rummaging through the rules of this universe all to spite god by making a child hate me a little bit more - and if that's not in the spirit of Dragon's Dogma II then I don't know what is. (this is only like 20% sarcasm btw)

To say it like this: Video Games aren't just to immerse you into a story better. Arguments about Immersion also always make me wonder what people think books are doing. But Dragon's Dogma 2 certainly is first and foremost a video game.

It feels like the people working on this game thought about what they were doing and during my journey through this world I got the feeling of understanding what exactly the devs went for in all aspects of this piece of software engineering - It's not trying to be a movie, it's not trying to be a book. It's trying and succeeding to be what it is and I really appreciate that.

I just wish there was EVEN MORE of it!!!

What about this game makes me scared for the future of gaming?

It grinds my gears that this keeps coming up so here it is, another round of idiot Gamers making me defend capitalism for something it didn't cause:

It's great that you all have awakened to corporations squeezing you out of your money, that's very anti-capitalist of you and I applaud that communist thinking (i'm not a communist but a lot of angry Gamers aren't either so let's make them mad by calling them that)

And yet I'm so sorry to inform you that even in Utopia people would still try to scam you.

It's not a Video Game Company's fault that you believed what they told you. I'm empathetic that it's hard, annoying and most of all stupid that we have to interact with a media landscape that is constantly trying to scam us for our money and attention, but even a genuine and well-intended artist is going to sugarcoat their product - so why would you ever believe what CAPCOM of all people is telling you without seeing physical proof first?

And even if they're point blank lying - which, straight up, for the most part Itsuno wasn't - if someone tells you they will sell you a green mug and the mug they hand you is red and you ask "but this is red" and they say "no it's green" and then you still buy it and at home you're upset that it is indeed red then you're the idiot!!! Yes, why did that person tell you that? Did they think you`re stupid? Why is Capitalism uniquely rewarding scamming people like this? All valid questions to seek answers for! But you can fall to the ground crying capitalism all you want, it's still your own foolishness that caused this!!! Don't buy shit if you're not adequately sure that you will enjoy the product!!

You have to - and will always have to - make your own informed decisions about what you invest both your money and your time into. 95% of problems that not only this but pretty much any video game discourse these days is critizising could be solved by simply researching what kind of game you would be buying into before buying it. And in this case, you have luck, this game existed before and you can try that game out for literally 5€! You know how I knew that? Because I fucking googled it.

And you can too! Thanks to YouTube, Twitch, some shitty wikis and some good ones it has never been easier to identify if a game is up to your standards before buying it - you just can't do that before the game is even out, which is why Pre-Orders are such a big problem to some people (I personally don't care, because I have to think about what I'm doing with my money anyways)

So just. Think about what you're spending money on before spending money on it! Maybe try being poor and having just enough money to buy one game every three months - that taught me to do that!

But with that out of my system let me get to the other problem this game has, one I think is really fucking annoying and stupid and really the core of my grievances with the game and not just the audience....

The Ramble Section where I get to actually talk about what I thought about

To introduce the second? third? Ramble topic of the day, here are a few moments from my playthrough that we will use to illustrate my main "problem" with this game:

I, a gay man, was forced to kiss the Sexy BrothelLady for literally no reason.

When daring to have a full male party, my main pawn mentioned that he hoped I wouldn't make not having women in the party a habit. (paraphrased)

You can buy a very revealling Mage Armor in Battahl. Naturally, after reaching Battahl around 75% of Pawns I encountered were barely dressed women.

I guess to add to that, the only black skinned Pawn I ever saw was one that Capcom made. Isn't that heart-warming.

I don't even know if there are romanceable men on the level of BrothelLady (I'm too lazy to look her name up, that's what she gets for sexual assault) or Ulrika

The Yeti Monkey Ogre gets horny for female pawns which felt very weird. I don't think there's an equivalent mechanic for male characters.

The Beloved Animations are all expressedly feminine. And I love me femininity, but it says a lot about who the devs thought would more likely be beloved and who would do the loving.

There's a summoning stone that only shows you petite women (which isn't necesarily bad, but it did raise my eyebrows)

imagine FPS being the only thing between you and that oh so hallowed immersion.

I guess to put it this way: For most of its runtime, the game gets away with pretending to be Gender Agnostic. Your Beloved can be Everyone even children! There's almost no mechanical difference between genders! You could argue that there is no intended demographic in mind for this game - that everybody can play it and therefore it's made for everyone.

Until, of course, one of those things I mentioned above pops up and serves as a harsh reminder that No! At some point in development, the devs came down hard on "This game was made for heterosexual men and everyone else can just also play it."

And with some of this shit I felt gross about having to witness it and that's really the gist of it.

I remember vividly when my main pawn no homo-ed me about my All Male Party and how just utterly ugly that felt. And I know it was phrased weirdly (at least in german) so maybe it's just me, but it was vague enough that I could interpret it as him saying he needs women in the party so he had something to look at and that's an extremely wild and frankly inappropriate thing to have your blank canvas NPC Follower say out of fucking nowhere. Like, Imagine being a woman liking men and hearing that.

It's in moments like Wilhelmina's forced kiss (i remembered her name are you proud) where the only reason it happened was that the presumed player would find that shit hot. It's in Ulrika being clearly just romance option Nr.1 and I couldn't just tell her no and continue to do her quests, I had to throw her into a wall every time I saw her to the point I completely avoided her instead of talking to her. I'm pretty sure I missed quests because of that. Like, Imagine being a woman liking men trying to do these quests.

Related, there's also something in them trying to circumvent Depicting Real Racism by transposing it onto the Beastren - which I guess didn't not work, I don't have any big feelings either way, especially since the devs at least tried to keep the cast somewhat diverse; I certainly didn't find it as appalling as whatever FF16 did. But it also makes stuff like Nadinia not being an equivalent Romance option despite being on the cover of the game questionable, because now it's like... Yeah, that was a decision you made for a reason. You didn't think your presumed audience would find the cat lady hot, right? (I certainly did and I'm gay)

I also mentioned before having strong feelings about Character Creators - because I do feel they are a very, very strong tool to make your own story telling part of the game in a tangible way. And sure, I use them mainly for self-inserts, sue me, but what I'm trying to say is:

It feels crazy to have 75% of Pawns I run into be someone's waifu and they all look one certain way. Other than that people either make some joke pawn or a bad version of a popular character - but from what I've seen the waifu they can presumably goon over was certainly the biggest pawn demographic by far.

And I know that gets into "Let people have fun!" territory, but it definitely lessened mine and I'm not even one of the people this is about. It was less fun for me not just meeting somebody's unique pawn, but - well. An Army of Women Objects. Not even objectified women - these are Women born as Objects. (and yes while these women aren't real, the treatment of fictional women is still indicative of and impactful on real women - so yeah, you can objectify women even if they're fictional) A world supposed to be filled with myriad unique pawns is uniquely filled with Women Objects - and given what the Pawns are in universe, that's kind of massively fucked up and every time the Game acknowledges that - by including very revealing armor, making it easier to filter certain types of women and by telling me to recruit more women because why would you ever have an all male party??? - it just feels gross.

Again. Try imagining being a woman that dares to like men. I keep repeating it because it feels like nobody thought about this niche group of people that's just about 50% of the entire population on earth.

And I guess I can't fault the devs too much about it, for the most part I actually really like the female characters in this game (nadiniaaaaaa) and the Pawns they themselves made are pretty diverse so clearly they cared at least a little about it; I certainly didn't find what they did as appalling as whatever FF16 did. I can only side eye them for knowing that all of this would happen and kind of enabling their players to do that.

It's just sad. It's sad and it's gross and an active reminder that despite it all a majority of people still treats women, 50% of humanity, like property, deliberately or not. It stains a really enjoyable video game with interesting mechanics to think about that I really connected with - and all because capital-G Gamers and "standard" masculinity is fucking gross and yet the devs either didn't think that far or think that's fine and good and dandy.