#things from the current both for personal and overall story reasons

[luvuomi]

i have the urge to rewrite amélie’s story …

[linderosse]

Guys.

Super long post; read at your own peril (tl;dr at the end).

But I just had a brilliant possible idea about where Echo (the new Zelda from Echoes of Wisdom) fits in the Wisdomverse, so I’m documenting it in case I decide to use it.

See, merging Echo into Fable would be cool. They seem very similar already (relevant post), and it’s a good option.

Yet there are a few small problems with this. I can get around them, but they’re still something to consider.

Fable’s already in four separate games (Most Zeldas get one game or less). Adding EoW makes a fifth.

Fable is already quite powerful amongst the Zeldas. Adding EoW makes her a bit OP. I’ll have to balance that carefully.

Fable has a planned story arc in the Wisdomverse. This might conflict with EoW (for example, this is why LU decided against adding TotK to Wild)

So while I still think it could be cool to merge Fable and Echo, I’m also looking for other possibilities. I don’t want to introduce a new Zelda between Fable and Dawn unless I have to.

And then I realized:

There is already a canon Zelda between Fable and Dawn.

I’ve literally already introduced her.

I have plans for her that could totally work with what we see in Echoes of Wisdom.

She’s vastly underpowered and could use the abilities from EoW very well

I could totally see myself writing her personality into EoW Zelda— it’s a different take than how I’ve depicted Echo before, but it would work equally well imo

And she’s also the Zelda with the least canon information; the one we know the least about overall— especially since we never meet her in her own time.

Guys, if Fable doesn’t work out, I think it might be awesome to merge Echo with Aurora— Hyrule’s second Zelda.

Imagine this:

Aurora woke up centuries in the future, after the Great Decline. She’s trapped in a vastly different world with Dawn and Hyrule as her only solace. She loves them, but she’s not from here; and she can’t shake the dread that she’s left everything behind: her friends, her realm, her brother, who she still cares about despite everything he did to her— and also, of course, her Link, who she loves, and went on an entire adventure to save.

When she was Echo, she was a hero. But as Aurora, she’s an echo of the past; a mournful ghost of a bygone age

Tl;dr: What if Echoes of Wisdom is the era Aurora came from— and where she desperately longs to return?

Masterpost

(More thoughts on the timeline under the cut.)

So— Echoes of Wisdom seems (so far) to take place around the time of Legend’s era, with enough ambiguity that it could be either before or after Legend’s era of ALttP/Oracles/ALBW/TH.

Currently leaning towards “EoW before Legend” considering the similarities to OoT, but I could very well go with “EoW after Legend,” which would be necessary for the Aurora merge. The Oracle games, after all, have a lot of similarities with OoT in terms of races and characters present (Zoras, the Deku Tree, Zelda’s design, etc), and they come after ALttP, which doesn’t have quite as many. Same thing with FSA, which is canonically after Twilight Princess but obviously resembles Four Swords more, and both Wisdomverse and LU have shifted the timeline to match. So there is precedent for similarities to skip a generation or two, even in canon.

I also doubt EoW is going to include a Prince of Hyrule (the one character we know of from Aurora’s backstory). This is fine, because I’m confident I can come up with a reason the Prince was away during the events of EoW. Perhaps during the events of EoW, the Prince left on a journey of his own and first encountered the Wizard that leads to Aurora’s downfall.

Anyways, these are just tentative plans. We’ll see what happens when the game comes out!

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Can you talk about a character’s physical strength and how strong they are? Isn’t Azul very strong and able to lift heavy things?

is anything mention about wizard being more physical strong or anything?

There's nothing that states that mages are stronger or more physically capable than a magicless human. However, it's important to consider that a mage's overall health and wellbeing contributes to their blot accumulation and recovery. You're recommended to eat and sleep to get rid of blot. This is why NRC has its students in P.E. class and organizes Vargas Camp: to keep the boys in shape for spellcasting.

About half of the cast are in athletic clubs. This includes Riddle, Ace, Deuce, Leona, Jack, Ruggie, Floyd, Jamil, Epel, Silver, and Sebek. I would also argue Jade counts as athletic, but his club is sort of a middle ground between athletic and cultural. The others--Cater, Trey, Azul, Kalim, Vil, Rook, Idia, Ortho, Malleus, and Lilia--are in cultural clubs. This doesn't automatically make everyone in athletic clubs stronger than those that aren't though. For example, Riddle has very low physical stamina (something which Kalim comments on in Riddle's P.E. Uniform vignette) and Rook, despite being in Science Club (ie a cultural club) is quite strong.

Here are some notable (physically) strong or muscular characters from NRC's student population!

Please note: just because I don’t list a character here doesn’t necessarily mean they are weak; a character could be fit/healthy but not be in this list because there isn’t anything in canon which indicates them as being a standout in terms of strength.

Deuce (ex-delinquent; infamous in his hometown)

Trey (he bakes (ie lifts heavy bags of flour and sugar) and used to play soccer; Magical Archives states his build is actually surprisingly thick, even moreso than Rook I think)

Leona (do I need to explain this one)

Jack (do I need to explain this one part 2)

Azul (grip strength)

Floyd (his infamous squeezing)

Jade (is able to hold his own in fights with his twin; he was also taught self-defense as a kid)

Jamil (professionally trained bodyguard)

Vil (trains with personal trainer who was an master kickboxer; he is careful not to train too much to avoid becoming overly muscular)

Rook (tells a story about how he got lost in the jungle as a kid and survived by himself until he was found; an archer, which takes considerable arm strength)

Malleus (can literally crack open coconuts with his bare hands and punch holes in cave walls to retrieve magestones)

Silver (Lilia's hellish training + he is a knight)

Sebek (same reasoning as Silver)

Lilia (an ex-war general, trained the other Diasomnia boys himself)

***Honorable mention goes to Ortho, whose physical capabilities vary depending on the Gear he is equipped with at any given moment.***

Let’s talk about Azul in more detail since he a the character named in the ask!

In the second Beanfest event, Floyd reveals that Azul actually has "crazy grip strength", even if his speed, reflexes, and stamina are lacking. This is because "Octopi are all muscle" and Floyd doubts that Azul's "crazy grip strength" would have diminished simply because he is currently in a form more suitable for land.

This is confirmed in book 6; Azul states that, "I'm confident I could take [Riddle] even without magic. My arms are quite powerful, unlike [his]." He is also confident that he can help Riddle hold up their Thunder Spear later in book 6, but it shocked by its heft. This suggests that Azul is used to having the strength to easily lift things.

Azul's arm strength persists in other events too. He is able to, for example, pry Stitch off when he was clinging on to Yuu for dear life, potentially drowning them both.

In an event yet to come out to the EN server (Tapis Rouge), Azul is able to keep pushy reporters at bay when they try to swarm Vil.

Finally, in Azul's Outdoor Wear vignette, it seems that Azul is well aware of his strength, but purposefully plays up being weak to make this situation stick out in Kalim's mind. He's being a real drama queen about helping Kalim gather firewood because he's hoping to get something out of this "kindness" later.

So yes! Azul is strong, even if he may not look it.

[andreilslovechild]

A Study on Aaron Minyard and Hatred

I've been in this fandom for years now. somewhere around 5 years or so. and since I've been here there's always been a distinct theme in how people talk about the brother of our beloved main love interest. see people speak about aaron in two ways mainly. the first way is, of course, labeling him as hateful and homophobic and disliking him because he dislikes Neil. the second way is building on his more personable characteristics and having him paired with someone else like Katelyn or Kevin to mellow him out. both of those are all well and good, everyone is entitled to their opinions and all, but I've never quite seen people look at both of those sides at the same time so I want to try and consolidate my thoughts on the matter.

first of all, I personally rarely consider aaron inherently hateful in my own understanding of him. annoyed or disgusted sure, but not necessarily hateful. mainly that hate is focused on three people from what the fandom talks about: Neil, Andrew, and Nicky. I'm using hate a broad term for dislike just for the ease of things right now so don't yell at me, but I think it fair to say the fandom typically pits these three up against aaron in a way that makes aaron look like the bad guy a lot of the time.

if I'm honest, I never really felt he hated Neil more than just didn't care much. at least until he found out about him and Andrew and gave him his version of the shovel talk. maybe a bit when Neil used Katelyn against him. but overall I never quite got it when people said he hated Neil, let alone hated him for "no reason". like id be annoyed too if a guy waltzed onto my college sports team while im studying premed, and turned out to be the long-lost son of a serial killer with a mouth so big it was a wonder hes still alive. plus he was super shady before all that was revealed too, but aaron was still pretty neutral when Andrew brought Neil into the monsters. he even spoke back to the upperclassmen when they freaked out about Neil sitting with the monsters. if you all need me to get the quotes I will, but it's currently like 2am, and I just can't be asked right now lmao. either way, the only time aaron really hates Neil in the books is when he uses Kate against him to get him to go to therapy. which was done for his own good in the long run, and I doubt aaron stayed upset about it for too long. plus we always have to be careful here because we are seeing things from Neil's perspective, someone who is inherently an unreliable narrator in the story.

in Nicky's case, there's a lot to consider. aaron definitely does and says some things (again not finding specifics rn because it's 2am) that are hurtful to him, or offensive. I certainly don't really blame people for reading it as homophobic on a surface level. but that's exactly what it is. surface level. his feelings about Nicky are probably the second most complex in this instance. because Nicky is his cousin, caregiver, friend, whatever you want to call him. They're close, they mean something to each other. but aaron also grew up with Tilda, probably talking with his family over the phone every few months, seeing them maybe once a year or two. when aaron moved to South Carolina he was 13. Nicky would have been 17. aaron probably spent a lot of time with him at first to avoid being alone before he made friends himself. used him as an excuse to get out of being around Tilda alone. which undoubtedly left him susceptible to Luther's preaching. I could make a whole other post on this alone. Still, he would have known Nicky was gay and that it was "wrong". He likely saw only his mask, not the depression inside because Nicky would have wanted to be happy with his cousin. he probably was around when Nicky went to Germany and then came back loud and proud, telling him about a man named Erik and finally standing up to his parents. to us, it's inspirational, exciting even, but for aaron it was like Nicky was abandoning him. He had gotten through Nicky being gone with drugs and staying out of the house as much as possible, but now knowing Nicky was leaving him there alone with his mom for what he assumed would be forever would have hit him hard. he never hated Nicky for being gay. he was angry he had left him, and he had grown up surrounded by the ideals Luther preached and likely his mom did too. with that, plus how uncomfortable it would be to have your cousin being openly sexual around you to an extreme extent like Nicky, I don't blame him really for how he reacted. he was disgusted by the thought of his cousin having sex, not who it was with. I can't remember if his disliking Erik is a canon or fanon thing. Still, he disliked him for taking Nicky away, not because he was a guy. Long story short I don't think aaron ever truly hated Nicky or was truly homophobic. I think he was just a scared kid who learned the wrong words and didn't know how to be vulnerable.

Andrew. good old Andrew. the most complicated relationship in Aaron's life save maybe his mom. I think we all know aaron doesn't hate Andrew. just like Andrew doesn't hate aaron. it's impossible for them to hate each other because they are so irrevocably tangled up and tied to each other's lives. from the second they found out about each other, everything they've done has been for the other in some way. mostly on Andrew's end sure but aaron has also done his share. see out of everyone here I think Andrew is the person that aaron thought he hated the most. he was angry about Tilda, about the drugs, about how Andrew refused to look at him. but deep down he knew he couldn't really hate Andrew. if he truly hated him he wouldn't have stuck around him this long to try and form a relationship with him. he wouldn't have bothered renewing their deal after graduating high school. he may have been stubborn and confusing and made aaron want to pull his hair out in frustration, but I don't think hatred for Andrew truly existed in him. For certain actions maybe, but him overall? definitely not.

Aaron Minyard may have been complicated, cranky, and annoyed for the majority of the times we see him, but he never truly hated anyone. not in the way people seem to think at least. and certainly, never the three people hes accused of hating the most.

[supernatural-bias]

𝐌𝐮𝐫𝐝𝐨𝐜 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐓𝐨 𝐄𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞

↳ warnings: fighting, brief mentions of injuries & alcohol. murdoc is a warning in himself to be frank

↳ song: rock the house—gorillaz

↳ notes: headcanons about murdoc & you. made to be platonic/a self insert type fic, but could be romantic too. this overall just stemmed from my infatuation and hatred for his green ass

nasterlist | commissions | carrd

• Murdoc is so self-absorbed. It's honestly beyond you how he hasn't floated away into the sun with how inflated his ego's gotten

• It doesn't help that he's regarded as the sole reason for bringing together one of the best bands ever recorded—something that he holds over the entire bands head when he feels like being an asshole

• With that giant persona of his inevitably there comes jealousy. The musician gets unreasonably grumpy if someone, especially you, is ever more excited to see a collaborator over for a recording session instead of him of all people

• "You were just gawking at 'em the entire time like an idiot! Wha', never seen a bloody live recording before?" Murdocs accent clipped his words as his gravely voice spit fire at you one afternoon. You just laughed at his annoyance, not even bothered by his attitude after years of putting up with it

• "Murdoc, it's De La Soul. Of course I'm going to be excited. It's ten times better than waking up to you rummaging around in the fridge with nothing but a thong on."

• "Get fucked you little twat." He barked, stomping off and ending the little spat. You didn't see him the rest of the day, no doubt off brooding in his Winnebago. It didn't bother you. More quiet time to hang out with Noodle for you!

• More than often, the two of you have been recorded in separate interviews talking about the other. Mostly just talking shit

• "So, what's this we've all been hearing about a certain bassist getting in a car accident?" A random reporter asked you one day from over their horn rimmed glasses. 2D, who was currently the only other person besides you that had been able to make it to the questioning, scratched his head absent-mindedly as you cackled in glee

• "Yeah yeah. I ran over Muds with my car one day. Just knocked his sorry ass right over. Pow! He recovered fine, dont worry, but the moment he did, I had to run for my life." You managed to get out through laughter. "Still have no idea how those fucking tabloids got ahold of that story."

• "Wasn't it an accident f'ough? I remember you sayin that." 2D tilted his head with a slight lisp

• You just grinned toothily and said nothing

• "It. It was an accident. Right?" He asked again, this time with more nerves

• The interview was cut off shortly after that

• On the topic of cars, Murdoc's own set of wheels was probably his only pride an joy apart from his bass. And ironically, the van was the bane of the rest of the bands existence

• The amount of times you had to bang on the Winnebago's dented door to tell him to shut up— the smell of cigarettes, sex, and too many air fresheners leaking from the cracks —should be a crime

• And each time without fail, you were always met with a shirtless Murdoc; either inviting you in for his version of a night of fun or just plain flipping you off

• You always found the latter easier to deal with

• Russel has always been the medium for any serious fights you and Murdoc would have. You both fight a lot, sure, but normally over small things like who should run out to get more booze or tune up band equipment. It was only when things got really heated that the drummer would step in

• Nine times out of ten, that just meant he'd pick you up with one arm and place you in a separate room until the two of you could stand to be around each other. It was always you he did that to, too, since the one time he'd tried that on Murdoc, Russel narrowly avoided a black eye and a week's docked pay

• It really was easy to forget that technically Murdoc is your boss. With how much shit he gives out, and vise versa from all of you, it really just felt like he was an annoying roommate. An annoying, rich, and vibrant green roomate

• At the end of the day, though, none of you really hated him. Well, the jury was still out on 2D, but you had a feeling the past few years the singer had been trying to pick himself back up

• Murdoc, however much of a prick he is, is still a key part in the band. Without him, some of the best song you'd all produced would have never happened, and some of your best drinking memories would have never happened. Hell, he even did a pretty good job raising Noodle. With plenty of help from everyone else, of course

• So no matter how many inanimate objects you all chucked at each other's head, at the end of the day you'd never trade him for another bass player

• "You lot getting soft on me now?" He grinned sharply at you, licking the outside of his teeth as you pretended to vomit at the mere thought of being nice to him

• "I'd rather die and be reincarnated as a cockroach." You grimaced dramatically. But the both of you were smiling at each other, breaking up the conversation with playful punches

[iridescentmirrorsgenshin]

I saw you said that Alhaitham fell first but Kaveh fell harder. I have always thought that Alhaitham did in fact fall first but Kaveh falling harder? How so?

Hiya! thank you for your ask, it’ll give me the chance to clarify some things from my previous posts about alhaitham and kaveh yearning <3

In post one and post two I discussed that I thought alhaitham and kaveh have both yearned for each other but this yearning manifests in different ways respectively - like through alhaitham’s actions ensuring a close proximity to kaveh, and also actions which could help with kaveh’s betterment, compared with kaveh’s complicated feelings revolving around his and alhaitham’s past friendship, and the current, complicated state of their relationship (pre cyno’s second story quest) resulting in him talking about alhaitham often, even if it’s just to complain

I mentioned that although it couldn’t be certain, it might be that alhaitham was the one to reach out to kaveh through journal critiques after their falling out, but aside from speculation, it can be seen that alhaitham responds to every one of kaveh’s bulletin board posts – in this, there’s an active pursuit of contact from alhaitham’s end, despite kaveh effectively ending their friendship. Alhaitham believes that kaveh is his mirror, and that this is essential to have in maintaining a broad ‘perfected’ perspective, but beyond this it’s evident in their exchanges (that alhaitham very often initiates through goading) that alhaitham enjoys kaveh as a person outside of his views as a scholar

From this, I see this as alhaitham understanding his feelings (be it platonic or romantic) towards kaveh, and that these have sustained from their initial friendship back when they were students. Alhaitham actively considering kaveh as one of priorities (as heavily implied in his story quest, thank you hoyoverse for the infamous framing) shows he’s fully aware of the influence kaveh has in his life, and has long since accepted this – which can be seen in the emphasis of his character stories, that the only joint project he undertook as a student was with kaveh, painting kaveh as a sole exception

Alhaitham’s peace with his feelings contrasts sharply with kaveh, who has a much more convoluted view of alhaitham due to miscommunication and misconception, having been built over many years. I’ve yapped about the reasons for their miscommunications here, here, here, and in my original post about kaveh’s form of yearning, but overall kaveh believes that alhaitham criticises his perspective, and therefore his character, and that alhaitham invited him to live in the house in order for kaveh to give him something in return – all the while kaveh considers meeting alhaitham one of the most pivotal points in his life, and that they were close when they were friends

kaveh is ultimately seen to bicker with alhaitham to the point of upset, and complains about alhaitham when he isn’t present, overall seemingly holding alhaitham in a negative light, until moments of concern crop up, and are poignant in comparison to their usual rapport - it’s very much ‘a mixed bag’

I interpret this to be kaveh still harbouring feelings from their initial friendship, but these contrast with his perception of alhaitham after the argument, and the state of their current relationship. Ultimately, he still cares about alhaitham, but he can’t face the pain this will bring where he cared about alhaitham before, and felt ‘cut’ through, essentially betrayed, so it’s better to reject these feelings in the context of their relationship post-argument. Overall, kaveh retains his feelings, but rejects them

There’s a clear contrast between kaveh’s treatment of alhaitham pre-parade of providence and post, where kaveh is seen to actively pursue/seek out alhaitham, whereas before he mostly shunned alhaitham’s presence. I said before that I think this can be seen to mirror alhaitham’s pursuit of kaveh pre-parade of providence, which can clearly highlight kaveh’s reversal of feelings, whereas before alhaitham’s were pretty clear, in that he wanted to be near kaveh; the most evident action being that he gave kaveh a room, where this wouldn’t be replicable for anyone else

I see this mirroring of actions as equating the two’s feelings for each other, where kaveh could previously be interpreted as genuinely disliking alhaitham, this can’t be claimed now with kaveh saying ‘I’ve been searching for you everywhere’ :’)

The trope of alhaitham falling first and kaveh falling harder can have different interpretations, but for me I see it that alhaitham has long since been aware of his feelings, and has accepted them. In kaveh’s case, it’s more complicated, as it could be said that he fell first, considering that he continually approached alhaitham first in the house of daena in order to form a friendship, but these feelings reversed after their argument

From then on, I interpret it as kaveh being aware of his feelings, but struggling with them, and sought to reject them. But now that the two have reached an understanding, kaveh’s acceptance of his feelings are prominent, and are highlighted (e.g. in him seeking alhaitham out, him telling alhaitham about his day, wanting to talk with alhaitham, whereas before he actively avoided this) in comparison to where alhaitham’s affections for kaveh have remained constant, and have previously been observed

(As for my personal headcanons, since kaveh’s sensibility is something he takes pride in, I like to imagine that him rediscovering his feelings for alhaitham, and realising that their shared bond is something he can rely on, and that alhaitham reciprocates these feelings, brings him this irrepressible happiness, and he’d have the urge to see alhaitham when he could, to fully embrace these feelings whereas alhaitham is used to living with his own feelings, although they aren't of less intensity than kaveh’s - which is my personal interpretation of this trope in the fic I write)

Overall, i interpret it that kaveh and alhaitham effectively fell for each other at the same time, only that kaveh’s changed perception of alhaitham and their friendship complicated things on his end. Despite this, his feelings evenly match alhaitham’s steady constancy. It’s at the point now where alhaitham and kaveh have accepted their feelings and the role they play in the other’s life <333

[swallowerofdharma]

So let’s talk about… (h)ornithology…

Saezuru tori wa habatakanai (English title: Twittering Birds Never Fly) by Kou Yoneda is an ongoing manga, published in ihr HertZ magazine and currently available in nine volumes. Publication began in 2011.

Shangri-La no Tori (English title: Birds of Shangri-La) by Ranmaru Zariya is an ongoing manga, published in Canna magazine and currently available in three volumes. Publication began in 2017.

I recently had a interesting conversation about possible similarities and differences between these two titles and I thought that it could be interesting to write down some thoughts. I also caught up with Shangri-La, since I had read it in the past when the third volume wasn’t available - well I reread it entirely because, like many other bl manga I got recommended, this one didn’t hold my attention or capture my interest in the way Saezuru did and I didn’t remember most of it. I want to underline that this is my personal experience and a matter of preferences, that I am sharing my personal opinion and I am not trying to make a comparison in terms of good manga vs bad manga. I want to talk about my reasoning and observations, and I’ll attempt to illustrate my points so that it is hopefully clear the terms of the comparison I am making.

I won’t deny that in writing this post I will reiterate previous comments I made about Saezuru as a bl manga that seems to me quite exceptional and therefore much more interesting because of its realistic approach to the world and characters being portrayed. And because from a very superficial perspective, Shangri-La and Saezuru seem to treat very similar themes and dynamics, it is useful to pick up where and how they differ. This post doesn’t want to say anything about reading for entertainment or escapism, rather it’s more about understanding how you write a story in a manga format and how that relates to how the story works overall. So if you’re bored with this topic, you can skip this one.

I don’t have direct knowledge of the composition of the magazines these two manga are published in, but I can say that they are more on the explicit side of bl manga (erotica). Which means that they cater to a readership that expects to see explicit sexual scenes as soon as possible, mostly don’t want or expect female nudity, and will stay with the story if they are enamored with the characters and engaged in the anticipation of a sentimental outcome and emotional growth between a couple that is usually at the center of the narrative. To come up with a premise that is immediately satisfying is a hard task. In Saezuru, we have the exploitation of an already established couple from another short story: Kageyama and Kuga for sex to be teased in the very first pages, and maintaining a level of “spice” by exploiting the main character Yashiro’s hyper sexuality as a prominent part of his characterization. Shangri-La makes the whole setting works in favor of that immediate explicit action: a brothel in a non-specified island, one of the two main characters being a sex worker. Yashiro and Phi are the first to be introduced as the most pro-active and easy-going in terms of sexual freedom; Doumeki and Apollo are introduced next, in the first chapter as well, and they both don’t express sexual desire representing instead a restraining, reassuring force: one is a “straight” employee, the other has been impotent for some time.

But let’s talk about how these two scenarios differ, because they have less things in common than they are alike, once you pay attention to few details. We meet Yashiro in a pretty nondescript office, we don’t get a first name, and the family name Yashiro is not rare; as we get introduced to other characters, Doumeki is the only name that stands out a little, but they are all Japanese family names. Whereas a Phi or an Apollo are already exotic names that fit the distinctive characteristics of the rather fantastical environment they inhabit. Reading the entirety of Saezuru we find ourselves not having to travel much outside of the Tokyo metropolitan area, we get a sense of where certain events take place and of real districts and buildings in the city, so much so that people have drawn maps to visit some of them.

You can’t do quite the same thing with Shangri-La, not only because it’s undisclosed what either the island nor the mainland and country are called, but because the whole scenario is barely plausible in terms of real world economics or circumstances. Apollo’s job doesn’t even make sense, unless you buy into the proprietor of the brothel’s business model. I had to suspend my disbelief very hard very quickly. It’s fantastical, and exotic and barely credible, except that sex work and sex tourism are a very sensitive and interconnected issue in many areas in Southeast Asia, making Shangri-La’s exoticism, orientalism and hyper-sexualization feel a-critically exploited. There are talks in the manga about underage prostitution and groups pushing for changes in the legislation around sex work, but the topic is yet to be explored and because this is an imaginary place, it doesn’t really seem that the matter is considered in more realistic or detailed terms. The discussion is just a device to create an ambience and a sense of precariousness, Phi’s whole existence can’t stay as it is much longer.

Saezuru portrays yakuza and police in terms that are relatable to the real world, including references to laws and how criminal activities or social interactions are handled. Using the real world as a setting, Yoneda can add details and layers to story and characters that feel very grounded. It adds credibility, and the possibility of exploration into the social background of different characters less as a plot device (tragic backstory) and instead in more rich terms, in relatable yet different mentalities and habits associated with certain experiences. Shangri-La’s setting is much more similar to romance novels, Phi is the ingénue prostitute that doesn’t know or understand many common things. He adapted to extraordinary environmental conditions as best as he could but never grew out of them, sheltered in this artificial paradise based upon fleeting pleasures. Apollo’s role is quite clear: the straight man, so serious he was married, he desired one exclusive person to love and was instead betrayed. There is not much about him in three whole volumes compared to how much we get to know about Doumeki in the first three chapters, and that will only get explored more. About Apollo, we received most of the information from his best friend, who is also conveniently his lawyer, another character who seems to be around only for help with the exposition.

The insistence upon Apollo’s sexual orientation is interesting as well because it serves more as a fantasy than anything else: he will resist the charms of everyone except The One. And True Love surpasses any limitations, including sexual orientation or preferences in that one instance. Is Doumeki the same? I would argue that this is exactly what Yashiro seems to say when he’s talking to Kamiya. Doumeki is straight, is attracted to women, it so just happened that he was attracted to Yashiro as a one time exception. But is Yashiro’s reasoning or what he says out loud the most reliable source of information about what things actually are meant to be understood in Saezuru? And this is the same for every character, every one is telling the story according to their partial knowledge and understanding. No one seems to ask Doumeki. Would Kuga say that Doumeki is straight? There is a level of complexity and multiplication of the points of view in Saezuru, brief conversations and moments that are hints, like we are witnessing the story more than we are told about it. And everyone is left wondering. Common tropes are brought down to earth, in my opinion. Doumeki said that he had no knowledge of the possibility of being attracted to men until he met Yashiro and he felt so strongly that he regained sexual desire. Yashiro now isn’t able to respond to other men in the same way as before, but Doumeki is the exception, he is The One, right? But these circumstances if analyzed deeply have deep emotional implications and can be also explained using common sense. Here is Misumi using the aforementioned common sense:

There are other stylistic choices too in how the narrative is constructed that I noticed. Zariya is a talented and expert artist and designed stunning, sexy and appealing panels since the very first pages. The inner dialogue of Phi helps getting the reader into the story and creating expectations for the storytelling as a whole: “Lips are made for lying. People learn how to lie just by living. And the eyes… They know when others are watching. The hands though… They’re terrible liars. If you pay close attention, you’ll find shadows of the person’s character, even hints of their past. All in all… They’re rather eloquent speakers”.

Now I was engaged: I was ready to look at how characters move and use their hands like Sherlock Holmes. I expected that the manga would follow through with that, but it’s for things like the imprint of the ring or the habit of biting your nails. It’s disappointing to me, because did you have to make it so explicit? So mundane even.

Many instances of Yashiro bringing his hands to his face to hide parts of it or the entirety of it, including this heartbreaking moment at the end of ch 25, when the act of bringing them back down almost suggests that he has put a mask back on before looking up directly at you, nowhere in the text there is an explicit declarations about hands or that gesture, but nevertheless the execution of these moments makes them very poignant. It’s two different ways of doing things that cement for me, according to my own preferences, the high level of subtle expression that Yoneda manages to achieve.

When the story of Shangri-La progresses and Apollo becomes more interested in Phi, he asks to borrow a psychology book that tells him how the habit of biting around one’s fingernails is a sign of stress or anxiety. In the same way, most conversations with other people are about getting to discuss and explicitly communicate the meaning behind a certain behavior, or pieces of information about someone else’s character. This kind of 1:1 exposition, plain observational analysis rendered explicit is a sign of either a mistrust toward the ability of the readers to understand things implicitly or just plain lack of anything else to fill the pages with between a sex scene and the next.

The amount of information that we have about secondary characters in Saezuru, about their motivations and personalities, in comparison is astounding. It’s clear that Yoneda knows even more about each character who speaks in any given scene than what has been portrayed. There is so much going on, so much past and lingering feelings, from resentment to personal grudges and grievances, to power dynamics and their consequences and external pressures and events happening at any time.

It would be interesting for example making a comparison of the relationships between the proprietor of the brothel and Phi on one hand and between Misumi and Yashiro on the other. What we came to learn about Misumi is so much more in terms of quantity and in terms of believability - it makes more believable Yashiro’s position as yakuza - that it is quite difficult to decide where the proprietor of Shangri-La stands in terms of overall intentions or values in having rescued and sheltered and kept Phi quite in the same position of dependency. It appears to me that the character is there just to set the stage: he is the owner of the theater.

It’s unreality and it’s just a stage after all to play a sexual fantasy. All the drama that surely will come will follow the same fictional rules of everything else. It’s not bad, it’s just another way to tell a story. The art is visually pleasing, but the paneling didn’t capture my attention or worked for me as well, in comparison to Yoneda’s more cinematic style and composition. It’s theatrical production vs shooting on location yet using multiple different camera angles for every dialogue. To try to explain the difference in another way: I imagine that the usual disclaimer "All characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental" that needs to be used for movies or tv shows set in real environments and with fictional portrayals of real world events and scenarios could apply to a live action adaptation of Saezuru and be considered unnecessary to Shangri-La. Still, realism in fiction isn’t about making stories be like documentaries or having the same purpose exactly, but about exploring how we perceive the real world and about possibilities.

What do you think? There is more to say in terms of power dynamics and positions between each individual in the two main pairs and the role of others, and in terms of expectations and desirable outcomes readers might dream about in simple ways or taking instead a different approach. But I really don’t want this to be a too long of a reading and if you made it here, thank you so much. I hope this doesn’t come across as too harsh or anything about Shangri-La. If you want to add some other observations or give another perspective, please do. This was just an attempt to draw a comparison and reveal big differences in approach between manga that still can seem very similar at first glance.

[carawenfiction]

I have just learned about the rewrite since I've rechecked your tumblr, I didn't even know about you doing that. I know you listed changes in that post, but would it be possible to know how much will be changed, overall? I love this game so much so changes make me nervous haha! BTW, I made an extensive review both on Steam and the topic CoG forums a while ago, if you're interested in checking them out! Good luck! I love your work!

Hi Konoi!

I'm sorry for answering this (and all other asks) so late.

I read your steam review, thank you so much for taking the time to write it! It definitely reminded me about some things regarding narrative structure and to consider how to best balance character moments/bonding and overall pacing.

This is very premature to say since there's not a whole lot of content out yet, let alone the whole rewrite, but if any of you change your opinion of the final product once you've read it - whether that's negative or positive - I'd really appreciate an updated review!

I'm going to explain some key changes in this post. There are no big spoilers, but if you DON'T want to go into things with any prior knowledge about the game, please don't read the rest of this post!

My thought process

I began the old rewrite because of my personal dissatifaction with the story. I didn't have a clear picture of what exactly I wanted; I just knew I wanted it to be different. But the new, current rewrite is being created because of ideas that have developed in my mind regarding the setting and overall story. I'd say that the "shadow world" is a bit more dangerous, uncertain and that the threats that hide there are not immediately easy to determine, if that makes any sense at all. The original has you going from point A to point B and have everything explained to you, which leaves the MC with little to do and decreased agency. One of my aims is to let you explore the world in more dynamic ways than through exposition dumps and also giving you more choices and include more branching due to those choices, both big and small.

I was pondering what it might be like to enter a world like this and I think it would be a strange mixture of terror, surrealism, loneliness + a need to either depend on whoever you can, even if you don't trust them. Or alternatively, pretend like you depend on others while only really depending on yourself. That's not to say that TSS is a horror game now haha, I don't even know how to write horror 😔but my hope is that it feels like a more personal and intriguing experience rather than purely an "isekai" kind of story.

The MC

I didn't get far with the old rewrite, but I focused more on fleshing out the MC's hometown and M's background. While the new rewrite has a bit more added to chapter 1, I've kept some things that I previously tried to present more thoroughly purposefully vague for a reason this time around.

The MC is somewhat different, too. One thing I'm dissatisfied with in the original is the lack of an established past for the MC. There was your job and your father's accident, but not much more than that. And yes, there were hints at something more, but you didn't really get to delve deeply into that during book 1.

In this version of the rewrite, I think the MC is a bit more jaded. You can absolutely play an optimistic and happy kind of MC, but there are pieces of their past that have affected them and are currently affecting them to a lesser or greater degree depending on how you play. Ex. The death of their father is going to play a larger part throughout the story and will be depicted as something that haunts the MC rather than just being something that happened when they were little. The changes that have happened as they grew up - losing most of their old friends and ties as well as being curtly left by their closest friend/ex - has also affected them. The MC has some lingering abandonment issues there but it's up to you how the MC has developed because of them. There is a point in chapter 1 where it's mentioned that they currently find it difficult to grow close to people, but I'm going to update that section and offer different options that determines whether you keep an optimistic outlook or not soon.

The supporting cast/main cast

The relationships and characters are still at the center of the story. I want to make the bonds with them feel more organic and less "choose flirt, friendship, or rivalry" every time you interact with them.

In the original, the MC is thrown into this world together with M, and the group is (iirc) being very vague and generally unhelpful. I included romantic and friendship-raising scenes before you even knew anything about them, which is something I'm changing this time around (you still have romantic options during your first meeting with A and G, but they are not full romance scenes as such and only included because it fits the characters in question).

There's no longer a need to spend time with just 1 character and pick 1 right option. Instead, I want to include a lot of opportunities for you to get to know them, grow closer if you want to and keep your distance if you don't. I'm still in the process of developing this more, but all in all I want to include different branches for the relationships that aren't necessarily always as clearcut as friend/lover/rival, at least in the beginning when you don't know them well. Once the MC and the characters know each other better, I think more established roles like that will show more.

And about the romance, for those of you interested: I hadn't written much in the way of romance back when I wrote the original TSS. I actually think TSS is the first romance-related story I wrote at all. It was very much an exercise in writing in a lot of ways. Now that I have more experience I feel more confident in writing different kinds of romances, and there's going to be more romance-related content in the remake for those who choose that route. Those who aren't into romance have the option to get more platonic scenes, though!

In the original I interrupted scenes and threw in stuff that would delay certain revelations just for the sake of delaying, and the pacing, plot and characterization imo suffered as a result. The remake shows a group that is very much fractured, just like in the original (maybe more so now). They obviously know more than the MC does, but they all have different levels of knowledge and personal motivations that even others in the group don't know about. A and R obviously know each other from before, as do Q and A. But other than that it's very much a group that works together out of perceived necessity and their own motivations. Most of them don't trust one another either. They are also quicker to offer certain information and explain the situation to the MC since THEY also find themselves in a situation they didn't really predict due to unforeseen changes in their plans.

Basically they are a bit out of their depth at end of chapter 1 and chapter 2, and so they're on a bit more even ground with the MC in certain ways.

The Shadowman/Shadowlady is introduced a bit differently in chapter 2, and the main cast's backstories - and to some smaller extent, personalities - have been reworked/updated/changed.

The plot

Though I won't go into what happens in later chapters for obvious reasons, the narrative/plot is presented a bit differently. For example: in the original you met the group, had a 1 on 1 talk with one of the characters where you could raise friendship, romance or rivalry, then it was announced that you have to leave the house because it's no longer safe and the rest of the story takes place in the hideout and A and R's old home. But now that feels like a waste of an interesting story, because so much of the MC's past and so many secrets exist IN your old childhood home. That's why most of book 1 will take place inside the house itself.

It may sound less exciting, but it's not your typical house - while you need to stay in it for now, you'll soon realize that it sort of has a life of its own and can lead to places it shouldn't. I think it makes for a more intimate and personal experience as it allows you to explore more of your own character while giving you the option of growing closer to the other characters as well.

This got super long, but I hope all of that makes sense? If you (or anyone) has any questions regarding any of the info I've given just let me know <3

[sillygooseofmistria]

Here's some random thoughts and speculation I've been having about the dragons in Fields of Mistria

First, I have not read any spoilers that people have found from looking at the games data and have been trying to stay away from such spoilers. So, this could all already be known or completely incorrect - I just it would be fun to share thoughts and maybe speculate with anybody else who has not looked at spoilers (expect for who the last romance candidate is - that's the only thing I've seen, and it will be mentioned at the end.) This will be fairly long so it's all under the readmore.

Mostly I've been thinking a lot about the second dragon statue in the mines and what potential role that dragon could have in the overall story. Here's what the Mine Dragon looks like in the overworld:

Compare that to Caldarus both before and after being fixed and there are some slight differences between them.

First difference between them is that, even with the lighting differences they are a different color. Caldarus has more tan and yellow undertones while the Mine Dragon has more blue undertones.

Their horns are also very different. The Mine Dragon's currently singular horn has a larger curve and ends at the middle of the head while Caldarus's horns don't curve as much and stop short of the back of the middle of his head.

Then there's the points on the top of the wings. Caldarus's are shorter and stick straight up while the Mine Dragon's are longer and curve backwards.

The Mine Dragon in general seems to have a slimer body and face. A lot of the time (definitely not all the time though) these traits are used to signify a more feminine character. Because of this, and because of the fact that the gender ratio for the villagers of Mistria is very even between men and women, I personally would say that the Mine Dragon is likely to be a woman. (Personally, I would love that so I am hopping that's the case)

Now let's look at the two dragon statuettes that you can find at dig sites:

The first one is stated in game to be Caldarus and although these guys are small and don't have much detail, it does look like him. The second one is an "Unknown Dragon" and while this could theoretically just be there to let you know that other dragons do exist even if we never see them, I don't think that's the case here.

This unknown dragon statuette has a couple similarities to the Mines Dragon statue. The color is similar, and the horns also curve back towards the middle of the head.

To me, this implies that back before magic was sealed away in Mistria, both of these dragons were equally important to it.

The only hang up that I have is that unknown dragon statuette is part of the Oopart set. Oopart stands for "Out of Place" in archeology. Which could mean that this dragon is not from Mistria, or it could mean that these statuettes were originally part of the mines but somewhere along the way were moved outside of them and lost to time. Either way, it seems like the Mine Dragon was sufficiently important to Mistria that it got its' own statuettes and because it has an important role in the progression of the game, I'd say that the Mine Dragon statue is likely going to be fixed and/or given a name later in the story and continue to have some sort of importance in the overall story as well.

This begs the question of how it will be important to the story overall. As it stands now, I see a different character arcs that the Mine Dragon could fulfil.

Just another Dragon - This could simply be used to show another side of what dragons can be like/ what life was like back when people and dragons still lived and worked together.

A rival for Caldarus - rival of what exactly? I'm not entirely sure - maybe just for the town's best dragon or perhaps just some bad blood that goes back to when the dragonguard was an actual thing.

An antagonist - magic was clearly sealed away for some reason and presumably we are going to find out why at some point in the story. This is a very cozy game with little conflict, so I don't really expect this to be the case. However, it's still a possibility and could be resolved with low stakes.

Those are my reasonable ideas. I also have a tin hat theory -

4. Romance candidate - because being able to date either a masculine or feminine dragon would be cool! I did mention at the start that I know the last romance candidate is the Dragon Priestess so how could the Mine Dragon possibly be romanceable? Easy - they are the same person. Honestly this really isn't based on anything other than the fact that I think it would be neat (I did say it was a tin hat theory I do not actually expect this to be the case lol). What if? What if the Dragon Priestess is a dragon herself and she simple looks more human and has been stuck in the mines all these years because not only was magic sealed away but her dragon statue has fallen into disrepair. The human statues of her in the mines have not fallen into disrepair so this is the only form that she can appear in. Like how Caldarus could only appear as a statue in the farmers dreams at first because there hasn't been enough magic released for him to appear as an actual dragon.

That is all, please tell me if you have any theories about what role the Mine Dragon will play in the story. I hope you enjoyed my ramblings and tin hat theory that I've been dying to share :)

[fuckyeahbakumatsu]

Hi. Did you buy the new Hakuoki on the Nintendo eShop? Can't find it on Amazon

I'm so sorry I didn't see this earlier! I have a lot of asks slip past me for some reason and I'm still trying to figure out why.

I pre-ordered the limited edition version from playasia what feels like about seven years ago at this point. Obviously it wasn't that long but I did go a LONG time after preordering it without any updates on production or a possible release date or anything like that so it felt like ages.

The limited edition version is sold out but if you want to buy a physical copy of the game you can currently get it from playasia here for $39.99. What's weird is at least in the US the game IS on Amazon but only the Japanese version. Good. Fuck Bezos anyway.

It is also available in the Nintendo eShop and the digital version is currently on sale for $34.99 instead of the typical $49.99. I mean my experience overall with Hakuouki has definitely been worth at least one of my limbs but I feel like $49.99 is still an insane price to pay for a digital file full of a bunch of dudes who were definitely surviving on less than that a month. Except Heisuke. Heisuke could afford digital Hakuouki.

Personally, I really like physically owning the game and especially the book and other stuff that came with the limited edition version, but it drives me actually crazy that Souji isn't inherently in my switch. I shouldn't have to insert a cartridge to see Souji. He should just be there the second I turn it on. I shouldn't have to physically remove him just because I want to play BOTW for five minutes before I remember I have no reflexes or coordination and that's why I stick to visual novels. Removing Souji feels wrong. I don't know. I know I'm crazy but at this point I own Hakuouki (the main game) for PSP in both English and Japanese (along with 5 other Hakuouki PSP games,) Stories of the Shinsengumi for PS3 (I have never owned a PS3,) Kyoto Winds and Edo Blossoms on Steam, and now Fuukaden (or whatever Chronicles of Wind and Blossom? weird thing they localized it to) on Switch. I feel like at this point if I finally snap someday when I have disposable income and throw money at Otomate and Nintendo to own the digital version too that wouldn't even be that insane for me. That bar has become very high.

[melvisik]

The fandom overall seems split in their opinion of this fella:

One one side, there has been so much commentary offering sympathy and love for this poor, currently pathetic rat man. Of course, when using the word 'pathetic,' one might also include the archaic sense - he arouses pity, even if there is a connotation of contempt.

As noted, many have gone to great lengths in illustrating how he fits this definition. Some of their examples (their own commentaries and material directly from the actors and crew) have really hit home, and present a further glimpse into the man's tortured soul. Primarily in their analyses to his relationship with Blackbeard. From recollection, Con O’Neill has made at least two comparisons that have resonate brilliantly with his stans: 1) Judas’ relationship with Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar. 2) Losing one’s best friend to someone else.

The former is a story familiar to quite a few people - Judas Iscariot started out as a follower of the prophet Jesus, but he ultimately betrayed the man he served and loved to the authorities which eventually got them both killed. In the musical, Judas does this because he’s worried that Jesus is out of control and that his leadership would lead to the group’s destruction. Another (probably more 'biblical') version presents him as a greedy, Satan-possessed bastard who just wants cash in hand, and he later regrets it when 'the devil leaves him.' Yet another interpretation is that (to Judas and many of Jesus’ followers) the idea of a Messiah is a person who will incite revolution against their oppressors (in this case the Roman Empire); but Jesus takes an entirely different path than what was expected of someone with that title. So maybe Judas was disillusioned, or he got spooked, or he thought that his actions could incite a man he admired into choosing a different course.

The Taking of Christ (1602) by Caravaggio Whatever the reason, Judas' name remains synonymous with very concept of ‘betrayal,’ especially in regards to betraying a trusting friend/mentor/leader figure. So... yep. That fits.

Regarding the second point, Con more or less compared it to the circumstance of being incredibly lonely, then gaining a close friend only to subsequently watch them prefer to hang out with someone else. In this case, at least from Izzy's point of view, it almost turns the Judas metaphor on its head, making Blackbeard the Judas betrayer to Izzy’s… well, 'Jesus' in so many words. Guy does kinda have a bit of a god complex.

And that god complex has Izzy trying so very hard to be boss.

He’s an extremely capable person in many ways from what we’ve seen so far – an excellent swordsman, definitely knows his way around a ship, and practically the Head PR Representative to the Blackbeard brand (promoting Ed’s title and making excuses for his depressive states). But where Izzy falls short is a lack of strong leadership skills. They’re not bad so to speak, but the crew clearly hates him. He’s harsh, he makes people miserable, and if there’s any shred of kindness or compassion in him, he has to hide it. He puts up such a rough and tough front that many in the fandom interpret as a fear of inadequacy or an overblown sense of machoism (which amounts to the same thing). More than likely this is because life has taught him to behave that way. Israel Hands probably was raised in a world that forced him to either eat or be eaten. Which makes the second point even more loaded when taking into consideration just to whom Izzy is losing Blackbeard-

This guy.

Izzy a man of some learning, that much we can discern, but it’s highly doubtful that he grew up in a family of the same means as Stede Fuckin Bonnet.

Izzy has reached so high to the top as he thinks he can go - the right Hands and personal confidant of Captain Blackbeard himself, even having the privilege of addressing Blackbeard by his first name. Then comes along a ridiculous fop who not only manages to outsmart him on their first meeting but takes away his idol within only a few weeks of knowing him.

This soft-handed, smiling, upbeat ray of sunshine represents everything Izzy has been taught is weak and pitiful, and yet Izzy’s idol (and quite possibly the man he loves) is enamored with him.

In addition to all his faults, Stede Bonnet seems like a rich twat who’s gotten anything and everything he wants in life because of his privilege. He can literally afford to leave his cushy life and play dress up on a well-furnished ship. Izzy’s cruel reality is Stede’s deluded fantasy.

In short, rich-boy Stede Bonnet effortlessly gets everything that Izzy can never seem to reach, no matter how hard he tries or what strides he makes.   Not that any of this excuses Izzy's pettiness or betrayal by a long shot, but honestly who wouldn’t be driven bat-shit crazy by that? In any case, applause to the fandom's insights on this, and especially to Con O’Neill for being such a professional.   Slay, queen.

[pinkkop]

This weekly recap is brought to you by time traveling GLs because Reverse with Me went directly into the top spot of my recap 'cause the first ep. was just that good!

QL Recap for Week 6

The 3rd of February to the 9th of February

🇹🇭 Reverse with Me

Episode 1 of 8 || Watching on: iQiYi, Wednesday

This was such a good first episode!! I don't know what this show is doing different but it was able to keep my interest much more than the other shows currently airing. Admittedly we're only on episode 1 but the episode was a very promising start so fingers crossed that it keeps being good. I started watching this show specifically because it's the follow up to the GL Reverse 4 You which had a similarly interesting concept and was well executed even if the landing was little wobbily, which honestly happens more often than not for QLs.

🇹🇭 The Boy Next World

Episode 6 of 10 || Watching on: iQiYi, Sunday

I'm really glad that Phu is sure of what he wants and doesn't just follow Cir blindly. It makes for a good dynamic when Cir gets a little bit too overbearing and protective. This episode proved for the thousandth time that if there's one thing MeMindY knows how to do to perfection, it is NC scenes and sexual dynamics between characters.

🇹🇭 The Heart Killers

Episode 11 of 12 || Watching on: Youtube, Wednesday

I adore Fadel and his relationship with Style and I would like to send a fruit basket to whoever had Style straddle Fadel and to whoever decided to include the paint ball(?) scene from 10 Things I Hate about you. Honestly watching this show has just been me falling in love with Fadel as a character and Joong as an actor.

🇹🇭 ThamePo Heart That Skips a Beat

Episode 9 of 13 || Watching on: Youtube, Friday

I almost got frustrated by them going in circles around each other for forever but then they suddenly went from 0 to 100 from one scene to the next which was a little odd. Some of this show is still working for me but I'm not quite as invested in their story as I was at the beginning. I'm still overall enjoying it though.

🇯🇵 Futtara Doshaburi

Episode 5 of 7 || Watching on: Gagaoolala, Friday

I find it interesting that they can be honest with each other but not with their partners. It makes sense though because it seems like there's just so much baggage and things unsaid between the two couples and there's none of that between our leads. Their first time having sex felt incredibly one-side and I can't figure out how Rei is feeling about this and Hagiwara so I hope the show makes this more clear in the final episodes. I find this show interesting but I can't quite figure out what the show wants to say about sex or whether I like what it's trying to say or not. It seems to want to say something about how there's nothing wrong with wanting sex but since the partners are an ace person and a probably lesbian woman it feels a little iffy that they're cast as the bad guys in this.

🇹🇭 Perfect 10 Liners

Episode 16 of 24 || Watching on: Youtube, Sunday

Gun and Yotha are cute af and I love all the friends but I'm ready for the next pairing now. Especially in the this last episode Fai drew most of my attention so I can't wait for him to get all the love and attention he deserves.

🇹🇭 Sangmin Dinneaw

Episode 7 of 8 || Watching on: iQiYi, Sunday

This show keeps being absolutely wild and unpredictable, but I like it?? Not a fan of how Sangmin both have lost his memories and gotten his IQ lowered by the operation, like what? Why is he acting different outside of having lost his memories? The only reason I can think off for this is that Sangmin is acting it up for some self-sacrificing reason but I don't know if I'd enjoy that as plot point either.

🇨🇳 I'll Turn Back This Time

Episode 5 of 6 || Watching on: Gagaoolala, Saturday

This show's production quality is great and it sticks nicely to its genre of high drama in a very soapy way. But I can't ignore that this story is coming out of mainland China so when the plot is saying that as long as these two characters love each other, one is bound to die, it has a lot more weight than if this was a Thai show. It feels a little too close to "bury your gays" even if we get a happy ending, which I'm not a fan of.

That's it for this week!!

For links and airing schedule check out World of BL (Only for BLs)

[devilselbowhq]

* DEHQ PLOT DROP 001

While the Children of Mothman have never been a stranger to the citizens of Devil’s Elbow, the equinox festival sure came to many as a shock. Most thought the group was harmless up until now. The ‘vision dust’ as they called it was actually neurotoxic dust and it is not harmful to most in small amounts, but the effects are a different story. Giving people hallucinations without their knowledge is rather unsettling and sent bystanders into shock in reaction, thus causing a domino effect which led to an overall state of panic. In result, there were fights, accidents, crashes, and medical emergencies leaving the hospital and clinic backed up. Even though the Eastern Atlantic Army ( Owen Westfall and his unit ) was able to work with Devil’s Elbow Peacekeepers to get the fans disabled and the festival ended a little over ten days after it started, by the end of April 2125 there had been over one thousand people hospitalized or treated and twelve dead in direct relation to neurotoxic dust inhalation.  The citizens of Devil’s Elbow are outraged by the results and are demanding answers from both the EAG and Afterglow as a whole. It was discovered by some that there is a medicinal mist called Serene that Afterglow Research Solutions has had available the entire time that neutralizes most effects caused from mind altering narcotics. The catch of this product being that it is only available from the EAA and Afterglow clinics and hospitals. This rumor has added fuel to the already wary undertone the presence of EAA units and uptick of peacekeepers in the city has brought. A paranoid sense that the Eastern Atlantic and Appalachia as a whole is becoming a military state, despite there being no proof to confirm such reasoning. Still, in order to quell the public’s concerns, there will be a special council meeting with a town hall afterwards to address how to handle the cultists in the future and other problems brought forth. So far, no arrests have been made and no extreme action has been taken. All other factions ( Jackals, Shamrocks, and The Silver Lining Militia ) have yet to make their feelings known. Last but not least, it is now known that there are giant moths in the environment, some with red and some with purple glowing eyes. It is unknown whether the eyes are caused by radioactive elements in their mutation or not, though some are attributing them to supernatural forces. Leaders of the Children of Mothman have promised the Night Mother will be addressing the eclipse soon. Afterglow Research Solutions and entomologists in the area are looking to get their hands on one of the species or observe them to find out more about them.

* OOC :

that wraps up the spring awakening event, thank you for being patient while kit got all the details together. going forward we promise to have it wrapped when the event ends if there is an event associated with it. now, what does this mean for your characters? that’s up to you. in the coming week there will be statements released from the shamrocks, night mother, and silver lining militia. since there’s no jackals president, either the next highest ranking member ( currently archer caine ) is free to make one or the group can decide to stay silent and individually react or not to things. as a whole and in general, this is a plotting point for you to use or not with your characters in their personal plots with others, to make connections, etc. if you have any questions feel free to send them to the main or ask in discord.

[puhpandas]

Sorry rant incoming-

Cassie and Gregory’s characters being ruined by a book. A BOOK. Actually sucks dude. I guess you could argue GGY already put Gregory’s character down the path of no return but at least that book was well-written so I could excuse it then.

I had a funny feeling that Cassie was gonna be dumbed down in order for the plot to work I just knew it. I like Gregory but dare I say Gregory feels slightly overpowered? As in, he’s not allowed to fuck up like a realistic human being should. As a villain, he never has screw ups, like even William had major screw ups that costed him in the end. This is like a huge reason why people hate Gregory and it’s because he never shows vulnerability or moments of weakness, even as GGY.

Gregory can be used as a plot device and still be narratively well-written and feel like a kid and have other traits than just “dark humor DARK HUMOR LOL!!!” like GOD Scott. This story has become a huge guessing game and my god is it frustrating and making it hell to follow.

I don't think ggy feels overpowered bc already by him being the 2nd follower of glitchtrap he has a higher power than him controlling him too. also the very fact that Gregory is free in security breach tells us that he obviously screwed up and got killed at some point, we just havent seen that yet. ggy has a lot of traits that could lead to his downfall like arrogance, because sure he had control over the situation from the start when tony started investigating him and uncovering the truth, but he also purposefully allowed him to get further in his investigation because he thought it was amusing, and he knew hed kill him later anyway

ggy is super smart but hes also still a kid and his choices are calculated but sometimes risky, like letting tony live for so long and get closer to the truth. but the very fact that hes in control of situations most of the time tells us that if he ever LOST control, he probably wouldnt know what to do, which is what had to have happened to him for Gregory to get freed. we just havent seen that play out yet, but I dont think ggy is overpowered at all. hes a cog in the machine that overall mimic oversees, things were still able to move without him in security breach with just vanny, and he has a visible role too with him being the person to put the virus into the animatronics and keep it there. he isnt rlly meant to be a killer he just killed therapists to keep VANNY in line (along w his own when they pried too much) bc shes supposed to be the one that does the dirty work. but even then he canonically used freddy/a different robot to do it

and since he pretty much at this point canonically has amnesia in security breach, he wouldn't remember ggy so that's plenty of room for Gregory to have his half of his story where hes just himself and deals with problems without ggy being associated as just gregory (which I want so bad. I've been a Gregory fan since sb an entire year before ggy released, I love ggy but Gregory takes priority to me), and the other half which is obviously ggy, and in my best case scenario we could get to see HIM react to his past which would still be about Gregory and not ggy at the end of the day from a character writing standpoint. I cant choose what will happen but those are really our only two major questions left about how Gregory and ggy combine so. looking forward to it, especially bc steel wool seems to understand how to handle the mimic lore in sotm from what I've seen by making new content weve never seen before expanding upon book lore. sotm is to answer questions, and a game about ggy getting freed would add more questions along with solving them bc of who would have to be freeing him, and it would still leave a giant hole in how the current present day Gregory feels about all of this. they could knock both of them out if it takes place present-gregory pov looking back on it

sorry for hijacking the ask to be just about ggy, but yeah cassie was done so dirty in this book like its unbelievable, I knew from the very beginning when etp got announced (& from the original synopsis, which is like absolutely nothing like what we got) that itd fuck with her character and mess it up, but I was relieved when I found out it would be mostly about ggy but then it wasnt even and it was just a big pile of nothing while still ruining everything. I genuinely think the reception on this book as a whole from a quality standpoint was SO bad that this book will probably not even be canon anymore if it was ever supposed to be. it just fucks with so many things & theres no way steel wool was involved in any of it, when it's their entire era. I feel like theyll just let the storm pass and then continue as normal as if it never existed, continuing to write the games with only the games content in mind and I truly hope I'm right about this

[swaps55]

ok I'm rattling the bars of my enclosure listening to your Mezzo playlist and I'm so impressed with your song choices 😭 they fit the chapters SO WELL --- currently obsessed with looking too closely & soldier. I would love to hear about how you choose songs for opus / how they factor into your writing process! You're super cool btw :-)

Ahhhhh, thank you!!

The actual playlist component of Opus is so very self-indulgent, and given it is purely a bonus layer of Opus that no one is obligated to explore, it's a little embarrassing how much time I devote to it, lol. It is purely for my personal satisfaction, so that anyone listens to any of it is a huge and deeply appreciated bonus.

The song factor does factor deeply in the writing process. These are the 'rules.'

Every chapter is paired with a specific song.

Every chapter title is inspired by a lyric from that song, and lyrics that tie into the chapter are used as a header.

Lyrics from the song are in some way reflected within/throughout the chapter.

Song selection starts with the outline. In fact, the only reason I really have an outline at all is so I can pick out songs (and sometimes the song is the only thing I really know about a given chapter). Sometimes those songs get swapped out, though you'd be surprised how often they don't, and I inevitably add more (I don't want to know how many songs will ultimately be on the Mezzo playlist). I already know several that will will be on the ME3 fic soundtrack, including the reconciliation song and the endgame song. I am SO PUMPED about both.

Each song has to fit into the overall soundtrack. Certain songs that would fit a chapter well don't work for the soundtrack because the vibe isn't right. Cantata's soundtrack is very hopeful and honest, while Mezzo is much darker and unhappy. There is absolutely no expertise involved - I am not at all educated on genres and musical theory, so it's all just what feels right to me.

How do I pick them: Lot of different ways. Before Spotify turned everything over to AI, I found a lot of music I loved through Discover Weekly, Song Radios (find a song you like, go to the "Song Radio" to find similar music), Blends with friends, artist mixes, etc. It's been a lot harder to find new music on Spotify since their AI bullshit. A lot of Mezzo songs came as recs from friends. Looking Too Closely was one of several that I was introduced to by a dear friend of mine who has since passed away.

It's agony when I need to split a chapter unexpectedly, because needing to go find a new song disrupts everything. For example: Gravity and Truth Like Blood were originally one chapter; the theme was how Kaidan, Sam, and EDI are all struggling to face/express their true selves. Being forced to split it really bummed me out, even though I was ultimately very happy with the song choice for Gravity.

Sometimes integrating the song is effortless. Saturn, from The Courage of Stars in Fugue, felt like it was predestined. Sometimes it's much harder. Bury Me Low from Never the Dark was the right song for the chapter, but man I had a hell of a time getting it into the prose the way I wanted.

A lot goes into it. I take it very seriously, even though none of it is necessary to enjoy what you read. But music makes us all feel things, and so do stories. It's all art, and I love being able to combine those two things with Opus.

Right now, this playlist is what I am listening to while I write, and it contains a lot of songs I would love to get on Mezzo's soundtrack even though there won't be room for them all. And one or two might be glimpses into the ME3 fic. :)

[zonaenthusiast]

Let's talk about One Piece chapters 1142 and 1143 before 1144 comes out because I actually wanted to comment on some things these past weeks but I was, once again, lazy.

First of all, lmaoooooooo

Second, this moment made me jump on my seat because I didn't notice Sanji was going there the previous chapter ????? It felt like he teletransported.

Third, Zoro is being extremely handsome again in a small panel. Why? Is it necessary for him to constantly serve face? Oda and I think so.

Fourth, I have to say that the reference of the legend of the Pied Piper of Hamelin seemed to me a very good choice for this arc for the simple personal fact that it is a story that has always given me the creeps, since I was a child.

Reading the moment the children leave the village and the adults' concern immediately made my hair stand on end. And that, combined with the overall atmosphere and concept of this arc and the type of villain we're facing (the God's Knights)… I don't know about other people but in my case, very few combinations could have provoked such a visceral reaction of repulsion in me.

And I love that it goes both ways, they used the children's fears to terrorize everyone but the biggest terror for the Celestial Dragons is also there. I can't wait to learn more about Nika's origin.

Now chapter 1143, the color spread... not Zoro and Sanji changing their official colors... good for them! GOOD FOR THEM !!!!!! (+ plus father Zoro and son Chopper).

But the only thing I really want to talk about in chapter 1143 is the second half, because Loki is currently my favorite thing about Elbaf.

In my review of Chapter 1141, I already mentioned that I suspected that maybe not everything said about Loki is true and/or that perhaps he felt justified in his actions because of something that happened to him. If he's not lying now (and I personally think he isn't), I was right about the first point. Regarding the second point, however, considering we see him abuse Hajrudin in this chapter, I think his only justification for his terrible behavior is that he felt entitled to it.

He doesn't deny anything else, but he does deny killing his father, which is the most serious of all the crimes he's accused of. And I think he's not lying for two reasons: first, because Luffy is very reluctant to do anything against him, despite what first Zoro and then the others are telling him. Partly, it's because Loki is extremely hurt, but I think his incredible intuition is also speaking. And I trust Luffy's intuition in moments like this.

And second, because from the way he says what he says in that last panel and the reaction it provokes, he suspects that Hajrudin doesn't really believe he killed their father either. What if Hajrudin knows Loki is capable of many things, but not patricide? What if his contempt for the abuse Loki inflicted on him caused him not to question or investigate what really happened? If Loki was already a known piece of work when it happened, maybe it was easier for everyone to assume it was him and leave it at that.

It also occurs to me, but I don't know if Oda is going to go with that, that Hajrudin is putting on an act. The violence Loki inflicted on him was real but it made him snap, and blaming him for their father's murder is his revenge against him, whether it's because he killed him himself or because he very deliberately and calculatedly decided to blame his brother for it. I find this theory highly unlikely, but thinking is free.