#this is the first time I've ever platinumed a game!!!!!!

[silverselfshippingchaos]

I DID IT CHOOMS!

[softpine]

shows up extremely late to the @tricoufamily cas challenge with a half baked mafia concept like just hear me out guys hear me out....

dynamic: mentor/mentee genre: crime

sim 1: DONNA trait: boisterous hair color: platinum blonde hair length: medium extra: glasses

sim 2: CHIARRA trait: jealous hair color: dark brown hair length: extra long extra: freckles

i don't know a single goddamn thing about the mob, i've never even watched the sopranos ❗❗ now that we've gotten that out of the way

it's the late 80s, and chiarra (brunette) is fresh out of cosmetology school and looking for a job as a hair stylist. she ends up renting a booth at a salon on one condition: the property owner, a man with major ties to the mob, wants to take her on a date first. she's charmed by his charisma and loves how close he is with his family, something chiarra never had much of. within a year, the two are married and chiarra has ingratiated herself in the community, however she's quite unpopular with the other ladies. she's seen as a gold digger and an outsider because she didn't grow up in this life. but her job as a hair stylist is secured permanently thanks to her husband.

this is how she meets donna (blonde). donna is kind of a big fucking deal from what chiarra has heard through the grapevine, so she gets nervous and ends up badlyyy messing up her hair the first time she comes in to the salon. she's surprised to find that donna thinks it's hilarious – but she warns her that not everyone would've taken it so lightly, especially because chiarra's husband is not an incredibly influential person to begin with, unlike donna's husband who's like. the boss. but donna takes a liking to her, something the other wives find equal parts annoying and frightening.

through the early years of chiarra's marriage, donna acts as a mentor figure and a listening ear because she's been through it many years ago. but there comes a point where chiarra discovers her husband has been cheating on her, and she's shocked when donna waves it off as something that just sort of happens to all of them. chiarra becomes furious and refuses to accept this when she's been nothing but loyal to him. but instead of confronting her husband, possibly losing her marriage and the new family she's gained, she makes the decision to follow in his footsteps. she carries out secret affairs for a while; just one night stands and brief flings, so her husband won't get suspicious. donna finds it entertaining and turns it into a game, often covering for her. she's always been a gossip, so it's easy for her to keep an ear out for what people are saying about chiarra and deflect suspicion if she needs to.

one night, while their husbands are away, the wine starts flowing and the two of them just go for it. it's quick and they don't even particularly enjoy it because the guilt creeps in almost immediately. in decades of marriage, donna has never betrayed her husband no matter how many times he's done the same. and though chiarra is no stranger to stepping out of her marriage, she hasn't had romantic feelings for anyone but him since they've been together, let alone feelings for another woman.

donna and chiarra try to put some space between themselves, but they both know it's too little too late – and considering they've been inseparable since they met, their distance draws more suspicion than their closeness ever had. without donna there to protect her, chiarra is forced to realize just how disliked she is in her community, and how much donna had been doing to bolster her image. but she doesn't just want everything to go back to normal, she wants more than that. she's determined to make sure donna knows what she's missing out on, taking every opportunity to make her jealous and push her buttons.

this push and pull between them continues until donna learns that her husband has been arrested for racketeering and other crimes -- and it seems that the charges are actually going to stick this time. worst of all, the latest gossip is that chiarra had something to do with it. but is this just chiarra's bad reputation preceding her? would she really do something so dangerous and hurtful just to get donna back? and if it's true, what is donna going to do in retaliation?

thanks for reading my wattpad story :3 r&r plz xDD

[sapphic-agent]

Let's Talk About the Switched at Birth Theory

If you told me I would be making an Ever After High Theory in 2024 I would have never believed you. But I recently came across a theory from like 2022 that poses the possibility of Apple and Raven being switched at birth. At first I thought there wasn't a chance it held water, but the more I looked into it the more I was sent down a rabbit hole.

(I know this is a hated theory please don't kill me)

The original theory was made by _fairytale_vibes_ on YouTube. Here's a link to the most updated version of the theory, watch it if you haven't already:

I went into this video thinking that it wouldn't lead anywhere, but OP does make a lot of very good points. So with her theory in the back of my head, I decided to dive into the book series to see if I could find anything to support or disprove it.

(I'll be editing as I read the books and rewatch the show, so at the time of posting it I've only completely finished The Storybook of Legends. So whatever I say here may not be 100% accurate compared to the rest of the series. I'll update and revise as I continue reading, but please tell me if whatever I've said is wrong)

1. Appearances

This may be the most important part of the theory as it's been the focal point of the original video. So let's dive into it from the book's descriptions.

Raven: "...long black hair with purple highlights, dark eyebrows, strong nose and chin."

The Evil Queen: Dark hair, deep purple eyes

Snow White: "...black hair was curled under her golden crown. Her skin was still white as snow, her lips red as blood."

Apple: Pale, blond, red lips

One thing I definitely noticed was that multiple times, the book goes out of its way to compare Raven's looks to her mother's. Raven herself calls it out multiple times. However, it actually seemed to be the opposite with Apple. While her features- other than her hair- are said to fit what Snow White is supposed to be, there aren't many comparisons made to her mother herself.

In fact, I think the only time she's actually directly compared to her mother is when she looks at her destiny during Legacy Day. "She looked so much like her mother, only blond." Even here, there aren't many details about it, not like there are Raven's.

(This whole montage is interesting, I'll talk about it more later)

One of the theory's linchpins is that The Evil Queen in her youth seemed to have platinum blond hair. In the Dragon Games special, she is animated as a teen with what looks like whitish hair. And in the graphic novel The Class of Classics, her hair does look platinum blond (and is described as being such by her roommate and best friend, the Cheshire Cat).

Apple's blond hair is an anomaly. There's never been a Snow White with blond hair, as the story is clear about it being ebony. It's brought up multiple times in the book and is a point of insecurity for Apple. The Evil Queen also having blond hair is an... Interesting connection for them to have. As in, they share the one trait that separates Apple from the Snow White lineage.

One thing that actually threw me off, however, is that the Evil Queen actually had green eyes in her youth. And you can actually see hints of green in the purple of her eyes if you look at her show model. Raven's eyes are purely purple and Apple's are blue. The EQ having green eyes seemed so left field to me.

The theory implies that the purple highlights in Raven's hair and the purple coloring in the EQ's hair comes from their magic, if we extend that to their eyes it does actually start to make more sense. Raven's powers could develop quicker/stronger than her mother's, which could have caused the purple coloring to affect her eye color quicker than it did the EQ's. It's very possible that Raven was born with green eyes and they changed the stronger her magic got.

But then what about Apple's eyes? One thing I found odd even watching Dragon Games for the first time is the very obvious difference in the shade of Apple and Snow's eyes. They're both blue, but Apple's are a lot lighter while SW's seem to be darker. It's like the show went out of their way to show even more distinction between them.

You know who also has blue eyes? The Good King.

Well, according to his Wiki page. I actually didn't make note if his eye color was mentioned in SBOL (and I can't because I had to return the loan). This fact may not be true, since Raven's non-existent brother Michael is still on there (seriously why hasn't anyone removed him).

But still, if the Good King does have blue eyes, that could be another physical connection Apple has to Raven's family.

2. Parallels

One thing I was surprised the theory never mentioned was the Two Sisters fairytale.

If you don't know, the Two Sisters is the tale about an "ugly" sister and a "beautiful" sister. The ugly sister is kind so butterflies float around her head while the beautiful sister is mean so she only attracts flies. The beautiful sister wants to get rid of her flies so she has the ugly sister lower her into a well. Then she makes the ugly sister go into the well too, and she almost drowns. But she escapes with the help of her butterflies. The ugly sister turns beautiful and the beautiful sister turns ugly. The flies that circled the beautiful sister returned and chased her into the forest and she was never heard from again.

This story is important because Raven found out that the sisters who were supposed to have this story- Bella Sister and Brutta Sister- never signed and instead ran away.

Why am I bringing it up? Well, in SBOL after Raven reads the story, the next time Apple is given a POV, we get a flashback of her almost drowning in a well as a child.

This is very clearly an attempt to draw a parallel between Apple and Raven and Bella and Brutta. But if it was just that Raven decided to reject her fate like Bella, it doesn't say much. Brutta didn't want Bella to suffer a villain's fate as much as Bella didn't want to try to drown her, while Apple wants to embrace destiny fully even if it means confining Raven to a life she doesn't want.

To me, this is trying to tell us something else. That maybe we should be looking at Apple and Raven's relationship differently.

3. Attitude and Personality

A somewhat surprising detail that I noticed is that Apple acts a lot like the Evil Queen, especially in how she treats Raven.

"Apple smiled. She could play the damsel-in-distress like a cow could jump over a moon. The male species couldn’t resist wanting to help her."

"...but the guilt passed as quickly as a butterfly. Looking out for Raven was in Raven’s best interest."

"It’s not wrong for people to see in you your true nature." (To Raven)

"Sometimes she couldn’t think of anything comforting to say. It was a small weakness she was determined to mend."

"Raven’s Coat of Infinite Darkness should have hidden her from anyone who didn’t know she was already there. Apple was very smart."

"Take your hands off me at once, or I swear by wishing wells, seven-league boots, silver wands, and all marvelous things that you will regret it!” (To Goblins)

This is NOT me saying that Apple is evil like the EQ. But more that she can be manipulative, overbearing, and commanding similarly to the EQ. Apple is a lot nicer and has more of a conscience, but she isn't afraid of crossing boundaries to get what she wants (or rather, to do what she thinks is right). She lacks natural empathy a lot of the time (which isn't a bad thing), and it's something she's desperately trying to fix about herself. She's also said to be very intelligent.

(I also want to mention her behavior during the Topsy Turvy spell. I know the spell was said to make the people cursed act the opposite of how they usually would, but as OP points out, Apple really went far with it. She wasn't a mean girl, she was downright evil. OP assumed this could be her true nature. I... Half disagree. I think it's way more that Apple makes a point to make sure she's as nice and helpful as possible, hiding her true feelings so that she's the perfect Snow White. I think the topsy turvy spell made it so that she didn't do that. In other words, it got rid of her inhibitions. Instead of making sure she doesn't say and do awful things, she no longer holds anything back for the sake of being good which is why she's so much worse than the other students)

But like with appearances, there isn't much connecting Raven to Snow White. Sure, Raven is kind. She shows concern for others and likes to help people. She tries to be nice even when she's treated horribly. But nothing about this is specifically Snow White.

In fact, she seems to drive animals away. Her singing causes thorns to ensnare her and Apple. Only ogres obey and listen to her (though they did adhere to Apple). She's also sarcastic and dry. In this regard, there isn't a lot about her that matches up with Snow White.

(If we're being completely fair, Snow White also never had as many defining traits as the Evil Queen, even in the original Grimm Fairytale. So attempting to mirror her in Apple or Raven might have been a struggle for the writers)

4. Symbolism

You know what threw me off? The fact that Apple's animal companion was a snow fox.

It seemed like such an odd choice when I read it. Like, why a fox of all things? But then I looked into actual symbolism for snow foxes.

Overall Symbolism: Adaptability, Resourcefulness, & Intelligence

Christian Symbolism: Purity & Humility

Native American Symbolism: Resilience & Determination

Eastern Symbolism: Cleverness & Cunning

I actually thought it was really interesting that all of these traits seem to fit Apple. She's resilient, clever, determined, and resourceful. But she's also supposed to stand for purity and humility too. Almost like there are two sides of Apple: how she actually is and what she pushes herself to be because of expectations.

(This actually comes up a lot in the book. Apple's good deeds come from a place of needing to set a good example and live up to the Snow White legacy. She separates what she actually thinks and feels from what she's supposed to perceive as right and wrong)

Raven having a dragon is definitely less unexpected. However, there's decent symbolism with her too. In Eastern traditions, dragons stand for supernatural power, wisdom, strength, and hidden knowledge. These are all things that definitely fit Raven. If we're looking at this in comparison to the Snow White destiny, the wisdom and power could be alluding to her eventually becoming Queen.

5. My Thoughts

Do I think Raven and Apple were switched at birth? No. Primarily because I can't think of a valid reason for it happening. OP suggests the Evil Queen switched Apple and Raven's powers, forcing Snow White to switch out their babies. But this reason is convoluted at best.

For one, the Evil Queen seems to care for Raven as much as she's able. Raven herself states that the EQ loves her in her own way. She wants to bond with Raven, wants Raven by her side as she tries to take over the world. I can't see her being like this towards someone she knows is Snow's daughter.

I also can't think of why she would do this. She's all too eager to continue her legacy through Raven. Why would she change Apple's fate that way if she was her actual heir?

No, my theory is that Raven and Apple are sisters, both daughters of the Evil Queen.

(I'm so sorry Rapple shippers)

I know, that's possibly more outrageous than the switched at birth theory. But my mind couldn't stop circling back to this. Apple shares so many traits with the Evil Queen, but Raven doesn't share as many with Snow White. The Two Sisters parallels were too heavy to ignore.

Why and how would this happen? I think that when the Evil Queen had them, Apple was born without powers. Since the EQ values power over everything (other than beauty) she decided Apple was worthless. But instead of getting rid of Apple, she gave her to Snow and Charming (who couldn't have kids) either anonymously as a cruel twist of fate or some sort of deal was made between them.

That or her having twins sent Grimm and Snow into panic mode since she was already on her magical rampage. So they made a plan to take one of the babies to avoid something similar happening in the future. Snow agreed to raise her as her own as the next Snow White to combat whatever "natural evil" she was born with.

It could be why Grimm is so invested in Apple and Raven specifically. He's trying to make sure Apple stays good and Raven turns evil so that the Snow White story can play out smoothly and things can stay balanced within the Realms.

Now if we wanna step away from secret baby theories (which I totally get), another possibility is that Raven and Apple's destinies were swapped. Which I also think is very likely.

OP points out in Thronecoming when Raven calls Apple selfish for wanting her to sign, Apple retorts that she wants to keep everyone safe. She then hands Raven an apple and tells her that she's the one being selfish. She's directly mirroring what the Evil Queen does, like their roles have been swapped.

She also adds that when Raven is transported into Snow White's story later in the episode, the old woman is basically shouting that this is her destiny as she hands her the apple. None of the other girls are being pushed as strongly. Sure, we can look at this as just her destiny in general, but it could be indicating that she will take the role of Snow White.

We saw in Dragon Games that Apple easily became jealous of Raven for how liked she was becoming. Which is similar to why the Evil Queen hates Snow White. If the show hadn't gotten cancelled, this could have been her slow descent towards evil while Raven was coming into being good.

(And to be honest, this can still happen with the twin theory. Every Snow White story is different. A jealous sister can fit into the story as well as a jealous stepmother)

Now before anyone says that Apple and Raven saw their destinies... No they didn't. They saw their fates from a fake Storybook of Legends. A fake put there by the Evil Queen, mind you.

Raven's fate was depicted as her being even more evil than her mother. It would be so like the EQ to curse the fake book to depict her daughter's fate as overly villainous. As for Apple, it could have also been cursed to act out as the original book would for anyone who proclaimed themselves the child of whatever fairytale character. So her saying that she's the daughter of Snow White showed her the typical fate of the next Snow White.

(I mentioned earlier that Apple is only said to look like Snow White during her glimpse into the future at Legacy Day. This actually plays into the fate she sees being false. It's showing her what she wants to see, and that's being able to live up to her mother)

Yes Raven signed the true book in Wonderland. But all that did was give her the EQ's full powers. Powers which were part of the reason Apple became jealous in the first place. We never saw Raven's actual destiny from that book.

So no, I don't think Apple and Raven were switched at birth. But I do think OP's observations do leave a lot to be analyzed. I know a lot of people will say that this being canon ruins the story, but I honestly don't think so. Raven and Apple can still decide their destinies. It doesn't matter who their parents are or aren't, what matters is what choices they make. The main theme of Ever After High is choice. If Apple ever did turn towards evil, Raven would be right there trying to pull her back.

They choose their destinies. They decide their fates no matter what happens

[dr-spectre]

HOW IS THE NINTENDO DS 20 YEARS OLD!??!

Oh... oh the back pain is kicking in... oh i feel the grey hairs growing....

God, i remember my first ever experience with this thing, i got a red and black DS Lite on my birthday as a child and a copy of god damn Spider-Man Friend or Foe.

My DS days were just me and several R4 cards that my mum got at flea markets, i remember seeing buckets of those damn cards man, and i loved them. They had cheats, so many games, ugh... still love them.

Played a lot of New Super Mario Bros, Mario Kart DS, Mario Party DS, Super Mario 64 DS, Pokémon Heart Gold, Black 2, Platinum, Conquest, Sonic Rush, Rush Adventure, Spider-Man 3 DS (underrated game in my opinion), Transformers Autobots and Decepticons, so many more that i can't think of at the top of my head.

I remember beating some kids at a caravan park on Pokémon Black 2. It was so tough, but i managed to defeat this one kid's Zebstrika, and it felt so good. I have very distinctive memories of playing the DS as a kid, and I hold those memories near and dear in my heart.

I'm still so sad about how my original red DS Lite died due to it splitting in half... I went through a fair amount of DS consoles in my time but I've stuck with a New 2DS XL thankfully and I've been having a blast! I wanna try and get back into collecting DS games because I love having old pieces of media, I don't care that I can emulate any game I want to, I wanna have a god damn copy of SONIC RUSH!!!!

I hold the DS line of consoles in such high regard and they've given me long lasting memories that I wish will never fade as the years go by. I wanna be on my death bed and still remember the time my mum and I tried out taking funny photos on a DSi....

[lantanasmuttyfanfics]

Hello! Can you write about Cerise hood and Bunny Blanc? I know it is not a very well-known Ship.

Could it be a situation where both confess on the day of sincere hearts? This is the first time I've asked for this QwQ

First I’m sooooo sorry I accidentally got true hearts day and heart struck mixed up so I ended up writing this fic based on heart struck. I didn’t even realize till literally right now so I’m soooooo sorry

Anyway again I do apologize and I also apologize for my slacking of in posting but other that I don’t think there’s anything’s else I have to say

Hope you enjoyed and have a great dayy!!

——————————

Cerise didn’t know how or when it happened but it did. She had a crush on Bunny Blanc of all people at ever after.

She had the revelation a few weeks ago when she saw her playing some card game with Lizzie Hearts and made the cutest expression when she won.

Just looking at her had Cerises face heating and her pupils dilating whenever she saw her, or even smelled her thank to her wolf senses.

From that point on it felt like everything reminded her of Bunny. A carrot salad? Bunny. Pale white fur? Bunny. She really couldn’t escape.

She even found her dreams were consumed by her. But it was something she didn’t think she could ever confess. Everyone at ever after talked about Bunny and Alistair.

The two unfortunate wonderlandians who escaped their cursed world together and had weekly chess matches together. “How just right they are!” Blondie would say whenever she saw them together.

Cerise thought so too. Alistair made sense for Bunny, they were trapped with no one but each other for years in a cursed land. And they made it out together.

Bunny deserved someone who could provide stability in her life after all she’d been through. Well, that was until true hearts day.

The morning of true hearts day Cerise made her way to the library, where she was supposed to meet Raven for a quick study session before the party at night.

But as she walked through the doors, she stopped in her tracks as she got a glimpse of platinum white hair.

There, in the front row tables Bunny sat with a book in her hands, her eye brows furrowed in concentration and nose scrunched in such an adorable manner.

Letting out a silent breath Cerise made her way over, sliding two seats away from her while taking small glimpses of her every once in a while.

Bunny gave her a sweet smile as she noticed her and Cerise thought her heart would implode from adoration.

“So Bunny…”

The said girl perked up, her eyes flitting to Cerise. She offered an encouraged smile as she waited for the clearly nervous Cerise to continue.

“I was thinking, no do you-.”

Before she could finish her sentence she suddenly felt something hit the back of her head. Her mind went foggy for a second, her eyes watering from the pink smoke around.

But as she looked up and met the concerned eyes of Bunny, everything else seemed to fade away. She quickly sprung from her chair, Bunny following as she walked towards her.

Bunny stepped back, slight hesitation in her steps a she gazed at a love sick Cerise who had pink hearts in her eyes instead of pupils.

“Cerise?”

She suddenly grabbed Bunny’s hand, falling on one knee as she left soft kisses along the back of her hand. The other girl gasped trying to pry her hand away before an undeniable flush crossed her face.

She couldn’t help it, not when Cerise was kissing her hand so sweetly, whispering words of love declaration that rivaled even the most romantic fairytales.

“Oh Bunny you don’t know how much I like you. I’ve been dreaming of this moment for ever after.”

She flushed further at her words, looking around to see that every other person in the library was in a situation such as hers.

“Everyone listen closely! You’ve been infected with a live sickness!” The library filled with shocked gasps from the students as they gazed at Raven.

Bunny suddenly had realization pool inside, obviously Cerise wasn’t saying this out of free will. Why would someone like her like a meek, unconfident girl like her?

They were complete opposites in every sense of the word. “To cure this, go to the hall and find Cupid!”

Every uninfected person quickly walked out the library and Bunny had to practically drag Cerise as she followed close behind.

When they finally found Cupid Bunny felt a sense of despair. She liked Cerise beyond imagination and she knew it was wrong but she just wished that she and Cerise could be like this for just a little longer.

“Ok Bunny give Cerise this rose!” Bunny jumped in surprise as Cupid suddenly sprung up next to her, practically shoving a white roses in her direction.

Seeing her hesitate Cupid softly nudged her, Bunny sighed and stared into the live sick eyes of Cerise Hood one last time before offering the rose.

“Oh Bunny that is so sweet thank- uhhh my head!” The rose suddenly turned into a vibrant red color and Bunny held her breath as Cerise clutched her head.

“What-? What happened?”

“Oh nothing! Hunter here decided to play with my special arrows. You know the ones that make two people fall in love. But don’t worry I had Bunny give you a rose that cures you.”

Cerise stumbled as she heard what Cupid said, her eyes darting to a flushed Bunny who waved softly at her.

She felt guilt rise in her throat as she say the lipstick marks all over her hands, going from palms to elbows. Now Bunny was definitely going to hate her. Just great.

“Look I’m so so sorry… I didn’t mean to do all that.”

She shook her head, reaching and and grabbing her hands as she smiled in reassurance. “It’s alright I know it’s not your fault.”

Both girls stared into each others eyes, unconsciously moving closer and closer together when they suddenly heard something.

“So what do the color of the roses mean Cupid.”

“Well it depends Raven not all love has to be romantic for example, yellow means true friendship but then red means true romance!”

Cerises eyes darted to the red rose in her hand and then quickly to Bunny who she found was already staring at her.

Something unspoken seemed to pass between them. As if they could read each others minds. Cerise gulped as she raised Bunny’s hand.

“Would you… like to go to the true hearts day dance with… me.” Her words came out in a breath as Bunny leaned in closet her soft lips meeting her cheek.

“I would love to.”

—————————

Can we just talk about this ship for a sec like I’ve never considered them as a ship before but nowwww idk there’s something real cute bout them.

Anyway I promise to try to pick up my slack but yeah idk what’s been up with me lately but let’s be honest it’s probably that damn fucking school

Hope you enjoyed and have a great dayy!!

[ithaquakisser]

Stay

Synopsis; Ithaqua asks you to promise him something.

CW; Unhealthy relationships, obsession, manipulation, mentions of an anxiety attack

WC; ≈1.2K

Note; I've been on a writing spree as of late, I just have so many ideas but most of which I am uncertain of how to convey.. I'm sure I'll figure it out in the end. Meanwhile, please take this! I had fun writing this particular piece, so I hope you enjoy!

Acts of treachery are which he detests, he dreads the day you leave him in distress. The day his heart shatters like ice upon impact. Will loving you result in a kiss from Judas himself? Will you dig a blade into his back and allow him to bleed? Witnessing as he reaches a hand eagerly to you regardless of your actions?

With the countless nights spent with you occupying his mind, he couldn't bear to see you with another. His heart aches at the sight of you turning away from him. How he yearned to have you in his grasp, holding you oh so tightly. He'd worship the ground you walk on, whilst speaking your name like a prayer. He'd do anything to ensure your safety and well-being, even if it meant sacrificing himself. You are his everything, his darling sun.

But unfortunately, you are too pure and innocent for this cruel world in Ithaqua's eyes. You live in ignorance. You turn a blind eye to all of his advances like a fool, yet Ithaqua still finds himself seeking your attention. If only you could look his way just once, perhaps his heart would finally find peace.

Why must you torment him so? Why must you plague him each passing day? "Be still my beating heart." He mutters under his breath like an incantation whenever he lays his eyes on you. Games were agonizing on his behalf the moment you were under his pursuit, hands trembling as he raises his ice axe above him. Ithaqua frequently felt reluctant to hurt you. Each time, he pondered how many more times must he make an excuse for letting you go.

You being a friend of his just isn't enough. It won't ever be. He needs you to be his and his alone. As friends, you could easily leave him, replace him even. You couldn't bear the idea of such atrocities. He wanted everyone to know who you are to him and him to you. But how could he if you never even knew?

.....

The two of you observed as the first snow fell upon the manor in the evening. It was a subtle reminder of how time passes by, and never stops. Ithaqua stood beside you under a gazebo, holding his mask in his hand as he gazed upon the snowflakes raining down from the clouded sky with stars in his eyes. You fondly smiled at him and his childlike sense of wonder. He had his fur hood and mask removed, which was a rare sight.

You discreetly admired his features; how his wavy platinum hair draped over his forehead, his dark almond-shaped eyes, the faint blush on his pale cheeks. He had such precious and distinct features that only you were allowed to see. Ithaqua could sense your eyes on him, the scarlet hue on his cheeks darkened as he swallowed out of discomfiture.

"...The snow is beautiful isn't it?" Ithaqua remarked, filling in the silence between you two. "Quite." You replied as you leaned against the gazebo, letting out a sigh. "Are you not cold?" You questioned. "Not at all. On the contrary, I am rather used to the cold."

"You should be concerned on your behalf. You do not seek to catch a cold do you?" Ithaqua inquired, removing his cloak. "I'm certain I'll be fine, don't you fret." You reassured him. "Oh, but I insist." He spoke, draping his cloak over your shoulders. "It is rather common for friends to be concerned for each other's well-being. We are friends, no?"

You nodded your head. "Why, of course. Why do you ask?" Ithaqua paused for a brief moment, averting his eyes from yours. "Y/N, may I ask you something?" He queried. "Certainly, go ahead."

The wind filled the silence between the two of you before he spoke once more. Ithaqua appeared to be visibly perturbed, his heart beginning to race. "You.. won't leave me, right? You're not like the others, right?" He interrogated, a sense of disquietude in his tone. Ithaqua locked eyes with you as he stepped closer toward you. "Please.. tell me you won't ever leave me, Y/N.." He entreated with a scowl, clasping one of your hands.

"Ithaqua.. " "Y/N.." He interrupted, tightening his grip on your hand as your eyes widened in response. "Promise me you'd stay." The young man adjured once more, pain in his voice as he spoke. Disinclined, you spoke. "I promise.." Ithaqua's gaze softened upon your response, letting out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Y/N.." He cooed as a cold hand gently caressed your cheek. How desperately he yearned to speak his mind, to let all his feelings spill out at that very moment. He restrained himself, his eyes scanning over every delicate feature of yours. You froze under his touch as he leaned forward, you took his hand into yours, taking him aback by your touch. "Ithaqua?"

Tenderly, he placed a kiss on your cheek. His touch lingered the moment he pulled away. The two of you shared a brief moment of silence as you stood in shock. "I apologize." He uttered, avoiding your gaze as he hesitantly pulled his hand away from yours. "Please, don't apologize."

"..Let's forget this ever happened shall we? It'd be for the best." You furrowed your brows at his statement. He had put on his mask and turned his back from you, taking a few steps forward, his heart pounded at his ribcage viciously. "Ithaqua!" You cried out, reaching out a hand. "Goodnight, Y/N."

He left you in a flash with his cloak scented like pine and wood. You sighed in defeat and held his cloak close to you, the recent events replaying in your head as you behold the wintry landscape before you. You placed a hand on your cheek where his lips met, reflecting upon the recent events. Your heart racing within your chest, you were rather unfamiliar with such a sensation. Utterly confused you were, you fretted on behalf of your dear friend.

If only you had known. If you had known, it would've spared him countless nights of torment. The countless nights of tear-filled eyes; of pain, of distress. He partly resented you for the way you made him feel. Ithaqua met face-to-face with a broken mirror, a familiar sight. His heart and mind raced mercilessly with visions that consistently torment him. With a hand clutching his chest, he appeared to be visibly in distress as he muttered curses under his breath. In his mind, he envisioned you leaving him; you holding the hand of another, exchanging sweet nothings, the thought of it made him sick.

How deeply he yearned for your embrace at that very moment, for you to say those three words whilst you held him tightly in your arms. How desperately he longed to feel you run your fingers through his platinum locks; to feel you caress his skin, to feel your seemingly soft lips against his. He pondered, how much longer must he force himself into your daily life to remain relevant to you? To ensure he was involved in everything you did. To ensure no one would take you away from him. Unfortunately, he was just as ignorant as you were. For he did not know.

[dogaquarium]

Talking about my b/w experience below the cut :^) there is also a poll you can vote on at the very bottom!

Still working on the post-game and catching a couple legendaries, but here's the final team I winded up finishing black with!! Stompy was such a tank <3 it was super surreal actually managing to finish a mainline game for once; I've never actually done so myself before (I've seen plenty of finished playthroughs, just nothing myself) since I would either get too burnt out and restart after a while or it was just a result of me being a kid that was too stupid to figure how how to progress. I'm very sentimental about the whole ordeal now.... and very excited to continue properly playing and finishing other games in the mainline series :^)

Funny story about cobalion btw. Somehow I managed to catch it with my level 18 musharna who I'm SHOCKED did not die

I think the moment that gave me the biggest shock was seeing reshiram's awakening. I had gotten a couple 3D dual screen cutscenes before which already wowed me, but this was something else entirely. Admittedly part of the reason I'm so sentimental. The inspiration I got from the art of it alone was insurmountable. I don't know what it is.... there's something so...... haunting, almost..... about dual screen cutscenes on the ds. Unsure if that's just a me thing. But I've always been captivated by this sort of stuff. The space between the screens occluding parts of the image creates the effect of it bleeding out into the real world almost; it's really cool. Audibly gasped at the eye close up

There's a lot more I can say about it, including things relating to how much my experience contributed to me being able to properly flesh out my b/w trainersona. But I'll leave it at this for now :^) it was a great experience, truly

THANKS FOR GETTING TO THE BOTTOM! POLL TIME AS A REWARD!

As I've said, I still have a bit of post-game to play before totally moving on. HOWEVER! I'm currently trying to pick which game I should play next! Originally I had planned to move straight into shadows of almia (as it's my personal favorite pokemon game, one which I've beaten many times), but now I'm considering platinum, as that was my first ever childhood pokemon game (one which I also never beat). I'd like to list soul silver as well considering it was my second ever game...... but my only physical copy of that was on a pirated cartridge I got at a thrift shop that's since stopped working T_T and I'd rather play a physical copy than an emulator, so it'll have to wait

[infinitebrians]

Favorite Games of 2023! Part 1: Pikmin 4

Something I really enjoyed doing for 2022 was making drawing to go with my top favorite games I played that year. So I wanted to do that again with 2023 and do a bit of writing to go along with it. I've always been meaning to try writing/documenting my thoughts so hopefully this isn't all just gibberish. Please enjoy!

PIKMIN 4

I got real into Pikmin for the first time ever over this past year. The series finally clicked with me both partially because of this game but also because of just seeing other people be excited about the series as well. I saw it in a lot of fan art or meme videos about bulborbs or Oatchi and so on and I just found it all charming and fun.

One thing in particular that got me to become a fan of the whole series was @hollowtones and @anonymouspuzzler 's streams of Pikmin 1 (https://youtu.be/Yu3Ev5aDZcI?feature=shared). A really fun streams that were also quite informative (surprisingly so) about how the series had a bit more depth to its world design than I ever really gave it credit for. That stream also got me to finally do something I couldn’t do when I was a kid and finally finish a playthrough of this Gamecube copy of Pikmin 1 I’ve had my whole life. That game rules except for a truly miserable final boss fight!

So all that lead me to want to finally check out Pikmin 4, a game that gave me the joy of dandori (something else I found people constantly joking about). To be reductive, the game is all about using your army of silly little guys to pick up all the trash you can get them to carry while avoiding death at the hands at colorful alien horrors beyond your comprehension. What made that collection focused gameplay really click with me in this series has been the time limit each game has and finding and honing the art to getting as much done with that time that I can. It’s what kept me coming back to completely 100%ing the game, getting all the stuff, getting platinums for all the challenges, and so on. While 4 never felt especially hard ever, I always found the aspect of trying to be as optimal with my time as possible to be a more than good enough replacement for a more typical difficulty.

The only real big disappointment I had with the game was with the characters I interacted with in the game, their long drawn out tutorial/introduction was unwanted and their game long constant need to pestering and nagging about any sort of mistakes they could observe grew extremely tiresome. I wish I liked them because the character designs of these funny little space guys are so charming, I even really liked my own player character despite how inconsequential they are.

The game also introduced Oatchi, the wonderful perfect doggy who could have absolutely ruined the the mechanical charm of the game by just always being the solution to just about any problem the game throws your way. I thought it stayed acceptable to me due to how he still felt fun use and was just a very charming guy. Just look at that dude! He goes ‘ufufufufufuf’ if you mash on the whistle button, how can you ever be mad at Oatchi? Love that guy, shouts out to Oatchi, dogthing of all time.

Pikmin 4 was just a delight to me to play a few hours of every night and just pick away at each area at a time, picking up all the cool junk i could find. A very happy surprise of a game after entering into 2023 not even considering the game in the first place.

[atelier-slime]

DRAGON QUEST'S LOCALIZATION SUCKS, ACTUALLY. PART 1

There's a thread blowing up on Japanese twitter right now about the poor quality of localization. It's the first time I've ever actually seen a japanese perspective on the topic, and it's been extremely gratifying to see a ton people from over there talk about specific translation issues they've seen or learn for the first time that japanese media is often given the short end of the stick here in the USA.

Most of the time over here in the US, criticism of localization gets shouted down as whiny fans who think they know better than the translators. It's been heartening to see that people from japan are also annoyed by it, and its inspired me to write up a whole long-ass rant I've had simmering in the back of my mind for years, so buckle up, long post(s) incoming:

Let's start at the beginning with the first thing that ever caused me to start thinking about localization. This little guy:

If you've played Dragon Quest in the past 2 decades, you probably know this guy by the name "Spiked Hare." Not me though! I got into DQ on the game boy, in the brief window of time where DQ's localization was handled by Nob Ogasawara, the same guy responsible for translating every pokemon game up until Platinum. In the DQ games Nob worked on, he chose to translate this guy's name as "Almiraj." Why the huge difference in translation? I'll get to that in a minute.

The almiraj is an extremely minor enemy in Dragon Quest 3. It's pretty weak, and it's only real defining feature is that it can occasionally cast sleep spells on your party members. It's just one of hundreds of monsters in that game, and aside from it's cute design, it's pretty forgettable. As a weird kid overly obsessed with linguistics though, its name always seemed odd to me. You don't really see words that end with a "J" in english. It stuck out enough that one night, when I was bored, I decided to google "almiraj" to figure out what the name meant. It sent me down a rabbit hole (almiraj hole?) that taught me all sorts of cool shit, and permanently altered the way I looked at localization. The path I tumbled down that night went something like this:

The Dragon Quest almiraj is named after the almiraj, a "real" mythical creature described as a hare with a large horn on its head.

The original inspiration for accounts of the almiraj (as well as the jackalope, wolpertinger, etc.) is likely the Shope papiloma Virus, which causes rabbits to grow weird, horn-like growths on their face and head.

It was described by Zakariya al-Qazwini, an Iranian lawyer, author, and all around knowledgeable guy who lived in the 13th century.

al-Qazwini described it in the Aja'ib al-Makhluqat, a massive cosmographical treatise that attempted to describe basically everything in the known universe at the time. It was so popular in the Islamic world that it was copied and translated into dozens of languages, which meant plenty of copies have survived intact to modern times.

The almiraj was brought into the limelight in modern fantasy when it was introduced in the first edition of Dungeons and Dragons, as a relatively weak and unassuming monster as part of a campaign to expand the game with monster suggestions from fans of the series.

Dungeons and Dragons-style role playing games were brought into the digital world with the release of the first Wizardry game in 1981.

Yuji Horii was a massive fan of Wizardry, which he first discovered as part of a developer exchange program when he visited America in 1983. Three years later, he decided to try and recreate the things he loved from the series for console gamers in Japan, and the the original Dragon Quest was born.

One little name was all it took to open up this entire through-line of history that I had no idea even existed before that night. It's a tapestry of human experiences over 800 years in the making, spanning continents, cultures, languages, and medium. It's probably because I'm the type of person who sits around thinking about stuff too much, but I honestly get a little emotional wondering what al-Qazwini would think if he could see the mythical creatures he described all those years ago as little dudes hopping around inside a computer.

And the thing is the tapestry doesn't end there! Dragon Quest is still pretty niche in the west, but in Japan it's fucking titanic. There's an urban legend that the Japanese government banned Square Enix from releasing Dragon Quest games on a weekday, because so many people would skip work or school that it would impact the economy. (It's not true by the way, but the fact that the rumor exists at all is a testament to how huge the series' influence is over there.) I don't think it would be an overstatement to say that what Lord of the Rings did to modern western fantasy, Dragon Quest did to modern Japanese fantasy. Almost every JRPG, manga, or anime with a fantasy setting has the fingerprints of Dragon Quest on it. Countless other works have been inspired by DQ, and those works will go on to inspire others. A million different threads weaving tapestries back and forth across time and borders, all over the globe. And the almiraj is a part of that! It might just be a single, tiny, white and purple thread, but it's still in there helping to tie things together.

So back to the question I asked earlier: Why is it "Almiraj" in Mr. Ogasawara's translation but "Spiked hare" in the current one? Simple: Nob actually translated the name.

You can see on the DQ wiki that the original japanese name of the monster is "アルミラージ" which is literally just "almiraj" written in katakana:

The current DQ team has instead decided that all monster names should be puns. I'm not against puns or anything. "Spiked hare" for a rabbit with a horn is great! I might even raise my eyebrows and exhale slightly if I read it for the first time. Dragon Quest in general tends to have a lot of goofiness in it, so it's not like puns are out of place or anything. My problem is that, by deciding to replace monster names arbitrarily like this, all the little threads start to come unraveled. You lose the ability to look back down the line and discover all these different connections to history and nature and art that you might not ever learn otherwise. The almiraj isn't the only monster to get this treatment. A huge portion of the monsters in Dragon Quest are taken from mythologies around the world, and many of their names are literally already in English, just written with katakana.

The almiraj sticks out in my mind as a particularly egregious example because of just how much I learned because of the foreign-sounding name, but there's plenty of other name changes that have resulted in straight up confusing, ambiguous, or otherwise stupid outcomes in the current localization.

CONTINUED IN PART 2

[gwynndolin]

I'm about to wipe my PC and am currently gathering a bunch of personal files that I wanted to save and remembered that I specifically started taking clips of SF6 pretty much as soon as I got the game to watch my skill progress over time.

The first clip is from 6/4/2023 and was the very first clip that I recorded from the game, the final match in arcade mode against a level 6 JP computer. You can really tell there's absolutely not much going on in my head when it comes to playing at all, previous to this game I have no traditional fighting game experience. I knew basically hadoken inputs (cammy, my main, doesn't even have a hadoken, qcircle forward punch is hooligan combination) and that was pretty much it.

The second clip is the final online clip I have on my hard drive from 7/31/2023. In just under two months I ended up making it all the way to platinum! When I had first started playing, my commitment was actually only to make it into silver, and then probably flounder in low gold until I gave up on the game, so I shot wayyyy over my mark.

I haven't really touched the game since then, other life stuff started getting in the way of playing, but I've been to an arcade that has a cabinet set up and surprisingly the muscle memory for doing a lot of these combos is still there. Maybe one day when I have some more time I'll get back into it, but I'm still hella proud of my run, even if I don't ever get back into it

[nukaberries]

mr. house with a pre-war courier? (idfk how it would work, maybe another cryo vault on the west coast.(maybe the courier is an business exc too??))

Okay, this is making me wanna boot up New Vegas and start a Mr. House playthrough (I'm ngl I've only ever completed the game with the NCR, but I'm working on a Yes Man game atm LMAO)

//

Mr. House Meets a Pre-War Courier (Robert House x GN!Courier - can be platonic or romantic)

House had thought he'd recognised the Courier's name, but he could never have been too sure.

After all, 200 years had passed, everyone he'd known before the war was either a ghoul or dead.

He'd heard the Courier's name before though, recalling that once one belonging to an old business executive.

Surely that was just a coincidence though, if there was still someone alive who'd had almost as much influence as him before the war, he would've known already.

Then the time came for him to meet the Courier and for the first time in his life, Robert House was left speechless.

Of course, his first question - asides from wanting to know the location of the Platinum Chip - is how the Courier managed to survive the bombs and not age the last 200 years.

The answer leaves him even more confused and almost embarrassed, wondering how there'd been a cryo-vault on the West Coast without him knowing.

Once he's done discussing business matters, House is somewhat willing to make conversation about life before the war.

It's not like he has anyone else to talk to it about, so even though he'd rather keep things professional, it's nice to reminisce on the past, even if just for a moment.

Not only that, but he and the Courier worked in similar professions, so being able to relate in that sense is nice too.

It only makes him want the Courier on his side even more. Not that it would be difficult to dispose of them if it came down to it, but he'd rather keep them around.

Besides, he liked the company. He couldn't deny that, even with his Securitrons, his life felt quite isolating.

So he plans to keep the Courier around for as long as he can, hoping they don't give him a reason not to trust them.

[aquamata]

some of my pokemon teams :> for @yuuichirouh bc i want you to see them lol

so i don't really have any of my og teams on their games except for alpha sapphire, sword, and violet. and thats because i replayed the ds games so often, but im sure ive transfered them to home or another game

BUT from my most recent playthroughs this is what i got C:

This is my most recent save from diamond and tbh i didnt play diamond that much ever since i got platinum bc i could get glaceon wayy sooner without help.

but this trainer card was my team my very first run when i was 13 :)

not too uncommon from what many other people used LOL

NOW THIS IS PROBABLY MY FAVORITE TEAM EVER, i know its not balanced but idc about that it's got some of my fav pokemon and a cute little guy mascot (chimecho:) it's definitely not the team i first played platinum with but i like the lil story i made for it when i did this playthrough so it's very special to me <3

~~~~~

I was in the middle of replaying black and white and w2 for a story i was gonna write i think so i don't have any saves for them yet but heres some teams i know i used for black, white, and black 2

tbh i replayed the gen 5 games so so much i used a lot of their pokemon and i loved a lot of them too, but these were the ones i remember the most and my white playthrough i probably my favorite bc braviary is one of my favorite bird pokemon :)

~~~~~

OH WAIT I ALMOST FORGOT SOULSILVER

ok this is the only team i remember playing soulsilver and i don't have the game cartidge because i sold it a long time ago for quick cash T0T MY BIGGEST REGRET!!! i've been on the hunt for another copy to play with again but gotdamn i dont wanna spend hundreds of dollars for this game no matter how much i want it T^T

~~~~~~

okie heres my tiny team for Y . i did try that shiny hunt fishing technique to get that shiny Dragalge tho B) tbh this isn't my first y team either because i specifically remember using that ice rock dinosaur that i forget the name of.

~~~~

OK and here's my alpha sapphire team, first time in hoenn and this is my first and only team for this save lol and i know that because it's that shiny metagross you got as a promotion, ALSO shiny bellossom i found randomly and i named him basil c:

~~~~

i dont't have my first moon save or the sun save i played like once but my last save on moon was primarina, lilligant, minior, mimikyu, snorlax, and mismagius. i hate how they don't have a hall of fame pic with all of them at once in sun and moon and beyond but oh well T-T

here is that shiny minior i got from chain shiny hunting named pinball <3

~~~~

OKAYY MOVING ONNN, heres my sword team, and yeah i used three pokemon from my platinum run because this was right after i finished platinum with that team i liked so much i used them again for sword because they were available LOL

~~~~~

and finally my violet team <333 alll girls and i was laughing about this with my discord friends because this was just a girly pop run and we were all amused by it lololol

anyways sorry this was so long but id love to see your teams too!!! yknow what @hopefulstarfire i wanna hear you yap about your og teams too

[the-beauty-in-the-unexpected]

((a Pokemon IRL blog run by @theangstking, a Platinum protag OC who moved to Paldea after the events of the game))

my name is Naoyori, I'm 17 years old, and a student at Naranja-Uva Academy. use he/him pronouns for me.

if you recognize me from events that occured in Sinnoh - no you don't. that was years ago, and I'm not inclined to talk about any of it.

if you recognize me from my time as a coordinator? I'm more willing to talk about it.

I came to Paldea and enrolled in Naranja-Uva Academy to try and relax, get away from stress, and start a new life. I want to make friends that aren't associated with the traumatic experiences I've been through.

I enjoy training and interacting with Pokemon that I consider "misunderstood". Pokemon that get a bad rep from society for some reason or another. this leads me to love a lot of ghost, and dark type Pokemon. fairy and psychic types as well admittedly - you'd be surprised how many fairy and psychic types people won't give a chance because they consider them "creepy".

below the cut is my tag directory and information about my Pokemon.

Houndoom - Bones - male - my starter, essentially. my mother's Houndoom had an egg after we moved to Sinnoh, and she gave it to me to raise.

Hypno - Cookies - male - he loves cookies, and when I caught him as a Drowzee, it was actually because I won him over with cookies.

Vileplume - Petals - female - raised from an Oddish, she made it clear she wanted to evolve into a Vileplume early on. she's the prettiest Vileplume I've ever seen, though that may be bias because she's mine.

Spiritomb - Keys - female - met while unusually weak, I nursed her back to health and she decided to stay with me. she likes to dance.

Krookodile - Shades - male - met as a Krokorok, he actually bit me when we first met. he didn't like me at first - I'd caught him to take him to a Pokemon Center because he was injured. he quickly grew to begrudgingly like me, and now he's extremely protective of me.

Ambipom - Claps - male - a Pokemon I trained for battle, who still loves battling even. his legs needed to be amputated due to injury, but he manages perfectly fine making his way around with his tails.

Dusknoir - - male -

Toxicroak - Pies - male - named after a silly trait of his, he likes to throw pies in people's faces to make them laugh. he actually enjoys helping with baking.

Purugly - - female - she was declawed as a Glameow by a family, who later had her removed from their home due to mistreatment. she's been in my care since I saw her at an adoption center, I fell utterly in love with her. she evolved soon after I adopted her. she's never been much of a battle 'mon and I've never forced her into the role.

Gliscor - Fangs - male - a retired battler who now prefers to do a lot of acrobatic tricks. one of my contest stars.

Zorua - Tufts - male - a silly little Zorua I befriended with a bit of help. currently training to be part of my current battle team and doing amazing at it.

Houndoom - Lady - female - my mother's Houndoom who I recently took into my care.

Stunky - Stripes - female - a very skittish Stunky with an inability to spray, and her back leg doesn't work properly, neither of these things are inherently causing her any major issues however

Kantonian Slowpoke - Teefs - female - bitey little girl, her bites don't hurt and she's a sweetheart

shiny Kantonian Slowpoke - Sweets - male - didn't realize he was shiny at first, he's very easy-going, though I think a lot of his personality is currently being determined by the fact that he's tired a lot right now

Galarian Slowpoke - Spices - female - she loves music, and doesn't seem to be easily bothered by much of anything

Galarian Slowpoke - Beans - male - likes to stuff his face, loves eating, doesn't seem to be picky either

Morelull - Lights - female - very protective over Shrooms, feisty little gal

Shiny Morelull - Shrooms - male - cuddly and a little bit anxious, enjoys being held safely under my jacket when out and about

Piplup - Wings - female

Chimchar - Bananas - male

Turtwig - Scales - male

Eevee - Whiskers - male

tags :

originals - my own posts

reblogs - reblogs

answers - asks and submissions

wisps pranking saga - my Darkrai Wisps likes to play pranks...

((oocmun - ooc/admin posts

Pelipper Mail: on

M!As: off))

[targaryenofrph]

The First Time by Kelsea Ballerini Sentence Starters

Change the pronouns and tense as needed for your verses.

"You might be acting like you're my man" "You're still in love with your ex"

"I'm not one to be anybody's second best"

"Stop holding onto me when the truth is you can't let go"

"I might be platinum blonde, but I ain't dumb"

"I guess I had a naive heart because I let you have it"

"You said I was your only"

"Never thought you'd leave me lonely"

"You're just a lost boy with your head up in the clouds"

"You'll never grow up"

"Deep down, I knew that you were too good to be true"

"Every piece and part of me wanted to believe in you

"Show me what you're made of"

"I don't have time to waste on the boys that are playing the games"

"If you're gonna talk the talk, you better walk it"

"I've had my share of losers, liars, and users looking for a heart to break"

"Wouldn't that be boring?"

"You know that you don't have to go where they go"

"You can go write your own story"

"Who do you wanna be?"

"There's a lot of open doors you can go and explore"

"Just because you're different doesn't mean you're crazy"

"I hate to admit it but my hands are shaking"

"Looks like feelings don't always change their minds"

"Guess somethings never change"

"Just like living in a flashback... you let me down again"

"That's why the past should be the past"

"Nothing's changed except the time that's passed"

"That's why good-bye should mean good-bye the first time"

"I'm kicking myself for believing in you again"

"Even when you don't have me you can still be the one to hurt me"

"It must feel good to know that I'm still holding on to letting go"

"The night is young and so are we"

"There's a spot I know down the road we can go"

"Doesn't it make you feel so small?"

"Your reputation beats you"

"I guess I'm just not the running kind

"You were nothing but trouble"

"I've always had a weakness for a terrible and twisted storm"

"Sometimes you could hear a pin drop or the ticking of the clock"

"Am I the product of a problem that I couldn't change?"

"I know that you can't walk across a bridge that's already burned"

"Sometimes I hear myself saying hand-me-down words"

"I wanna prove me wrong, but I'm scared I'll prove me right"

"I know everybody wants you"

"Go ahead and say what you're gonna say, give it to me straight, don't sugarcoat it"

"Go ahead and do what you're gonna do"

"We're already done, I already know it"

"You don't get to get to me"

"I wear my pain like stilettos"

"As bad as it may hurt, you'll never know"

"I talk the talk like I'm a tough girl"

"When you get burned, you learn to be strong"

"A little black dress to cover my mess so you won't know my heart is breaking"

"You got that something in your eyes, I think about it all the time"

"I'm trying to keep it cool"

"You shine and you can't even help it"

"Your eyes could make the moon jealous"

"Every song that's playing gets me thinking about you"

"All we ever think about is fun"

"Doesn't everyone wanna sit on top of the world?"

"The nights are young and our IDs are fake"

[angelofthepage]

Okay, so lately I've been seeing a lot of mixed feelings (namely on Twitter) about the announcement of Bendy: Dreams Come to Life getting a graphic novel iteration. There is a LOT to talk about when it comes to this thing, and maybe I'll discuss it more another time, but today I wanna talk about the thing I've been hearing the most: strong feelings about having canonical designs for the human versions of some of our favorite characters.

In Dreams Come to Life, we have physical appearances from the following BATIM characters (that I can remember off the top of my head, I may be missing some):

Joey Drew

Sammy Lawrence

Norman Polk

Thomas Connor

Allison Pendle

Bertrum Piedmont

Wally Franks (this one I'm unsure on, it's been a hot minute)

This means that for the first time, we're gonna know what all of them look like as humans in the minds of the game developers, since, let's be real, if they're doing this thoughtfully, there is likely a lot of communication with the artist they got for this book. Making sure these characters fit their vision is a very probable priority.

In this fandom, we have had the freedom to design whatever the heck we want for the human versions of these characters. And that has been so much fun. You've had all sorts of takes, from characters mirroring their voice actors to completely original things that you never would have expected. Some things would pop up consistently in fan designs, and others would be an occasional pleasant surprise. We've seen a lot of things tweaked over the years, sometimes because we latch onto designs we like from artists we've met in the fandom and incorporate them into our own. Sometimes it's because we get new information in the canon, like Sammy confirmed to be blonde in The Illusion of Living (EDIT: I was extremely wrong on this, he is not confirmed blonde in this book, but he does have long and floppy hair that Joey thought should be slicked back more, and also Jack had some wild fashion), Allison is platinum blonde in DCTL, Wally having a hat as of his YouTube audiolog, Shawn and Tom wearing belts as of Boris and the Dark Survival, Tom being a wall of a man, Bertrum being a bear of a guy, etc. But even before Wally was confirmed to have a hat, a lot of us gave him a hat anyway, because the idea of him with a hat is fun! Bertrum being large, Tom being really tough! Heck, I saw a number of blonde Susies and Allisons before we got that bit on Allison, because it's fun to contrast their looks with that of Alice. That's the spirit of all of this, we make these designs because it's fun! You have characters all across the board in terms of race, sexuality, gender identity, age, body types, etc, because it's fun to imagine the possibilities for all of them with this cast that we love (and sometimes connect with them on a personal level), regardless of what's "canon" or not.

One of the things I'm hearing a lot is that some people don't want canon designs, and it sounds like it stems from a fear that they can't make their own designs anymore. And for those people, I'd like to ask, when has that ever stopped us? I mean that as a genuine question, I'm not here to mock anyone. Like, my first big fandom experience was over with Sonic as a teenager, and I never dreamed of deviating from the canon because I just, did not have any experience with that at the time. Bendy was really good for showing me that there's a LOT of ways the fandom experience can go, especially on this front. When Bendy and the Dark Revival came out, and we got two really major reveals for character designs: Memory Joey and Henry Stein. Henry, a character fans have been designing for YEARS, a character shrouded in mystery, finally got a confirmed design, and you know what happened? We started drawing this new design, but we didn't stop drawing our fan designs just because we got this new one. BATDR Henry has kind of been adopted into the fandom the same way we do designs for AUs, he's just another AU guy that happens to be canon to the sequel game. Heck, I love seeing art where fandom takes on Henry are interacting with BATDR Henry, it's really sweet honestly.

And that's exactly the attitude I have towards this graphic novel. It does not matter how these characters are designed, we are still valid and allowed to make whatever the heck we want. And if people really try to gatekeep it and scream that you're only allowed to draw the canon, I think that says more about them than it does anything else. Go draw what makes you happy (so long as it's not hurting anyone, obviously there is some nuance here but that is a whole other can of worms)! The only thing that this actually changes (or at least, what I'm guessing will change) is what's gonna fly when it comes to stuff like the fan art contests and challenges/what the devs might choose to retweet in terms of fan art. But that's only one part of the fan art scene. Otherwise, go fandom your way! No one is stopping you, draw what makes YOU happy. I am still going to draw a pointy blonde disaster of a music director however I please, even after we see Sammy in canon. Because darn it I like my Sammy, he is my strawberry blonde (depending on the world, sometimes it's more ashy) buffoon, and one new version of a book doesn't change my love for that.

That said, I am really curious how the teams behind this series imagine these characters. I feel the same way about it that I do my fellow fan artists. To me this really is just another AU, the DCTL AU. I think I'm less curious about the game characters and more about the characters native to this book, and that's got more to do with, well, I don't see a lot of people designing them! There's some, but they're not flooding my timeline like the game characters do. Like, I've designed the DCTL art department before for a Sims game, but I haven't gone much farther than that. I wanna know what Abby looks like, give me her fashion! I wanna see Buddy, Dot, and Jacob! I'm still keeping my Jacob design regardless, I love playing with him, but gosh do I wanna know what Jacob looks like in canon. Same with Dot. I have a lot of hopes for both of them, and I'm trying to lower my expectations so as not to be disappointed if it doesn't turn out that way. Like Dot has potential to be our first plus sized Bendy character given how she's described (also the first to wear glasses), of COURSE I want to see that! She's my writer girl that's super sus and incredibly interesting to me personally, I love her! And then I have more information to consider when I go to design my dolls (because believe you me, dolls based on the books have been on my list for a LONG time). I'm curious how much input Adrienne Kress will have here as the author, like I would love to know what's going on in her mind with these characters!

Whatever happens next, the most important thing to remember is that you're free to create whatever you like. Go make things that make you happy. That's all the devs are doing in the end, and if it's good enough for them, it's more than good enough for us. Bendy is made the way it is (hopefully) because that's what they wanted to make. Like why make an indie project that makes you miserable, you know? I don't know what to think of this new graphic novel, but whatever happens, I'm gonna take it with a grain of salt and keep doing what I always do: make my own fun out of what we're given. That's what fandom is, a place to enjoy a piece of media. And everyone enjoys this sort of thing differently. Find what works for you.

[dragon-snoots-a-boopin]

I am not 100% if I have done this before so I am going to call this my updated Destiny 2 vs Warframe post. However, before I get into thing, please note that EVERYTHING I SAY IS BASED ON MY OWN EXPERIENCES IN BOTH GAMES and that my experiences may differ from yours and if you can't accept that then just stop reading now and go somewhere else. Now I shall get into my thoughts and opinions on both of these games.

As noted in the last post, this one will be all about Warframe. I am first going to start with the things that I like about Warframe and while I am doing that, I will be comparing those things to how things are in Destiny 2.

Now, the first thing is something I pretty much already said in the post, so I am not doing to dwell too much on it. But, basically I think that Warframe is a very good looking game. I do, however, think that Destiny 2 is the better looking game of the two.

Also, as stated in the previous post, Warframe has a very amazing soundtrack. Again, I don't like the vocal tracks but, all the other tracks are so good and I love listening to its soundtrack. Same can be said for Destiny 2 and its soundtracks. So much amazing much that I can listen to anytime.

Warframe absolutely EXCELS at being a F2P game, especially with the vast amount of content at ones disposal. You have like seven to eight planets to do all the nodes on, you have Duviri which also has The Circuit and Steel Path, you have the stuff associated with Railjack missions and so on! Best thing too is that a good amount Warframes and weapons can just be obtained from farming assassination missions and don't have to be bought from a store. Warframe has a terrific F2P structure that definitely sets it far above Destiny 2. Calling Destiny 2 a free to play game is an utter joke. What can one do as a free to play player in Destiny 2 anyway? Well, there is no base game campaign anymore which was the major reason I even tried Destiny 2 in the first place. You get a tutorial mission in place of that and the first mission of each expansion and that's really all the story content you get. You have a limited number of strikes, I think only three or four of them. You have Gambit which, honestly, I have no idea what this mode is as I've never done it. You have Crucible which is PVP which I imagine is a small amount of maps for F2P players. There's the Dares Of Eternity activity from the 30th Anniversary and then there are two raids and one dungeon. Yeah, as a F2P game, Destiny 2 lacks so much. Once you do these things beyond the first time, you'll see just how boring this game really is.

One area where Warframe excels because it has an actual, sound F2P structure. Now, I've heard some people say that one doesn't have to spend a dime on Warframe and I am sorry, but that isn't true. The difference with Warframe is that one doesn't have to spend much on the game. To me, Warframe having a limited number of inventory slots is a major thing. Initially when starting the game, you have a whopping two Warframe slots and if you get more Warframes, it'll cost you 20 platinum per slot and platinum is something that has to be bought with real money. I myself have spent around $7 on platinum because of this, because I have 11 Warframes with a 12th on the way soon. I find it to be a little but looser when it comes to inventory slots for primary, secondary and melee weapons. But here's the thing, you can EARN more inventory slots by doing the Nightweave dailies so if you want to get more slots slowly, that's the way to do it. Also, yes, of course, like Destiny 2, Warframe has a store where you can buy stuff with you platinum. But, ultimately, Warframe is such a better F2P game that Destiny 2 will ever be. When it comes to Destiny 2 thought, if you don't want to be a F2P player and don't want to sit in an empty well of content, you could always fork over somewhere between $160 and $200 to get all the DLC for the game. Oh yeah, you could also spend additional money on the season pass and in game shop too. What? You don't want to fork over more money for a game that you already paid money for? Yeah, no one wants to do that.

Now, something I like with Warframe is that I am only picking between the Warframes I have. What do I mean by that? Well, what I am trying to say is that, unlike Destiny 2, I am glad that in Warframe I am not gaining gear and weapons in missions that I am equip and upgrade for whatever the next mission is and then get rid of that stuff because I got better gear in said next mission. That is something I genuinely get annoyed with in Destiny 2, like why I am spending all this time putting resources into gear and weapons that I am going to ditch after one mission?

There's probably much more I like about Warframe that I am just forgetting in this moment or that is just more rehashed from the previous post. So, I am going to move on to what I don't like about Warframe.

Somthing I think that Warframe really lacks is cohesive storytelling. This came up very recently when I made a post about the Duviri Paradox and how the story was very lost upon me and someone said that it makes more sense after one does The War Within quest and I'm over here like, yeah, and one can't do that until The Second Dream is done and I just don't understand this method of out of order storytelling. Thing is, I don't think that Destiny 2 is any better in regards to storytelling. Given that the games base campaign no longer exists and that Bungie just deletes their old DLC stories to fit whatever the current story is doesn't help either. Maybe don't do so many world shattering events and have to keep resetting the story. Clarification: When I talk about how Destiny 2 has a lot of DLC stories that have been deleted, I am NOT talking about the lore of the game because the game's lore in certainly intact. What I mean by DLC stories being deleted is how The Red War campaign, Curse Of Orsiris campaign and Warmind campaign have been deleted, vaulted and made inaccessible by Bungie themselves.

I do wish that Warframe had a little more interesting things going on when it comes to level design. I mean, one could do like three different types of missions in a row and all three of those missions could very well be on the same looking map and that's kind of lazy if you ask me. Of course, for Destiny 2 this is largely dependent upon if you do or do not have all the DLC. If you're a F2P player then yeah, you're going to be doing things on the same three to four maps but will have more map variety if you have all the DLC.

Warfame could definitely benefit from more enemy variety. Like, every mission you do you'll either be fighting Grineer, Corpus, Infested, those things you fight in the Durviri Paradox and that's it. Sure, there are different sub types of each of those but an entirely new enemy faction would just be so terrific. Destiny 2 isn't any better in this regard either. Enemies in Destiny 2 are either Cabal, Fallen, Hive, Scorn, Taken or Vex and that's it. Sure, that is more variety than Warframe but it's still so limited.

Ultimately, I still and will always regard Warframe to be the better game between the two. But, I still do enjoying popping on to Destiny 2 for a short time and doing some a strike or two as I do think that Destiny 2 is fun game...just that Warframe is a lot more fun and the better game in my opinion.