#this is to help Dev who is an amazing writer!!

[felassan]

July 22nd DA:TV Game Informer article (their last DA:TV coverage article) on Everything we Know about Bellara - cliff notes:

Bellara is Dalish elf (played by Jee Young Han as we know). There might be more to her than meets the eye

"Now, with two of [the elven] gods on the loose, magic has poured back into the world in a big way"

CC is expansive

Bellara is the first companion we will recruit (Neve and Harding join automatically it seems)

She is a mage, a Veil Jumper (who she represents), quirky, energetic, effervescent, optimistic, bubbly, academic, a tinkerer, an explorer of ancient elven ruins

John Epler wrote her and led her development, and collective team effort from lots of departments brought her to life

The BW team really love her

Gary McKay quote: "I love Bellara, I think she's fantastic. I see people that I know in her and so that's how she really resonates with me. I love the whole tinkerer aspect to her. It was a collective to bring that character to life. It was everything from the writers, to the editors, the animators, to character modelers, to the texturing, to how we light her. I'm really proud of that character."

She is a good choice in combat for both support and elemental combos. She starts out as a support character, but can be built in other ways

She attacks with a bow at range using electrically-charged arrows. She can also cast time-slow and healing spells (she can be built to heal Rook autonomously). She does this by channeling magical energy into her gauntlet

As such she leans into electrical damage

Damage type matters a lot in the strategy and tactics of combat

She can unleash a devastating vortex to pull enemies into an electrical storm (an AOE spell)

She can debuff enemies with the shocked affliction, which makes them take passive damage

Corinne Busche quote: "Oh my goodness, she is amazing. [The Veil Jumpers] investigate the ancient ruins of Arlathan. Everything about her character as a mage leans into that, but she also challenges the kind of archetypal idea of a mage."

The Veil Jumpers journey through Arlathan where the ancient empire used to exist and left a lot of artifacts and magical technology behind when it disappeared

Bellara represents this yearning to find the truth of who the elves were after they lost their magic, immortality and a lot of their history

"they still left a lot of their artifacts and a lot of their, for lack of a better term, magical technology behind"

John Epler quote: "A lot of what they know of their past is based on myth, it's based on rumor. Bellara is a knowledge seeker. She wants to find out what's true, what's not; she wants to find the pieces of who the elves used to be and really understand what their story was, where they came from, as well as figure out where they're going next, and find a future for the elves. And within the context of The Veilguard, she joins the team, first of all, to help stop the gods because Bellara feels at least partially responsible since they are elven gods, but also to maybe find a little bit more of who they used to be. Because again, you're dealing with these elves that were around millennia ago that have now reemerged into the world, and who better to teach her who the elves used to be than them."

Magic's place in the world in DA:TV differs from prior games. In Tevinter and other spaces in DA:TV it's much more present by definition and the lore (though the devs wanted to make sure magic didn't violate previously-established lore rules)

Solas is a "determined and tragic character" who "tends to wallow". [nb, these are quotes from the article]. in contrast, Bellara has seen a lot of tragedy in her backstory (we will see this as we get into her arc), but instead of wallowing, she has forced herself to push past it. "She looks at her regrets, and she tells herself, 'I don't want to feel regret'

John: "Whereas again, Solas tends to wallow in his to a large degree. And it allows us to create a very big differentiation. Part of it is also because Solas is an ancient elf, whereas Bellara is a Dalish elf, but she just sees a problem and wants to solve it. She feels a tremendous amount of responsibility to her people [...] to the Dalish, and to the Veil Jumpers, and that drives her forward. That said, she does have her moments where she has doubt, she has moments where she has a more grim outlook, and there are moments where you realize that some of her sunny, optimistic outlook is kind of a mask that she puts on to hide the fact that she's hurting, she's in pain. But in general, she doesn't see any benefit to wallowing in those regrets."

[source]

[nadas-dirthalen]

It sounds petty but I don't feel bad about liking veilguard and getting what the game is trying to tell me after I read the nonsense that people say on why this game is bad, especially from that solavellan corner that seems to think that this game was made to slight them because it's not solavellan the reunion game. The romance that got a special ending 🤡, made to slight them...pls tell me ur joking.

Listen, pal. I am a Solavellan, and I agree with you here. Obviously I have nothing against the ship (because it's my ship, too), but I feel like frankly it is silly for anyone to expect that Veilguard would be a Solavellan game. With my writer hat on here, you just cannot expect that the devs will make a choice that will deeply anger 50% of their playerbase, when there are options out there that fit the narrative even better that don't cause that anger.

At the crux of that are two pillars that I believe make using Rook as a protagonist the best choice:

Your protagonist cannot know everything that's going on. The Inquisitor learned so much during Trespasser that I was able to predict a lot of Solas' backstory with a reasonable amount of accuracy in the weeks before Veilguard dropped. If the Inquisitor was the protagonist in Veilguard, their dialogue options would have to reflect that players are able to start the game knowing that information. Even in a direct sequel that follows a year after the preceding game, that is going to cause the majority of your playerbase to be completely lost while they play. We forget, on tumblr dot com, that most Dragon Age fans are not at all like us: they don't know the intricacies of the lore enough to be able to even know what their dialogue options are really implying. And BioWare is, unfortunately, a company that has to make money to keep itself afloat. They have to appeal to more people than just the ones here on tumblr dot com.

We needed to see an utterly diabolical side of Solas. For the ending to have any nuance at all, for the narrative to properly acknowledge and display that Solas was ever anything but a humble apostate, we had to not just hear about, but see firsthand that Solas can, in fact, be awful. That depth is what makes his character compelling in the first place. Without it, Solas would not come off as convincing in either direction: he would not be seen as an Evanuris in the way that the narrative tells us he is, and he would not be seen as this guy who is redeemable despite everything, because who he still is after all that horror can in fact be someone who is soft, who is kind, who is caring. If that side had been displayed in full to the Inquisitor, especially a romanced Inquisitor, their relationship would have been redefined. The person Solas was with the Inquisitor (be they friend or romance) would have been cheapened, if not outright ruined. Could you imagine if Solas had lied about Varric's death to his vhenan? The friend they both had? Could you imagine if Solas betrayed his vhenan and locked them in the prison of regret without second thought? Nope. Noooope.

That's why I love Rook as a protagonist. The next iteration of Hawke: just a small cog in the machine, one person affected by Solas' actions (the blight, the Veil thinning, the dwarves, being mortal at all—take your pick). An underdog with the odds stacked against them, who is unequipped to deal with those many betrayals and gets through with the help of their companions. That's the angle to Solas that we needed.

To say nothing about how amazing I feel the parallel with Rook grieving Varric versus Solas grieving Mythal truly is.

I am happy we got an ending, because Solavellan did not get the chance to conclude in DAI, and I feel like the Solavellan ending added something meaningful to Veilguard. But I am happy we got exactly what we did, and not all that much more, because I really enjoy all the room that leaves me to write in my own headcanons into the spaces left. >:)

[wordpress-blaze-188718896]

Authenticity Over Aesthetics: How I’m Redefining My Creative Process

Okay. Can you hear me? I know, I know—sometimes I sound like I’m in a wind tunnel when I’m on the road. But for real, I had to share this little moment from yesterday… or was it last night? Time blurs. Either way, I did a video. Wasn’t planned, wasn’t curated, wasn’t scripted. It just happened. And honestly? I liked it.

I was trying to show off my little setup for my isopods—yes, those babies arrive on Monday and I am hyped. But in true me fashion, I ran into some tech drama because apparently, the flip camera function vanished mid-recording. Picture this: me, birds chirping on my back, trying to get this angle right and flipping the phone like it’s a Rubik’s cube. What was going on? I don’t know. But what I do know is that I was giving major Auntie energy. Like, how you work this thing again? energy. And honestly, I’m okay with that.

The thing is, despite all the chaos and comedy, that video felt real. It was unedited, unfiltered, and undeniably me. And that’s a big shift, because if I’m being honest, I didn’t always like the stuff I was creating. In fact, I think I’ve talked about this before—how I published a whole book that I didn’t even like (hi, Eve’s Apple). But I had to get it out. It had to be released. It’s the doing that matters.

Early in my creative journey, I couldn’t stand my own art. But I kept doing it, not because I was in love with the results, but because I had to. It was about growth, not perfection. And I’m realizing now that I don’t need everything to fit into a mold or be content-worthy. I just need it to be honest.

Watching that video, I wasn’t cringing. I wasn’t overthinking. I actually enjoyed it. There was no pressure, no performance—just presence. And look, video content? It’s exhausting. Time-consuming. Overwhelming. Especially when social media tries to turn every thought into a “piece of content.” But I’m not here to be a content creator. That’s not the goal.

The goal is learning. Growth. Documenting the process. That’s it.

Because when it’s real, when it’s grounded in truth—it’s sustainable. It’s not forced. It’s not weird (well, maybe a little weird, but not internet weird). Y’all know what I mean. There’s a kind of weird out there that just doesn’t feel like home. And I’m trying to stay grounded in what does.

So yeah, I’m sharing this because I’ve learned that motivation is not it. It’s flaky. Disrespectful, even. Some days it’s high, other days it ghosts me. I can’t depend on it. What I can depend on is my why. My purpose - my God given purpose.

That’s what carries me through. That’s what keeps me showing up. Because feelings? Whew. They’re wild. Unreliable. One day I’m in love with everything, the next I’m like, “Why am I even in school again?”

But then I remember—I want my degree. I want my master’s. That’s my why.

So when excitement dips and I feel the drift coming, I try to reconnect with what lights me up. Like creating an environment that recharges me. Surrounding myself with things that help me remember why I started. That way, I can redirect that energy into what actually matters. Even when I don’t “feel like it.”

And that’s the lesson I’m sitting with today—how to turn that excitement into discipline. How to build in accountability. Because I know myself, and I know I need it. For sure for sure.

That’s why I’m hosting a session tonight on this online co-working space I use called Flow. It’s not social media—it’s just a quiet little digital space where we all log on, cameras off or on, and work. Together. Focused. Intentional. If you want in, I’ll drop the link somewhere in here.

The Flow Club

At the end of the day, I’m just trying to use whatever tools I’ve got, however I can, to get to where I’m going.

Because this journey? It’s not about creating the perfect video, or the perfect post—it’s about showing up. And that’s enough.

Let’s get it.

Source: Authenticity Over Aesthetics: How I’m Redefining My Creative Process

[yourlocalgrass]

Listen. Listen. Hear me out ok.

I LOVEEE Thirteen, Mephisto and Raphael ok, I would die to date any of them.

But the thought of them becoming dateable, as much as I want to date them… not so much, honestly… gives me constant anxiety, like… big time.

I mean the devs couldn’t even handle the SEVEN main love interests in S1 or S2. I mean cmon who doesn’t know how Asmo and Beel were the devs obvious least favourite. There are times where all the brothers get a kiss except Beel or Asmo.

And then when 4 more characters entered the intimacy system, they handled them really good actually, amazing even. S3 was great imo, for the new dateables that was. But again, half of the brothers were forgotten to be love interests. But, they did do the new dateables good.

But then, by S4 they all literally reverted back to being side characters again and not dateables from what I could see.

Diavolo seemed the exact same as he was in S1 and S2 except maybe in one romantic scene with him. Solomon was only playing the role of a teacher and almost nothing more. If you played S4 without S3 context, you wouldn’t have even guessed that they were a dateable. Same goes for Simeon (even though almost the entirety of S4 was centred around him) Barbatos just became a more romantic dateable so, we did get one kiss by the end but… felt really rushed.

And don’t forget before we had the spotlight events how bad, cliche and repetitive the events were? Because we had to make sure we kissed all of them (except luke ofc) so an entire event chapter was dedicated to making sure we spend time and kiss all of them. And then even then there were characters who weren’t kissed or got fair time and treatment.

Finally, in Nightbringer, during S1 Solomon had a lot of spotlight for once and some Diavolo, while Simeon didn’t even exist. When it came to S2, we got Simeon spotlight but Solomon and Diavolo just went -poof- and vanished just like that.

Don’t forget that every near to end of a season, we kiss all the dateables right? And for some very weird reason, we kissed every character, but you know who we didn’t? Diavolo. And what’s even more weird is that, there was no reason not to because we’ve already kissed him previously, and the scene was in perfect timing for an MC option to kiss him, we talked to him, but just didn’t… kiss him? It’s just so… confusing.

Oh right, don’t forget how the brothers went through their special arc or whatever you’d like to name it, with MC who’s helped the brothers through and through of course, so we get to kiss them each at the end, except you know which brothers didn’t? Asmo and Beel. That’s right. Even in Nightbringer the devs never changed. Well, actually, they got even worse. You know who else didn’t get a kiss? Belphie, who we know isn’t the fandoms favourite brother, so of course… no kiss either… that’s now another brother who the devs are starting leaving to the side.

So, the entire game is a current mess and if Solmare couldn’t handle 7 love interests properly, and added 4 to the mix, which upturned everything into chaos, adding another 3 into the dateables section… is it reeaaalllllyyy a good idea? I mean to let the devs handle them…

Again it’s not like I don’t want them to be dateable but just like… how are they going to handle it? You know… considering they actually can’t handle it?

There will have to be more romance in the story, or people would complain, they’d have to fit 15 characters in, and they can’t make the lessons short, which they already do, there’s a chance we’ll get to kiss some while others won’t even get screen time, Thirteen, Raphael, and Mephisto can’t be set to the side during events either otherwise there would be complaints, and there’s no way writers won’t get tired of writing Devilgrams for 15 characters so other characters will be bad, while others who always get the top will have a decent Devilgram story. I bet the writing for almost everything will go into mess…

And that’s my only problem cus I love them and I do want them to become dateable but I also want the game content to be good even though it’s… not… really. Ok ngl it’s already a mess. And that’s just something I feel very anxious about when thinking what’s gonna happen when there are more dateables…

[undertalerebirth]

July-June Dev log. We're really going places! (This Dev Log has been delayed since July. We are sorry it took so long)!

Hey! Were back! We have a lot some stuff to get through so lets get started!

A New Face?

Yep! Let me introduce you to a new UTBB character; Princess(?) Emily Emerald!

Emerald is a spider monster that you will be familied with in the demo and through out the story. She lives in the Ruined sewers with the rest of her sibling, maybe you'll even get to meet a few of them

(Artwork made by @hollowgears )

Progress!

[ Coding ]

As of writing this, our custom base UT engine is almost complete! We only need to work on a few thing regarding the battle & overworld system. After that we will start implementing some changes such as adding out reworked magic system and a few new special changes.

Then we'll get to work on rooms, tilesets, and backgrounds!

[ Music ]

We've been releasing a few tracks on our game page and YouTube! You should go check them out when you have the time. Our composers work hard on every OST they make and we hope you enjoy listening to them just has much as the team! * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOzEMaAb1zE * https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xxgr3R6DAsI

We only have a small amount of OSTs at the moment, but were trying to chip away at at it step by step! We don't want to overwhelm anybody here since most of the team have their own projects they have to work on as well.

[ Writing ]

As of now the demo as been fully written out! With the addition to new team members and the director reaching out to different writers in and out of the community, the game has under go some major rewrites which were heavily needed. The rest of the game has been perfectly outlined and I'm currently halfway through the Geno/No Mercy script for the Snowden section. However, writing for the rest of the Ruins after the demo on pacifist and neutral runs is still a work in progress

The plan is to work on neutral scripts after Pacifist and Geno scripts are done. Just to make things a little easier on the teams main writer (Skill issue we know lol). Also, I am glad to say that all of UTBBs main cast as been fully made! Yes we still need to work on their section/area script but like I said before, those have been neatly outlined.

Meet Our New Team Members!

MUSIC COMPOSERS

JeffTheCowfish72

@MrMrMilesP 

Epic

ARTIST/SPRITERS

@DaWikzz 

@Destroyer120 

@swidev 

@SeaForest 

Kamiko Torayama

YaS

Hollow

CODERS

NamuFrames

@Kaidojet 

Gravenews

Were still looking for more Team members! It's not too late to sign up.We're currently looking for:

Coder's (Game maker Studio)

Music Composers

Promotional Artist (1 more position is open)

Concept Artist (For environments/areas)

Battle sprite artist (Pixel Art)

Character designers (Visual)

Tile set/background artist (Pixel Art)

Application form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWdY5EmbQMYm4Tz4VXtEa6DmpgYowlamMc_zuWNMM2CcHtTw/viewform

Gamepage & Social Changes;

We've updated the gamepage a bit more. We've added a features, Mechanics, and a special thanks!

We felt like the special thanks was long over due. These projects helped inspire UTBB and it's only fair that they get the credit they deserve.

[Cancelled] Undertale: The Otherground by poody_blue  

Undertale Kindred Spirits (Fangame) by PurrSum  

DELTARUNE: Broken Destiny (Fangame) by CrystalZeroChaos  

Undertale: True Genocide (Fangame) by souptaels  

Undertinge (Fangame) by TeamTinge  

@blinddetermination (Interactive Comic) by @hyakki--yagyo

Thank you Poody_blue, PurrSum  (+ The entire UTKS Crew), Starlightshore, CrystalZeroChaos, TeamTinge , souptaels , @hyakki--yagyo, and everyone in the Othertale/Otherrune Community. You are the people who helped inspire this project and I can't wait for you all to see what we've been planning.

Make sure to go check these projects and their creators out! These are the very projects & people that inspired Undertale: Brave Beginnings in the first place so it would be amazing if you went over there and showed them some love and support!

Social Change

As you may have noticed, UTBB has been freely promoting other projects and as been collaborating with other creators. While we are still participating in these collabs we have decided to take a step back in promoting other creators/project. In all honesty, that wasn't supposed to happen. You see, out director is really proud of the following he and this project has gained, and thought that he was "popular" enough to promote lesser known projects or projects just starting out in development. And as you can see he's been promoting a lot of projects. More so it's starting to feel like that's all he's doing publicly and fears that it may be a bit to much.

So with that being said, we will be taking a step back from the promotion of other projects after this dev log. However! We will leave a list (now) of projects that Reed planned to promote but never had the time until now and won't be put up in promotion ever again (unless super big news comes out like the demo/full release or it being cancelled).

Undertale Brave Faith by TeamDarkLegend  

Undertale: Bold & Benevolent by Team Papya and the_fluffernutter  

Undertale Ivy's Justice by TeamUTIJustice 

UNDERSWAP: ECHOED by _pancakez 

Undertale ICEBOUND by LucanaDLL  & __b 

Undertale ALTERATION by Pixel-Icon15 

We know most of these projects are already popular but Team beginnings still wanted to show their support!

What To Expect Next Time?

As you can see, the game page has been getting a few tweaks as of late. We've updated the description and more promotion art should be coming soon! We will also no longer be giving monthly dev logs (Not like we did before lol) and will only post when we have more content to show.

The End. . . ?

No, no no!!! The end of the Dev log, not the project! Thank you all for taking the time to read through this. I hope you have a wonderful day/nigh/afternoon wherever you are! I guess this is the end of the dev log. See you all later!

[tricitymonsters]

Periodic New Follower Welcome!

HEY THERE! Thanks for checking out the Tri City Monsters Tumblr, if you're here I'm assuming it's because you found my game and have so far enjoyed yourself. Let me first say thank you so much for playing! TCM has grown a lot recently and tumblr is probably the most active corner of the community- however, we do have a fun discord that yall are welcome to pop into if you like! (links are all in pinned posts)

TCM is made mostly by just lil old me, though my friend @b00k3t is the game's character and cg artist- they're super amazing.

One thing about the TCM Tumblr is that I LOVE chatting with yall and I try my best to leave my ask box open as much as possible so I can entertain you with my rambling answers! I've been getting a TON of questions recently and am somewhere near the 75 mark (holy shit). In the interest of efficiency and attention span, I may cherry-pick asks a little more often going forward just so that I can get through more of them. You can always send asks again (sometimes Tumblr just straight-up eats them) if it's been more than like... a month of radio silence.

Another thing I wanted to mention is THANK YOU so much to those of you who have left reviews for the game on Steam. We surpassed 50 reviews with a 98% positive rating and that's bumped the game up to the "Very Positive" distinction. According to other indie devs, this is a huge milestone to achieve that will help push the game harder in the marketplace. Thank you sincerely not only for the reviews but for your kind words and enthusiasm because oh my god, I am actually so touched you guys are enjoying this project. I am excited to come back in a couple weeks with metrics to show this growth so you can see exactly how critical word of mouth, ratings, reviews, and engagement are to both TCM's past and future. (TCM has a very tiny budget for advertising; including the random Tumblr blazes here and there but by and large, our strongest marketing has always been word of mouth).

One last thing on procedure, please PLEASE @ or tag me if you write/comment/draw/paint anything TCM related on here I want to see EVERYTHINGGGG. I track various configurations of #tricitymonsters (#tri city monsters, #tricity monsters, #vn: tri city monsters, etc) but please do not be shy, @ my ass any time >:3

ANYWAY that was a lot of words for no real reason (you can tell I'm a writer by nature lmfao) but I just wanted to take a second to welcome newcomers and profusely thank those of you who've been here for a hot minute.

xoxoxoxox

cloud

[bloodbending]

spoilers for bg3 act 2. not a big story spoiler but a great character interaction i had (i know this game has been out for a while but just in case lmao)

i naturally love the astarion character. him being a sultry vampire with a hidden agenda/dark past/self-protective “act” and an amazing VA who is clearly having the time of their life… it was over for me before i even picked up the game.

i’m not romancing him in my first playthrough for many reasons..

1) i’m a goody goody character and i’ve decided to try and play naturally the first time without worrying too much about maintaining my morals and romancing him at the same time

2) karlach is my lawfully wedded wife

so instead, i’ve gone for the next best thing— good-naturedly irritating the absolute fuck out of him, lmao

i’ve enjoyed imagining him and my Tav nurturing a sibling rivalry. it started in Act 1’s grove party, when he insinuated he wanted to have some fun with someone. when my character said “are you saying you want to ‘have fun’ with me??” he turned his nose up at me and said “absolutely not, i have STANDARDS” with his full chest. i swear i could hear that VA smiling. which, oh my god, absolutely SENT me… Astarion set my Tav up so bad LMFAO

i leaned in. in my head, my Tav lowkey understands that Astarion isn’t actually cruel, but guarded, so she doesn’t take his remarks personally and is more invested luring out his bluntness (like i am as a player).

his relationship meter is solidly on “good” tho, so it’s not like he actually hates me, thankfully. every time i switch to him for traps or locks, i love imagining my tav pulling at astarion’s arm and using the most grating voice possible to say “astarioooooon, there’s so many traaaaaps, please won’t you lend me your special standards and help out?” and him being like “🙄 really?” and i love it lol.

in my head Astarion is doing a bit. the “i will not stop complaining to hide the fact that i actually really enjoy being part of this team” bit. love that for him.

it’s important to note that up until yesterday, any time i’d talk to him to add him to my party, he would say the standard “well what can i do for you?” or “… yes?”

now! yesterday, i made it to the blood elf lady in moonrise who wants astarion to bite her. i’m woman enough to admit that i was 1000% mesmerized by her dom energy and was willing to let her drain me to the last drop. both the writers and the VAs deserves one million dollars for that scene

but the second she started treating astarion like a thing, assuming i was his “owner” or whatever, she shattered the vibes! i was instantly defensive 😭

astarion refused to bite her, and when the lady asked me to command him to bite her, i obviously chose the “he’s a person (you fucking dick!) and he said no” option

i had genuinely been moved to drop my own teasing relationship and defend him as my friend. i didn’t even want to chose the dialogue option that would’ve fit how i’d played it so far (something like “you DON’T want to bite her, Astarion? i’m a bit surprised”)

ever since that one interaction, Astarion’s voicelines have changed completely!

i was so taken aback when i chatted with him after and he said “Hello my dear (genuine)” or “How can I help you, my friend?”

i thought maybe it was serendipitous— maybe that approval just so happened to nudge my metered relationship w/ Astarion across a certain threshold— but i’d checked his meter before and it didn’t change significantly at all. definitely not enough to warrant this 180 flip, i don’t think

that was fucking rad! i like to think that from astarion’s POV, my tav had gone out on a limb and showed she does genuinely care for him. and maybe now he can start seeing her as a true ally and friend. even though i am annoying, of course.

i’m struck by what a great character moment that was. honestly kudos to the writers and devs for making that a pivotal beat in the astarion/tav relationship, regardless of it being platonic or romantic. this game is full of moments like that — it makes it so addicting and satisfying!!

[dream-trail-rpg]

Genuine questions, what are some struggles you guys have had with making a game? What are things you’ve enjoyed? And what are some advice you would give for someone trying to make their own game?

I hope to make a game of my own one day, and I’ve been meaning to ask! It was you guys that gave me hope to try and achieve that goal again, so I felt asking you guys may be a good idea!

(Also, I hope things are going well! Have a nice day!)

Howdy! Sock here!

This is going to be a bit of a long answer, so I'll hide it under the cut:

It means so much to hear that we helped as some sort of motivation towards working on your own game,,, My advice in that department is to just GO FOR IT! See what happens! See what you can manage! That's how Dream Trail got started. If you have an idea that you really want to make, just take the plunge. Push yourself and rip off that bandaid! If you don't make the choice, you may miss out on a really interesting, exciting, and life-changing future path. Just don't take on more than you can chew. Try and stay around your skill level, but if you have bigger dreams then it's not a bad idea to start learning some new skills. Be ambitious, just not too much! Sometimes, ambition can outweigh your capabilities. Try not to overfill your game and include what's NECESSARY. Sometimes you have to make unfortunate cuts, but it's important to do what benefits your game best.

As a team, we've definitely had our fair share of struggles. There will be disagreements and road-blocks that take awhile to climb over. Coding has definitely been our worst enemy, haha. But it's important to keep going. Don't let anything stop you!

Here's a message from Chip/Mod Fay, I think they've got a better way of putting this all on one plate, similarly to what I explained:

"Don't bite off more than you can chew- especially if you're a solo dev, make sure what you're making is manageable. Try to make something that focuses more on your skillset! If you're an artist, make something focused on visuals. Writer, make a story-based game. Etc etc. Of course branching out and learning new things is good! But for a first game, try and cater to your skills, unless you wanna get burnt out- Take it from someone who Didn't Do That, starting slow is the way to go. Make sure to keep things organized, otherwise things can get complicated and messy fast. It's okay to ask for help from others in areas you're less experienced in. And if you're ever realizing you're not having fun- it's always okay to take breaks! Don't overwork yourself, it ain't healthy. Trust me- The most important thing is having fun! And if that requires a few breaks, whether they be days, weeks, months, or even years long, if that what's best for you, don't feel bad about it!"

No matter the struggles, it's always worth it. We all enjoy working on Dream Trail so much, we've shared so many laughs this past year. And nothing will ever beat the satisfaction and excitement of finally releasing our demo a couple months ago. Coming up with ideas and writing dialogue and thinking about character designs, it's an amazing process that I couldn't be happier to share with my friends.

I hope that you can make the game you want to make! I'm so honoured that our game has given you a little bit of hope for your own projects! I BELIEVE IN YOU!! No matter who you are, if you make something, there will ALWAYS be someone who loves your content. Show the world what you've got!

We're still slowly getting off of our break from after the demo's release. We've starting up again, but we're not fully back on track yet, so we have nothing to write in any dev-logs. We hope to have something new for all of you soon! Thanks again for your support, and I'd honestly love some more genuine asks like this. I love answering questions!

[pixies-and-poets]

39?

39. youtuber you’ve been obsessed with and why?

Ok so!! I don't watch that many Youtubers but there are a few I like to have on or listen to when I'm drawing, and sometimes their videos are so good I have to give them my full focus too. Here are some recommendations:

Nitro Rad - Top-tier gaming youtuber. He's introduced me to a lot of obscure 3D platformers, indie games, and horror games (this last category I would never play on my own because I get scared too easily lol). I really admire his approach to analyzing games, wanting to see the positives in them, and trying to see where the devs were coming from even with ideas that don't work out in the end, rather than being exaggeratedly negative or dismissive for "entertainment". When he can't enjoy something at all, you know it must be really horrible, lol (see: Frogger- the Great Quest). He's really an inspiration for my own approach to how I interact with and describe games.

Defunctland - I know a lot of people know about Defunctland but I just have to echo the sentiment that Kevin manages to make everything interesting. So many times I've started the most recent video thinking "I can't possibly care about a Wiggles ride" or whatever, but I managed to be invested and eager to hear about the attraction's fate by the end. He turned an investigation into the four-note Disney Channel theme into a full length documentary that literally made me cry. I'm not a theme park expert but I do love them and find them fascinating and I've learned a lot about theme parks and related topics from these videos.

Matt McMuscles - the What Happened series is always fun and has taught me about the dev histories for a lot of notorious games (and even some good ones!) and how rough and messy the game industry is behind the scenes. Like Nitro Rad, he tries to give credit where it's due; he investigates when "bad" games are the result of crunch, low budget and bad management to help banish myths about devs being simply inept or lazy. But I also really love his "The Worst Fighting Game" series! I don't know much about fighting games myself but it's just cool to see someone analyze something they're so passionate about!

Designing For - ok I'm biased because one of the writers and the person who does the voice-over is my friend, and I've done some art for the channel and even a vocal cameo, but seriously they do amazing work and I'm always super pleased to see their work spread around. They put out a decent-length Donkey Kong video for EVERY DAY this past December and all of them were varied and interesting!! Their analysis is great, and their editing is frenetic and hilarious- so I never just listen to these, I always give them my full attention.

These aren't the ONLY youtubers I watch or anything but they're my favs that come to mind right now.

[scottpaladin]

1. What stage of production is the most fun for you? Acting/directing. It's the most collaborative stage and the one with the tightest feedback loop. I love working with performers and putting on silly voices and getting the giggles at hour two of a recording. It's great. Love to every actor I've ever worked with

2. What’s a role in a different show you’ve heard one of your cast members in and just been absolutely blown away by? Have you heard @satyrofstrategy in anything he's been in? That dude always blows me away.

3. Show us an excerpt of script you’re extremely proud of.

4. Is there a specific episode that was especially fun to work on? It's a cop-out but the upcoming Fable of the Family mini-series was SOOOOOOOO much work but it's been really rewarding and had some of the best times recording it.

5. Be honest, which is your favourite character to write lines for? Don't make me choose between Heck and Zed Wild. I love them both so much in different ways.

6. You have to turn your podcast into a different type of media: what do you go for? Look, if HBO or Netflix wants to give us a half a billion dollars to make Breathing Space into a TV show we would do it, but honestly a comic-book would be really cool.

7. Tag a show you think would make a great crossover with your own (and maybe make it happen, who knows 👀) I don't listen to enough other shows to know one off the top of my head but I'd love to hear people's suggestions.

8. Pick a character from your show and put together an outfit you think they’d wear. I did this already with Heck and Cat and @achill3a went off and drew it and it's amazing

9. If your show was a different genre what genre would it be and how would the plot change? Breathing Space can't be anything other than what it is. The show is the setting and the setting is the genre and the genre is the philosophy behind it.

10. Recommend a couple of other shows for people who like your own! If you like Breathing Space, there's a really good chance you'll like SINKHOLE and ROGUEMAKER (what is it with us an all-caps stylized sister shows?)

11. Share a fun bts fact people might not know. The Peregrination is a transplanted idea from a dead project of mine. When Breathing Space started development, I dragged it out of the box of ideas and it helped form one of the central pillars for the setting.

12. Share something about a future episode that will mean nothing right now but will one day. "I ate a baby once"

13. What’s your favourite portion of sound design from the show? From my own stuff, I *really* like having someone close a spacesuit helmet mid-line. So you can hear their voice change from clear to slightly muffled. I do it a lot but you can hear it in Long Way Home From Ceres and Ride Boldly Ride. But also all the glitches and noises in I Walk These Hills and Objects in Motion. One of my favoritest things to make.

14. Share a show meme.

@incorrect-bsff-and-memes for more.

15. Are you working on anything else outside of this show? Yes! I am in the writing process for a horny werewolf noir audiodrama called It Takes a Wolf, hopefully that will premiere in the fall of this year!

16. Briefly outline your process for making a season happen. The dev writers lay out how many and what sort of episodes we expect to write, then we put out a call for pitches, read those and select from the candidates. Everyone writes for a month and we make sure that each script gets read by at least two editors. After revisions, things go to casting. Casting days are FRANTIC as we play a giant game of tetris to make sure we all get the best fit actors for parts. Then we schedule recordings, trying to get as much as we can done synchronously (all actors and director on a call). Then the editors crawl into their holes to make it all come together.

17. What’s something that inspired your show? Only speaking for myself: The Expanse, Firefly, the collected works of Robert A Heinlein, Mass Effect, Battletech Lore, Eldurado (the john wayne movie), Secondhand Lions, SIlverado, the works of Aaron Sorkin, the music of @narcissistcookbook, and Enter the Haggis and fuck, a whole lot else.

18. What’s something you’d like the audience to take away from your show? People are people. Mostly trying their best. Working together is the only way to beat the system. Fuck Amazon.

19. Do you have any playlists/music you listen to while working on production? https://music.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGGpS-cz1Ls33WVVAMvQ26Y04kUqo9tqY < this is mine for the latest season.

20. What’s a moment from the show that just absolutely took your breath away when you heard it come together for the first time? Too many to count. At least one an episode. But the climax of Ride Boldly Ride felt like such a gamble when I was making it and it turned out so good and I never have gotten over that. But also maybe hearing the FotF theme for the first time.

Audio drama ask meme: Creator edition

The last one was extremely fun, but I want this one to help people help promo their wonderful shows!

1. What stage of production is the most fun for you?

2. What’s a role in a different show you’ve heard one of your cast members in and just been absolutely blown away by?

3. Show us an excerpt of script you’re extremely proud of.

4. Is there a specific episode that was especially fun to work on?

5. Be honest, which is your favourite character to write lines for?

6. You have to turn your podcast into a different type of media: what do you go for?

7. Tag a show you think would make a great crossover with your own (and maybe make it happen, who knows 👀)

8. Pick a character from your show and put together an outfit you think they’d wear.

9. If your show was a different genre what genre would it be and how would the plot change?

10. Recommend a couple of other shows for people who like your own!

11. Share a fun bts fact people might not know.

12. Share something about a future episode that will mean nothing right now but will one day.

13. What’s your favourite portion of sound design from the show?

14. Share a show meme.

15. Are you working on anything else outside of this show?

16. Briefly outline your process for making a season happen.

17. What’s something that inspired your show?

18. What’s something you’d like the audience to take away from your show?

19. Do you have any playlists/music you listen to while working on production?

20. What’s a moment from the show that just absolutely took your breath away when you heard it come together for the first time?

As always, please reblog, share, and enjoy! No need to send asks!

[ear-worthy]

Equity, Equality, And Inclusion Dialogues: A Podcast About Who People Are

At first glance, the podcast name -- Equity, Equality, And Inclusion Dialogues -- doesn't seem to be catchy, lively, vibrant, and assertive enough to attract listeners. 

However, after you listen to the first episode with the guest, a copywriter named Dev, who is transgender, neurodivergent, and self-proclaimed aracial, you realize that the name is flawless in its description of the podcast's tone, tempo, thoughtfulness, thoroughness, tolerance, transformative nature, and even tenaciousness. 

This podcast was conceived, developed and is hosted by Tracy Kadessa. She is a Kenyan policy advisor, researcher, writer and artist. Having studied law at both graduate and undergraduate levels, she is keen on the intersection of technology and human rights, as well as gender. 

Tracy was a board member and an acting national coordinator for the Forum for African Women Educationalists-Kenya Chapter, an Internet Society ambassador (2017), a consulting researcher for the State of Internet Freedom in Africa Report by CIPESA(Collaboration on International ICT Policy in East and Southern Africa), a member of the Kenya Internet Governance Forum Multi-stakeholder Advisory Group, a participant researcher at the Citizen Lab Summer -Institute (University of Toronto) (2018) and a fellowship scholar at the International Maritime Organization-International Maritime Law Institute (2019–2020).

As a host, Kadessa excels with a cheery, supportive, and professional demeanor. There is a breezy formality about her hosting delivery that can disarm listeners. Possibly because of her legal background and expertise, Kadessa knows her way around a successful interview.

Kadessa says: "We are here to have action oriented conversations on equity, equality and inclusion! Join us as we meet and chat with amazing people from different parts of the globe."

I asked Tracy Kadessa, "Why start a podcast?"

Her response was: "I was tired of gatekeeping. We need to have important conversations on equity, equality, diversity and inclusion, but sometimes the very platforms that talk of being open for us are so closed off we can't access them."

 When I asked,"What has challenged with podcasting?"

Her response was emphatic: "In the beginning, it was audio editing, If you check some of the first episodes, the audio is terrible. (AUTHOR'S NOTE: She is being too hard on herself), I had no idea how this was done, and I couldn't find someone to help. But now, I'm getting better at it, I'd say I score 65 percent now. I'm working towards getting to 100. Another hard thing is getting your podcast out there. It can be very overwhelming. And of course the elephant in the room for many podcasts is making money from it."

  In episode nine, Kadessa discusses how patriarchy, capitalism and white supremacy have shaped our perceptions of women's hair.

In episode five, Kadessa begins by stating, "Change Management seems to be a buzz word! But in this episode, Dr. Batsheva (Sheva) Guy (She/her) walks us through the importance of Change Management and why equity and Inclusion principles have to be part of it." It's a remarkable interview, with Kadessa walking listeners through the ways in which Change Management principles must include equality and inclusion in its fundamental structure.

In the last episode in December, Kadessa discusses one of the most pernicious thinking patterns -- stereotypes. 

"Sometimes stereotypes make us miss out on what we really want to be," Kadessa says in the episode.

In this episode, Lisa Hällbrink shares her journey in the engineering field, as well as her work in challenging stereotypes about engineering and STEM. It's a captivating exchange between host and guest.

While I am sure that Tracy Kadessa would not turn down money to podcast, like a lot of indie podcasters, her primary motivation was to spur conversations on equity, equality, and inclusion.

 As Tracy has said on her podcast: "We need to enable people to live life on their terms. We need to listen to people when they tell us who they are."

Tracy Kadessa -- indie podcasting superhero!

**************************************

This review is part of an ongoing series of reviews, recommendations, and essays about Indie podcasters -- their craft, their challenges, and the critical role they play in podcasting. These entrepreneurs display skills as disparate as hosting, sound production, graphic design, scriptwriting, interviewing, marketing genius, and financial watchdog. They are the heart and soul of podcasting.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

Raven, helloooo i’m doing a runaround tumblr to showcase my admiration for my favorite writers on tumblr, and you get one~!

Can I just start off by saying you're incredibly insightful and intelligent?? Your ability to grasp onto character qualities and understand each of them is incredible! Your characterization is always on point. I'd think you are a script writer from the original! I love coming across any of your theories on a character, analysis which always seem canon, or your writings! Romantic or just daily shenanigans between characters all of it is so amazing!! I love each of them! Your writing style is so smooth and fun to read! Its both detailed and telling, but also shown and displayed with the characters actions. You give them life and I love that!

You're also so incredibly patient with your audience! Your willingness to learn is also endearing and I think in general you're a really good person I enjoy seeing come up! Your content is very re-readable in my opinion and I think your blog is wonderful aesthetic wise too! It gives a sense of curiosity and liveliness. Also I adore your oc too~ I love seeing the content of her!

To conclude, I really enjoy seeing any and all of your content and keep up the wonderful work <3 be sure to take breaks as well!

For some context, I recieved this ask towards the tail end of TWST’s third anniversary (around March 18th). Back then, I was very stressed between writing Sebek’s birthday one-shot, alt!dorm headcanons, and general irl business… so the timing of this ask was coincidentally perfect 🥺 It was a nice little pick-me-up to help me through that mentally demanding period, so I’m really thankful that it came when it did!! (If I seem a little more emotional than usual, that’s why 😅)

The next thing I want to say is thank you very much for the highly detailed feedback!! 🙏 I appreciate it when my readers let me know what they think of my work—and while I’ll always like seeing a “good job” or a “you write well”, it’s the very explicit feedback that I enjoy the most. “You did a good job with X! You wrote this well!” It lets me know what specifically my strengths are, and gives me ideas on how to improve in the future or where I may be lacking or not as strong.

I’m glad that you like my works (creative writing, theories, analyses) so much!! TWST has become my hyperfixation these last few years, so I’m grateful that I have a space where I can just shout about it and overanalyze it to heck and back. It feels so therapeutic to be able to share this passion with others!

dhscuwxnks It’s an honor to be told that my stuff seems canon or that it makes you think I’m actually a writer on the dev team 😭 I feel like it’s usually hard for fans to see how much time and effort content creators put into their craft; they just see the end product, consume it, and then wait for the next product to come out only to repeat the cycle. It’s really nice to know that people notice all the work I put in to tru and capture the essence of the TWST characters and their canon. I basically try to wiggle into their mind spaces 😳

We hold TWST near and dear to our hearts, and I want to have others experience that same fondness when they read my works. The smiles and the sobs we’ve had with the NRC boys are universal experiences; I’m glad that I’m able to share such a thing with my readers. I think people sometimes underestimate just how much forms of art can touch us at our very cores; they can be so memorable that someone reading your fic or looking at your art can remember exactly where they were when they first consumed your work. Creations can leave an impact on the world and the people who look upon it!

Sometimes I’ve been told I’m too patient 😂 but I’m relieved that it seems like my patience is seen as a virtue?? I’m used to giving advice and being the voice of reason to others, so I guess that extended into my fandom life. If people find that useful, then I’m happy to be of help and that I didn’t step on any toes! I want my words to guide others into making determinations that feel are right to them, not tell them how they “should” feel or think.

I like to learn because I realize there’s a lot I don’t know. Just as I give knowledge and advice, I’d also like to receive it 🎵 If I think about it… the patience makes me one part Trey, and the curiosity and willingness to learn makes me one part Lilia?

Not gonna lie, I’m still struggling to find that “perfect” blog theme for me… but I’m happy that you also like the little technical things like how the blog is laid out and looks. (I’m very invested in my blog’s theming and Alice in Wonderland motifs!! 💪)

I’m also working on getting more comfortable with sharing content of my OC 🥲 I’ve mentioned this before, but I feel guilty when I mention Miss Raven because some part of me realizes that most people are here for general TWST stuff, not her. Even though this is my blog and I can do whatever I want with it, this still makes me feel like I’m somehow being selfish… which I know is a ridiculous way of thinking, so I’m trying to combat it!!

Once again, thank you for this valuable feedback, I hope you didn’t mind me rambling 🥺 I’ll definitely be looking back on this to reflect!! And I’ll try to take breaks, but no promises in case I can’t keep it—

[mumms-the-word]

All of this is amazing and thought-provoking and explained very well. I have a couple of points to add, but only in terms of contextualizing a few choices.

First, as much as I have to sigh and shake my head that the devs and writers didn’t feel they could boldly change the status quo of the game by tearing down the Veil, I can sort of see why. If you give players the choice, how do you make another game for a fandom that had 50% of the people keeping the Veil and 50% who elected to tear it down? You can’t, it’s impossible.

So why not make tearing down the Veil the actual endgame? Have all roads lead there, rather than all roads leading to the Veil staying. I agree that it’s probably that the devs/writers just weren’t bold enough to take that road but also I wonder if they also couldn’t imagine a world without the Veil. They give us so little detail about a Veil-less world in DATV it’s like…no one (aside from Solas, who keeps being set up as unreliable even when he’s being reliable) has any clue what will actually happen. Including the writers!

That’s not even getting into the devs BS answer of “well Solas wouldn’t know either.” I imagine he wouldn’t, when it comes to details. But I doubt he spent the last 8-10 years planning and plotting and arranging things just to be like “wow I sure don’t know what will happen once I cut through this Veil I made, hope everything works out.”

What bugs me is that DATV sets up Solas’s motivation as restoring the elven people only. The host of spirits he has on standby can’t save everyone—but I’m sure he’s got them directed at saving elves. And yes, that’s his MO as Fen’Harel, the freer of elven slaves, but if his time with the Inquisition has taught him to appreciate and find value in all life (including human, dwarf, and qunari) then…

Well that brings us to the big question. The sundering of the Veil will cause massive damage. People will die, especially if Solas’s allies are focused on saving elven lives over other lives. It will be massive carnage in some way because, if we stick with the ocean/tank analogy, it’s a bit like wrecking a dam to flood a valley because you want to give them access to water. Water is harmless in small quantities, and often gentle when controlled. Water racing toward you in a deluge is deadly. Worse, it’s unstoppable.

Solas alludes to this metaphor when you ask him what a world full of spirits would be like. “Think of magic like a fast-flowing river” and all that.

Demons or no demons, the backlash of magic will probably do some major changes on its own. What does that look like? Will everything go wonky like in Arlathan forest? Will buildings begin to float, whole sections of the world that didn’t seem to exist suddenly get pulled back into being now that the Fade and physical world are made one and the same again? That’s one of the things no one could tell us.

So, okay, maybe we shouldn’t let Solas just rip apart the Veil all on his own. But I wish the game could have let us listen to Solas and his plans and given us the road to be like “okay…so how do we mitigate the damage further?”

Like can you imagine? The Veilguard not as guardians of the Veil to keep it in place but as a team of allies, and their other allies, lined up and ready all across Thedas to immediately stop the damage from getting worse. Everyone on high alert to put down any demons that slip through the cracks but also help the spirits that come through to save lives. People prepared just in case buildings start to float again or people start turning into trees or something. Convince Solas that yeah, he’s being a bit of shit by focusing only on elven lives, and get him to see the worth in preserving all lives. Then, when he’s ready to tear down the Veil again, almost all of Thedas is on hand to be reshaped.

But, and I think this is part of why DATV didn’t take that direction—that choice is very much you playing a god. Why do you (or Solas) get to be the one to remake an entire world? Solas broke it. But it’s been trucking along for the last few thousand years without his guiding hand. It’s not his world, it is its own weird nebulous thing now. And now he wants to reset it back to “the way it was,” but it’s going to cost a lot of lives and be a very traumatic change. What makes you specifically equipped to make that choice for the entire world? If you put it to a vote, how many people in Thedas would choose to risk their loved ones and tear down the Veil? Even in places where relationships with magic and spirits are much healthier?

These are the conversations I wish we could have had in DATV. What an interesting conundrum or choice that would have been. A would-be god and a mortal making that choice together. Maybe even working together to shape the world after the fall of the Veil.

Ah well…this is me rambling. There is plenty more to be said about this, criticisms and “what ifs” and “wouldn’t it be nice ifs” and so on, but I don’t want to belabor the points further. It’s just very interesting to think about!

Looking for a good post on why we should just let Solas tear down the Veil. I'm just interested in the perspective.

I know I saw a few arguments for this maybe a couple weeks back. But I have no idea where they went or who wrote them.

[a-casual-kpopfan]

Our Twilight - Chapter 2

Previous Story: Part 1

Next Story: Part 3

~~~~~

A/N: Hello boos, it's me again with my fellow ghost writer here, posting up the next Haseul chapter in this series. (:

Just want to thank @ifeelsounsure0 and @gangplanksorenji for the edits and looking over <3

------

A few days later…

With their hectic Queendom schedule, Haseul has been constantly training over the past few days. Today is her first day off, and her first chance to find out who this mysterious MJ is. And to do that, she requires the help of a few people

Haseul is sitting in the living room with Hyunjin and Jinsol. Haseul stares intently at Hyunjin while the girl makes a phone call, and Jinsol just messes around with her laptop.

“Mhmm, mhmm, thanks unnie! Sorry for bothering you on your day off!” With that, Hyunjin hung up the call and turned towards Haseul “You were lucky unnie! Apparently, there was a ‘MJ’ as a trainee in Polaris back then!” “Really?” Haseul looks at Hyunjin, her face practically screams ‘tell me more’, which is quite adorable.

“Mhmm! He joined a year after our debut as Loona 1/3, and according to instructor unnie, he really had the talent to be an idol. In a few short months, he got the support of almost all the instructors after all.”

“How is there a trainee like that, are you sure you didn’t hear it wrong?” Jinsol chimes in on the side, seemingly unconvinced of the story. “Unnie! I swear I didn’t hear it wrong! You must have seen it firsthand at the show, right? His vocals were amazing!” “…...I didn’t pay that much attention…” Jinsol mumbles to herself.

“Hyunjin-ah! Get back to the topic please! If he was so talented, why didn’t he debut?” Haseul quickly steers the conversation back to the main topic, prompting Hyunjin to continue: “He would have debuted as a soloist the same time we fully debut as ‘Loona’, but suddenly, he decided to quit.”

“Quit?” Both Haseul and Jinsol ask at the same time.

“Yeah, according to instructor unnie, he said he ‘lost the spirit and motivation’ and decided to quit that very day, not to be seen again.” Hyunjin frowns slightly as she recalls the conversation, “Such a shame, he could have been as famous as us, maybe even more. Just look at how he’s trending right now!”

Hyunjin isn’t wrong, after that episode was broadcasted, social media exploded with posts about the mysterious ex- trainee MJ, some even made a poll voting to make him an idol. But like every mystery, he disappeared without a trace… Until now.

“Well, I don’t know how he did it, but that guy didn’t even register with his real name! just ‘MJ’ and that he worked at a library? Oh yeah, they did mention in the show that he’s a librarian right?” Hyunjin scratches her head, looking at Haseul and Jinsol.

“Pfft, just a library, how hard can it be to find a library in Seoul?” Jinsol says as she googles on her laptop. ‘300+ searches found’

“Oh….it might be hard to find a library in Seoul… Ehe” Jinsol says with a cheeky smile as she scratches her cheek, earning a glare from Haseul.

“Anyways, thanks for your help, Hyunjin-ah, as promised, I’ve already ordered bread for you” “Thank you unnie!” Hyunjin gives you a big hug before moving to her room, humming happily.

“Now…we should probably get started on finding that library?” Haseul looks at Jinsol “Oh no, you’re the only one looking for it, I’m just here to offer you moral support!” Jinsol replies almost instantly with a bright smile, leaving Haseul flabbergasted. “…. Didn’t you promise to help me?”

“Well, this is your journey to find your Prince Charming, so it’s more suitable if you search for him, correct? Besides, I already got mine~” Just as Jinsol says that her phone starts to ring with a “Hubby <3” ID. “Speak of the dev-” Before Jinsol can grab her phone, Haseul reaches for it instantly and answers the call.

“Oh, hi oppa, Jinsol is currently busy with helping me right now, so she’ll call you later, have a good day oppa!” And with that, Haseul hangs up and returns Jinsol’s phone to her with a mischievous grin. “Yah! What if it was something important?!” Jinsol angrily pouts, which honestly looks more cute than angry, only to see Haseul focus back on the laptop. “If it was important, he’ll ring the doorbell.”

~~~~~

And so, start the journey of Haseul and Jinsol into the depths of Google, exploring every nook and cranny of the map as they search for whatever hint they have about that mysterious library. Meanwhile, the Loona dorm is as lively as always…

“YAH, LEE GUNGJEON, DON’T YOU DARE RUN! GIVE ME BACK MY SNACK OR ELSE YOU’RE SLEEPING ON THE COUCH TONIGHT!” Sooyoung’s voice booms through the hallway of the dorm, showing her might as a vocalist although for an entirely different reason.

“IF GUNGJEON OPPA IS SLEEPING ON THE COUCH TONIGHT, CAN I SLEEP WITH YOU UNNIE???” Haseul doesn’t even need to look up to know whose voice it is. Only one person can be that daring in this dorm.

“W-wait! I was just kidding!” Of course, Gungjeon quickly voices his complaint and tries to give Sooyoung her snack back, but Sooyoung has already wrapped her arms around the younger member, puffs her cheek and scoffs at him.

“Too late, I’m sleeping with Jiwoo tonight. Have fun with no pillows and blankets.” And walks away with Jiwoo while the younger giggles in delight. Leaving Gungjeon standing there, looking like a lost puppy with a bag of snacks in his hand.

“He should have known not to mess with her snack, not to mention Jiwoo.” Jinsol can only offer sympathetic words before going back to helping Haseul.

Ding Dong

The sound of the doorbell breaks the concentration of both Jinsol and Haseul. Both turn to the door so fast, almost causing them to have whiplash from how fast they turned. Sweat starts to form on Haseul’s forehead as she remembers her previous words about Jinsol’s boyfriend as Jinsol herself glares at Haseul, preparing to stand up.

“Oh! It must be my bread!” Hyunjin bolts straight out of her room to the front door, like a predator chasing its prey, but in this case it’s bread.

After heading out for the delivery, Hyunjin enters with a piece of bread already in her mouth, and an opened pack of bread in her hand, only to be met with her two unnies’ stares. “Ish sumthin wron unni?” (Is something wrong unnie?) “Nothing Hyunjin, nothing at all…”

As Jinsol says that she glances at Haseul, who is looking up the ceiling in order to avoid Jinsol’s glare, then back down at the laptop, feigning ignorance. “Sorry, you were saying?” Jinsol only scoffs before turning her attention back to the laptop, leaving Hyunjin standing there, confused, but very happy to have her bread. 

Haseul and Jinsol research tirelessly through the night. Mostly Haseul, Jinsol is still pretty salty about how Haseul didn’t let her call her boyfriend.

“Yah, Haseul! It’s already late!” Jinsol points to the clock on her phone, which clearly stated 11pm. “You can head to bed first Jinsol, I’m just going to look a bit more….” Haseul only spares a glance at her phone, then back to the laptop.

“Why are you doing this Haseul? There’s no need for you to go that far, just for a guy who you never met” Jinsol pouts slightly, worrying about her leader’s health as it’s been a while since she has seen Haseul this serious about something. “I-… I honestly don’t know, Jinsol-ah. When I look at him, I feel like…” Haseul stops a bit, trying to find the right word. “I feel like he can make me… Whole again.”

“Huh, what do you mean?”

“Ever since I joined you girls as Loona, it’s been the best time of my life, but somehow, it doesn’t feel… Complete to me, like something is missing, forgotten, and that guy might know about it.” Haseul hesitates as she sees Jinsol’s confusion clearly on her face “I know what I’m saying doesn’t make sense, Jinsol-ah, but I can’t ignore it, otherwise it will keep gnawing away my mind-”

Jinsol interrupts her with a gentle hug as she envelops her leader in her embrace, her arms hugging Haseul’s back and soothing it with gentle strokes. “It’s okay Haseul…. You don’t need to say anymore, I understand you….”

“Y-you do?”

“I do, because it’s the same for me and Daewon,” Jinsol smiles softly at Haseul. “The girls might be family, but I can’t imagine my life without him. I will never be the best version of myself without him by my side~” Haseul can see a warm gaze in Jinsol’s eyes when she talks about him. Her eyes look soft, incredibly soft, combined with the passionate love that she has for him, and a touch of longing.

“I’m sorry that I didn’t allow you to answer him earlier, I was too focused on my own things…” “It’s okay Haseul-ah, I promised to help, so I will, but probably another day, ok? It’s late now, and we need rest.”

“O…kay?” Haseul glances briefly back to the laptop in defeat, but right then her eyes catch a social media post: ‘Anyone know this librarian? I want to express my gratitude to him for helping me. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to catch his nametag, only a glimpse of his armband.’ 

Attached to the post was a picture of a young man, seemingly running away in a hurry. His back was turned to the camera, so his face couldn’t be seen but Haseul knew.

It’s him.

Jinsol, observing Haseul’s face ever since her eyes got glued on the screen, makes a comment “Are you sure that it’s him?” Only to be met with a firm nod from Haseul. “So, where does he work?” A quick stroll down the comments gave them the answer. “Silent Haven? It does sound like a library” Jinsol giggles at the name, but the same can’t be said for Haseul.

Her head starts to ache as if someone is pounding a hammer relentlessly against her skull. She suddenly remembers something….

A flashback plays out inside her mind, of a young boy and girl at a sitting area of a library.

“Yah, stop reading! Go out and play with me!”“… But I like reading….��“Pfft, you’re such an old man M̸̠̊̈̑į̴̥̈́̈́n̸̜̖͕̳͛̋́̃-̶̬̹͌̚J̷͈͂́͗͠o̵̡̢̰̐̽͌͛o̸̮̰̮̹͛̏n̶̛̦͈̈̀̾. Are you going to work here when you grow up?”“Maybe….? I like quiet places.”“You’re boring! C’mon, let’s go get some ice cream!”

And with that Haseul suddenly snaps back to reality, with her hands still clutching her head, and Jinsol looking at her with worry. 

That girl… Was I… Then what about that boy??? Haseul starts to analyze what she just saw remembered . Could it be? Haseul is deep in her thought when Jinsol snaps her out of it “Haseul, I think that’s enough for today, we have schedules for tomorrow” 

“Yeah, you’re right, we should get some rest….” Seemingly satisfied with that answer, Jinsol slams the laptop shut before pushing Haseul towards the bedroom, making sure that both will get some rest. Although for one of them, sleep might not come anytime soon…

“I will find you, and I will find out what is wrong with me.”

To Be Continued.

[malleux]

Hey I have a request for corpse! I think during either his q&a livestream from a few years back or the one from last year he said he’s bad at cooking and I would therefore like to request the reader coming over to his place as like a ‘meal prepper’ who cooks like all kinds of meals for him and one time he invited her to stay for dinner? Idk if it’s too complicated lmao but I’m just really feeling some fluff rn

dinner. | corpse husband

-> Pairing: Corpse Husband x GN!Reader

-> Genre: Fluff, Crack

-> Warnings: Cursing

-> A/N: hi anon, i accidentally deviated from the request just a little bit, so i’m sorry! i hope it’s still okay!

send me an ask or a message if you’d like to be on any of my taglists!

“Corpse, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

“I’m sorry! I really thought I had it this time.”

You walked into the small kitchen in Corpse’s apartment, looking haphazardly at the… creation in his cake pan. The inside of the cake looked something akin to a pudding, making you cringe.

“Did- did you cook it long enough?”

“Yeah? It said like 35 minutes. I did everything right, I thought.” Corpse’s tone became dejected and you knew he was beating himself up for messing up.

“You used the right amount of water?” You asked. He nodded. “Two eggs?” Another nod. “What size eggs?”

He shrugged. “Whatever you bought me in the fridge.”

You suddenly laughed out loud, making Corpse quirk an eyebrow. “Those are extra large eggs, so that you have more when you make them for breakfast, silly. The recipe needs regular sized eggs, that’s why it’s all weird inside.”

He didn’t say much, instead looking down at the tile floor. You felt bad for laughing, but you couldn’t help it. He truly was trying his hardest despite knowing that he wasn’t the best chef in the world. You stepped forward and placed a hand on his cheek, making him look at you. You pretended not to see the blush on his cheeks and fought to keep your own at bay.

“Tell you what. Tonight, I’ll come over and teach you how to cook my favorite dish. We can hang out and eat together, too. How does that sound?”

Corpse only leaned his cheek into your hand and nodded.

A few hours later, Corpse opened his apartment door, letting you in and helping you with the large bag of ingredients that you had brought with you from your own apartment down the hall.

He grabbed a large pack of uncooked chicken from the bag and looked at you questionably, but you just beamed up at him.

“Chicken parm!”

“So we’re cooking fancy shit, huh? Didn’t take you to be the high maintenance type.” Corpse teased.

You slapped him on the shoulder and he had a supress the small shiver that ran up his spine at the touch. “You know I love cooking- of course I’m gonna know some decent dishes. You just never eat anything other than takeout, but once you get a taste of my cooking you’ll never go back.”

“That or I’ll die from how bad it is.” You gave him a look. “Kidding. What do I need to do?”

You thought for a moment. “Coat the chicken in flour, then in egg, and then coat it in the crumbs I’m about to pull out. Sounds easy enough, right?”

Corpse nodded and got the supplies out, filling a bowl with flour while you pulled out a pan and began heating up the stove. He grabbed one of the chicken breasts and examined it for a minute before putting it in front of his upper lip and turning to you with a childish grin.

“I’ve got a moustache.”

“Corpse!” You snorted, covering your mouth to hide a laugh, “Get that away from your face! You’re gonna get salmon vanilla.”

“Salmon- what? Fucking salmonella? Say it right, you dunce.” Corpse laughed.

“You say it right! I don't want you to get Sam and Ella!”

Corpse was nearly crying at this point, doubling over from laughing as you threw your head back in another cackle. He could barely catch his breath as he grabbed a small bit of unused flour and flicked it in your face, giggling out a small “shut up!”

You gasped, suddenly feeling the powder cover your face and Corpse stood up straight, ready to apologize if he’d upset you.

Instead, you grabbed a handful of the flour and tossed it on him, running away laughing as he processed the white powder now adorning his black shirt before smiling and taking off after you.

“No! No, let me go, I’m sorry!” You cried out as he caught up to you, wrapping his arms around you from behind and hoisting you up to bring you back into the kitchen. “Give me your shirt, I’ll wash it! I promise!”

Corpse smirked, still holding onto you as you struggled in his grasp. “You want me to take my shirt off?”

You flushed, realizing what you’d said. “No- oh my God- Please! Put me down and we can finish the chicken permission!”

He laughed again, “Only if you promise to start saying words right.”

“Okay! I promise!”

Corpse set you down gently and you both stayed silent, taking a moment to catch your breaths and soothe the ache in your cheeks from smiling so much. It seemed like every time you were in Corpse’s presence, you were smiling. You were the happiest when you were with him and you certainly weren’t complaining about it.

The rest of the dinner preparation went without a hitch, despite Corpse’s nervousness about messing something up. You watched him out of the corner of your eye often, checking on him and making sure he was okay. Not once did he mess up. You were proud and made sure to tell him often.

Finally, the dish was finished and plated. Flour covered most of the kitchen, but the dinner was complete and looked delicious. You couldn’t wait to chow down.

“You’re- you’re staying for dinner, right?” Corpse looked back at you as he headed to his couch to sit down

“No, I was going to simply leave.” You responded sarcastically.

He rolled his eyes, holding back a grin as you grabbed your own plate and followed him to the living room. You both ate your first bites of chicken at the same time, Corpse watching you for your reaction.

“It’s perfect!” You exclaimed, “At this rate, you’re gonna be like that chef off of Ratatoodie. What’s his name? Linguine?”

Corpse let out an incredulous breath at your purposefully awful pronunciation. “Shut the fuck up, oh my God.” He joked.

You laughed and leaned your head against his shoulder. “For real, though, it’s amazing. You did amazingly and I’m super proud of you.”

Corpse stayed silent, only reaching an arm around you and squeezing your shoulders as he scrolled through Netflix to find a movie to watch with your dinner before finally speaking up.

“If I’m Linguine, then you’re the little rat helping me out and supporting me behind the scenes.”

“Aw, Corpse- wait, did you just call me a rat?”

┎┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┒

corpse taglist: @namjoons-crabssss @lookingforaplacetosleep @teenloves @princess00wifi @pillowjj @nvm-idgaf @creativedogs @wildflowerwhore @chillininahottub-withaghost @whyisquill @holosexualunicorn7000 @ourheavenlyemotions @corbins-kinda-smart @harryhighkey @sokkaspaintings @saturn2000 @a-dot-dev @bean04 @helena-way07 @tooturntashbash @locallolli @simonsbluee @redperson58 @reddeserths @annshit @corpsie-bby @emperor-pizza @vacaprincess @adorably-sweet-hufflepuff @rolls-and-rolex @supernovavision @bestgirlkonan @hughugh20 @theolwebshooter @johnjacobjingleheimerschmidt @shinyyoonie @milybones @propertyofdindjarin @qatiee @sunshineandrainyflowers @dontlookatmeidk @kxsmicsmain @corpsesgirl @witchybarb @princessnnylzays @petit-chausseur-detoiles @mmonamona @heartbroken-writer @squintyangel @crapimahuman @honestlyimstilllivinginthe90s @mute-chaos @bluewneptune @yongboxerrr @emmapotato88 @devilish-ducky @marmaladebreadwithhoney @chimchimsugakookies @redlikeiron @crystalbaby12 @persephoncs @btsiguess-kpop @utopiakys

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[unwrittenlibrary]

Tee’s Summer Reads 🖤

hi all! as summer comes to a close and classes start back up again, i wanted to come on here and share some pieces i read over break that i just loved.

as always, heed to any and all warnings each creator has put in place. eighteen plus spaces deserve respect and you are urged to show them it.

— ➶ —

Bucky Barnes

i wished one the moon for you by @sunmoonandbucky • “After losing Bucky, you were devastated. So when Howard Stark asks for volunteers for an experiment, you're the first in line.” -> 40s buck & present bucky? love that lasts through time? love it

the shot heard round the tower & unwarranted weakness by @pellucid-constellations • “you just want to know if bucky has feelings for you. bucky just wants you to be okay.” -> these two pieces can be read separately, but i highly suggest reading them both because bucky is written so well and they made me feel warm all over. 

see the world the way you do by @vanderlustwords • “you start to see color when you meet your soulmate. bucky thinks that soulmates are a one of a kind thing.” -> there are So many lines in this that just... sit with you. i felt so much reading this. that tight feeling in your chest, pure happiness, anger... i just absolutely loved this. 

a little old fashioned by @gogolucky13 • “bucky is a bit subtle in telling you he likes you.”-> behold...sweet, shy comfort fic bucky. i go back and read this when i’m sad. 

he’s a good friend by @markandlexies • “reader is tired of watching bucky go on dates with leah and flirt with sarah.” -> give me all the oblivious, pining friends to lovers. just incredible writing and a truly lovely piece. 

tap by @houseravenclaws •  “bucky never talked much, he fell in love anyway.” -> you KNOW i already love sarah’s writing, it was on my last list. HERE’S MORE! this fic tore me apart in the best way and i still think about it all the time. it has become a go to. 

all the good things by @/houseravenclaws • “bucky’s been a little more than happy recently. sam thinks it has something to do with the pretty girl on the team.” -> need i say more? i needn’t say more. 

i love you, you idiot by @chrisevansjellybeans • “we’re best friends but won’t say we’re in love trope.” -> this fic made my heart sore. i love when writers have the ability to show love through the smallest of details and this fic did that so well. 

the things you’ve done by @divine-mistake • “what if the world ended tomorrow and all he did was spend his last day with you thinking about how you never hold his metal hand and you never walk on his left side and you constantly reach for his right arm?” -> OHHHHHHHHH MAN oh man this fic left me in shambles. absolute shambles and gave me a big, bright smile. insecure!bucky just does something to me. bucky is written perfectly in this. 

cornerstone by @agentofbarnes • this is a piece of zee’s (incredible) barnes’ au where bucky and reader (babydoll) are married with kids. -> i love the entire barnes’ au, but this piece honestly meant so much to me??? seeing bucky as an incredibly loving and open father just makes me so happy. 

leather jacket full of cats by @bucksfucks • “bucky brings home kittens.” -> nora doesn’t write fluff, but when she does it comes out absolutely incredible???? bucky and kittens?? PLEASE this made so happy (hi keep an eye out for more of nora’s work in the nsfw section) 

bulova by @babycap • “in the five years between the two snaps that changed it all, life had moved on, as life is want to do. In the aftermath of that final battle, you discover that time waited for no one (least of all you), and those you loved marched forward into it without you. Sam suggests you volunteer at the local retirement community to keep you busy, keep your mind from lingering on what—and who—you lost. In giving back, you find that time can be just as generous as it is cruel.” -> this is a babycap (dev my love) fan account. i have never read such beautiful words & i am always so stunned by the amazing works that dev puts out. i get so excited to read them. 

sunset by @belladonnabarnes • “bucky meets a pretty girl and her little sister at the zoo.” -> how did you know it was my dream to meet bucky at the zoo jaye?????? ahhhhh i loved this fic so much, it was so incredibly sweet i had the dopiest smile on my face when reading it. 

crawl home to her by @wkemeup • “stranded without coms, alone, and bleeding out in the middle of a russian snow storm, bucky is content to let nature take its course. only you won’t seem to let him go.” -> this fic is a masterpiece. a genuine piece of art. i was on the edge of my seat reading it, hoping i could faster than possible just to find out if bucky made it.

suburbia by @/wkemeup • “posing as husband and wife, you and bucky infiltrate a quaint suburban neighborhood in search of a hydra hacker. perhaps if you weren’t so in love with him and he hadn’t broken your heart, the act of pretending wouldn’t hurt so much.” -> yeah this one HURT. in the best way, an absolute favorite. so so so good.

that was premonition, i think by @divine-mistake • “sometimes you wish you had never fallen in love with bucky. screw that ‘it’s better to have loved and lost’ bullshit. you wish you had never fallen in love with bucky barnes.” -> just so so good. i was speechless after reading.

Others

Sam Wilson

the summertime and butterflies all belong to your creation by @golden-bucky • “you’ve never been one for baseball, but sam wilson is enough to change your mind.” -> ok. listen. i HAVE always loved baseball and this fic made me dream of mr. sam wilson in a lil uniform and me cheering him on. it was so sweet and i just loved it. a dream come true.

scary love by @bvckysmoon • “the first ‘i love yous’ are always scary.” -> being in love with sam wilson? yes please! this fic is so tooth achingly sweet, i adore it.

that way by @belouva • “you don’t know what label to fall under anymore. were you his roommate, friend or his lover?” -> i love roommate! sam… the first two parts of this series are so good.

Steve Rogers

you don’t know by @/divine-mistake • “until her gaze falls on you and her lovesick puppy dog eyes morph into saucers, leaving her frozen in pure shock. that visage quickly melts away to reveal a smug smile, aimed right at you, and you know exactly what she’s thinking at this moment.” -> steve & plus-size reader! i actually teared up, this fic hit really close to home and is beautifully written.

Spencer Reid

the one where everyone finds out by @reidscanehand • “Spencer Reid is in love with Y/N, and she’s in love with him...only they don’t know it yet...and they might be are definitely going to be the very last to know. And since Spencer and Y/N happen to be surrounded by the best profilers in the country, the rest of the team is, of course, the first to piece together the romance. Little by little, bit by bit, the team solves the case of Spencer and Y/N.” -> i constantly go back and reread this fic… it means so much to me!

work wife by @differentkettleoffishalltogether • “Spencer can’t help but feel a little jealous when it seems like his best friend is interested in someone else.” -> best friend spencer & love confessions? yeah that’s what i like.

Aaron Hotchner

dream a little dream by @ssahotchswife • “Following an injury, the reader dreams about time spent with Aaron Hotchner and his son. She relives heartbreak about Aaron's relationship with Beth and the love she has for Jack. Aaron must come to terms with his feelings for the reader when she wakes.” -> aaron hotchner is my comfort man and this fic makes my chest ache

NSFW

just friends by @/bucksfucks • “you and chris are just friends, right?” -> chris evans please i’m free on saturday

forbidden fruit by @/bucksfucks • “you attempt to set your ex’s things on fire. bucky has a better idea.” -> dadsbestfriend!bucky has my heart and it’s literally because of nora’s writing

appointments by @buckycuddlebuddy • “bucky barnes, finally being able to live freely in 21st century, accidentally gets a fuck buddy and starts to rediscover himself. the only weird thing about this situation is that you have to make an appointment to get railed by him.” -> ooooooooof i love this lil series so much

— ➶ —

these are all of my summer reads!!! i’ll definitely post another one after fall semester, this will most likely be a seasonal thing.

[dmclemblems]

Kinda weird how the devs said "if the characters feel ooc we meant for it to feel that way" when actually applies to... so few characters? Like, even Caspar who also seems different from how he usually is, he's actually basically just like he is in 3H's CF route (bloodthirsty, always itching to fight, not really caring about justice more than he does being allowed to throw a punch, etc.). Pretty much everyone in the game really do feel like "this is what they'd be like without Garreg Mach/Byleth" - which is to say, most of their base personalities and ideals are kept intact, and it's only the TRAJECTORY of those personalities and ideals that are changed. Which makes sense, because Byleth and Garreg Mach didn't, like, CREATE these characters, only LED their characters down a certain path.

It REALLY IS only Claude who feels outright "different" from his 3H counterpart. His personality is changed (not as confident, not curious at all, puts innocents in danger) and his ideals aren't really the same either (from "wanting togetherness through openness" to "what if I just expand my influence lol"), even though neither of those things were really influenced by either Byleth or Garreg Mach? Or at least not to the extent Hopes tries to sell. So Claude's the only character that feels "different;" Claude, the character whose writing is, not-so-coincidentally enough, the BIGGEST issue like 90% of players have with the game as a whole.

So ngl, call me a tin-foil hat wearer, but it really DOES feel like the devs only said that to cover their asses about SPECIFICALLY their writing wrt Claude. Like you and others have done, all that needs to be done to show that 3H Claude and Hopes Claude aren't congruent versions of the same character is... a side-by-side comparison, and nothing else. There's no way the writers of Hopes didn't catch that, unless they really ARE that incompetent.

I dunno lol, maybe I'm just hoping that the writers have SOME sort of recognition of how massively they messed up Claude's character and are just trying to say whatever they can to cover it up. Genuinely can't believe anyone other than Edellygard fans (or "Claude fans" that never actually liked how Claude acted in 3H) can look at Hopes Claude and say "yup, that's Claude being in character."

I’ve been feeling like the reason they did this with Claude is because they figured both Dimitri and Edelgard had their “did not great things” arc in Houses but Claude didn’t. It’s like they tried to do that so that all of them had points in their stories where they did crappy things, but they just went too far for Claude’s story. Part of what I particularly don’t like is that it’s just a mess. With how you have characters telling him he’s wrong over and over but then everyone being pumped to fight Faerghus, it’s like they couldn’t decide if they wanted the characters to be good or bad.

Generally the only consistent character was Lorenz, and even he sometimes had instances of just... not seeming to care. Not to say he was written poorly, because this game did amazing for him, but when they were in battle he behaved like they were in any old battle at war against the Empire and not invading an innocent country. Other than that he’s the only one I found was pretty much the same all around and/or not one note about everything (ex. Raphael not caring that they’re murdering all these people as long as he gets to punch people with his muscles and eat later, literally not caring at all whatsoever about the lives they’re taking and behaving like they’re not even people but just training dummies).

While overall some of them feel the same at their core like Raphael and Caspar, I can’t help but feel that many of them were turned very one note. Hilda got lucky and got a lot more personality, but she still fell into the category of not really giving a shit about anyone but her immediate allies. Hell, she didn’t even remember that it was Felix who came from Fraldarius, so she obviously didn’t care about her classmates who weren’t in the GD. So, it’s not to say personalities got changed, but more what they stand for and their morals got warped. I do agree that most players take issue specifically with GW/Claude, and I know some took issue with SB (for Edelgard too and not just Claude/the Alliance). The only time Claude was actually Claude was in AG, and even then the game kept pushing the concept that Claude was tricking them or planning to backstab them through almost every main character’s opinion. It was just out of place and thrown in as a nod to the other routes instead of actually making sense.

I wouldn’t mind if this was like a... Claude villain arc or something where he went down the wrong path and became unrecognizable, but the narrative tries to say it’s all a good thing and that he’s doing things that will benefit Fodlan. Even if he himself was genuinely convinced of that and still was within the boundaries of a villain arc that would be fine, but the rest of the narrative would have to convince us that the people around him aren’t on board. Despite that so many playable characters and even NPCs think what they’re doing is wrong, everyone stays with Claude and insists they’ll be there for him to the end, yadda yadda.

What I would’ve liked in GW is if Lorenz defected to the Kingdom and a handful of other characters did too. Especially Yuri for example, who is very devout, doesn’t agree with what they’re doing, thinks they’re cruel (specifically, that Claude is vicious if you recruit Ashe for making Ashe fight his own allies and friends which would be a very strong term to use if he didn’t really feel that way), and comes from the Kingdom as well as has family and allies/friends in the Kingdom. Hapi was pretty, er, unhapi (im sorry don’t unfollow me for my sins) too in GW and also came from the Kingdom iirc, and if Yuri left I think she’d be on board with him.

Another interested thing they could’ve done is have Raphael be upset and decide to stop fighting because it doesn’t seem beneficial to the Alliance and could in turn affect his sister if the Kingdom ends up harboring a grudge and eventually striking at them in return. I think Houses Raphael would also be pretty against invasion, because he never struck as the type was who just... all muscle, totally stupid and didn’t care about other people’s lives/livelihoods. Unfortunately in this game Raphael doesn’t care one wit about a single thing in the entire world except his sister, his muscles and food. Houses Raphael at least had a bit more substance going for him.

Also, if Lorenz left I think Ignatz would too since he’s a Gloucester knight.  Marianne could also stop fighting because she’s admitted in GW that she doesn’t think Rhea is evil, and she clearly doesn’t agree with invasion. That would leave Claude with, close ally wise, Hilda, Holst, Leonie, Lysithea, and Shez (and Judith if she survives, not counting Nader since he’s kinda... on and off, here and there). Not sure what Balthus would do if he was stuck choosing between Holst and Yuri tbh, but that would have been an excellent story to follow for him, especially since his story is usually extremely limited to gambling, fighting/training, and his childhood with Holst. Actually giving other characters conflict and having to question what they’re doing because they have friends splitting up and being forced to choose sides could’ve been a much better addition to the story than actually going through with fighting Rhea in the end.

After that I think GW could’ve had a route split, where Claude either fixes his shit depending on your choices and things get better so his allies return and continue to fight with him, while understandably being cautious and scrutinizing him, or you get a bad ending where Claude doesn’t get better. In that situation I think you’d probably be fighting your old allies (Lorenz and co) and probably having to kill them. Claude would either continue fighting to get to Rhea, having to choose between his goal of killing her by killing his friends in the process who didn’t agree with his invasion of the Kingdom (or killing so many people form the Church just to specifically get to Rhea, because his issue seemed largely with her and not the entirety clergy but he did kill tons of them because of his issues with Rhea), or stopping his fight and realizing just how many people he’s gotten killed when it wasn’t necessary.

Unfortunately it seems like Claude wouldn’t have understood how far his actions were going unless people left, and... that’s kinda what should’ve happened.

[wordpress-blaze-188718896]

Authenticity Over Aesthetics: How I’m Redefining My Creative Process

Okay. Can you hear me? I know, I know—sometimes I sound like I’m in a wind tunnel when I’m on the road. But for real, I had to share this little moment from yesterday… or was it last night? Time blurs. Either way, I did a video. Wasn’t planned, wasn’t curated, wasn’t scripted. It just happened. And honestly? I liked it.

I was trying to show off my little setup for my isopods—yes, those babies arrive on Monday and I am hyped. But in true me fashion, I ran into some tech drama because apparently, the flip camera function vanished mid-recording. Picture this: me, birds chirping on my back, trying to get this angle right and flipping the phone like it’s a Rubik’s cube. What was going on? I don’t know. But what I do know is that I was giving major Auntie energy. Like, how you work this thing again? energy. And honestly, I’m okay with that.

The thing is, despite all the chaos and comedy, that video felt real. It was unedited, unfiltered, and undeniably me. And that’s a big shift, because if I’m being honest, I didn’t always like the stuff I was creating. In fact, I think I’ve talked about this before—how I published a whole book that I didn’t even like (hi, Eve’s Apple). But I had to get it out. It had to be released. It’s the doing that matters.

Early in my creative journey, I couldn’t stand my own art. But I kept doing it, not because I was in love with the results, but because I had to. It was about growth, not perfection. And I’m realizing now that I don’t need everything to fit into a mold or be content-worthy. I just need it to be honest.

Watching that video, I wasn’t cringing. I wasn’t overthinking. I actually enjoyed it. There was no pressure, no performance—just presence. And look, video content? It’s exhausting. Time-consuming. Overwhelming. Especially when social media tries to turn every thought into a “piece of content.” But I’m not here to be a content creator. That’s not the goal.

The goal is learning. Growth. Documenting the process. That’s it.

Because when it’s real, when it’s grounded in truth—it’s sustainable. It’s not forced. It’s not weird (well, maybe a little weird, but not internet weird). Y’all know what I mean. There’s a kind of weird out there that just doesn’t feel like home. And I’m trying to stay grounded in what does.

So yeah, I’m sharing this because I’ve learned that motivation is not it. It’s flaky. Disrespectful, even. Some days it’s high, other days it ghosts me. I can’t depend on it. What I can depend on is my why. My purpose - my God given purpose.

That’s what carries me through. That’s what keeps me showing up. Because feelings? Whew. They’re wild. Unreliable. One day I’m in love with everything, the next I’m like, “Why am I even in school again?”

But then I remember—I want my degree. I want my master’s. That’s my why.

So when excitement dips and I feel the drift coming, I try to reconnect with what lights me up. Like creating an environment that recharges me. Surrounding myself with things that help me remember why I started. That way, I can redirect that energy into what actually matters. Even when I don’t “feel like it.”

And that’s the lesson I’m sitting with today—how to turn that excitement into discipline. How to build in accountability. Because I know myself, and I know I need it. For sure for sure.

That’s why I’m hosting a session tonight on this online co-working space I use called Flow. It’s not social media—it’s just a quiet little digital space where we all log on, cameras off or on, and work. Together. Focused. Intentional. If you want in, I’ll drop the link somewhere in here.

The Flow Club

At the end of the day, I’m just trying to use whatever tools I’ve got, however I can, to get to where I’m going.

Because this journey? It’s not about creating the perfect video, or the perfect post—it’s about showing up. And that’s enough.

Let’s get it.

Source: Authenticity Over Aesthetics: How I’m Redefining My Creative Process