#truly fascinating hasn't changed a bit

[sillykitty9000]

Ready To Pay In Full by Teethies on AO3 is a masterpiece and I need to talk about it right now

Mild-moderate spoilers ahead + Cw: mention of sexual harassment and abusive power dynamics

First of all, how the fuck was THAT written in only 4 days? 10k words of beautifully thought out in-character plot? In 4 DAYS??? Good lord, that is incredible! Also, Teethies mentioned that this was their first time writing fanfiction? Unfair if you ask me. (/lht) It was wonderfully written, and I can not believe how much I enjoyed it.

Chapter 1: It opens beautifully. The descriptions are rich, and the characters are so real. Not only is Teethies's voice portrayed well throughout the story, but the characters' voices are seen wonderfully, too. It briefly, but not inconsistently, fills in the end of OUAW and sets the scene in a realistic way. It is admirable how Teethies can make both Kremy and Gideon in character even without having them speak; their body language shows expression without any semblance of "He did this, he moved there." I really enjoy how Teethies handles small details, like how Gideon’s hair leaves ashes on his new shirt; it's not necessary to the plot, but it gives the story so much more life. Gideon and Kremy feel real in the way they interact, and they are sweet in the way that only they can be. Vague flirty remarks just before moderate insults. Reading this feels like I'm listening to their campaign with how accurate these characters are. This whole chapter explores character history, especially Kremy’s, and it really goes in-depth as to why they each do the things they do. Again, they're all so in character that it feels like I'm really there. Even the subtle nonverbal reactions feel like the characters, and it's really sweet seeing Kremy and Gideon interact in the way they're so used to. Outside help brings them a bit closer, and it's a really nice way of showing how close they are, even if they aren't explicitly romantic. Again, I really appreciate how in-depth this story goes with Kremy’s history. I never really considered what his past before the Carnival but after his childhood would be like, but Teethies perfectly explains why Kremy is so powerful and how he knows so much about Garou. It really paints how Kremy behaves, and I loved every second of the first chapter.

Chapter 2: How this fic somehow IMPROVED upon their first chapter was something out of a dream. As someone who hasn't caught up on the campaign entirely, I don't know much about Mr. Garou, other than they owe him money, but Teethies does a wonderful job characterizing him in a way that feels canon and makes me understand the motivations of the characters through the story. Also, Teethies makes him a completely horrible person in a truly aggravating way. He is unredeemable, he is unlikable, and he is perfect for that. Not once was I thinking that he may change his ways, and it makes the morally questionable Kremy and Gideon seem like good people. It made me feel bad for them, and it made me enjoy their character just that much more. This chapter definitely favors the view of Gideon as opposed to the Kremy central story of the first chapter, and it really shows their differences. Kremy’s chapter was anxious. It was so obviously fearful, but it had the comforting figure of Gideon beside him. In this chapter, however, there is no comfort. Gideon is angry, he is concerned, and he has no one to turn to. He is supposed to be the protector, but he quickly learns how powerless he is in the face of Mr. Garou. Around here is where Mr. Garou gets really gross. Again, he is an unforgivable evil man, and Teethies portrays him as such. The way he talks to Gideon, but especially Kremy, makes me a bit sick. He is so cruel, and it makes you feel bad for all that Kremy has had to put up with. Gideon naturally responds with anger, but he then has suggestion cast over him. This part is actually fascinating to me because I've never considered how suggestion would work. I love how Teethies describes it as comforting magic because that really ties in to the wisdom mechanics of the game. Gideon could choose to disobey, but Kremy is mentally praising him and is so happy to see how well-behaved he is. He must be a bit scared to disobey because he feels that Kremy could leave at any point and never take him back, and that's where his wisdom fails him. He does not know that Kremy cares about him as much as he does, and that's why he submits so easily to suggestion. He does not want to lose Kremy over something like disobeying orders. We see again how badly Gideon does not want to lose Kremy at the end, where they find themselves in an argument over the entire scene with Remy Garou. It wonderfully breaks down their feelings into a soft scene, and it concludes a fantastic story.

This fanfiction was incredible from beginning to end, and it made me go through so many emotions at any given point. While there is romance, it is not the main focus which is fantastic. It really dives into the depths of each character and how they exist in their world, but also shows the inner workings of their minds without being too invasive. It was a fantastic read, and I highly recommend it.

[vincentvalenfine]

I've been debating on the wording of this for a while lol, um...What if Vincent had a partial transformation while sleeping with his partner? I'd assume he couldn't quite help what would happen.

(taking this as literal sleeping and not sexy times cause brain landed on that first ok lesgo)

Vincent has frequent and horrible nightmares. He had thought this would be a deterrent to you wanting to share a bed with him, and yet he still finds himself curled around you night after night, sometimes murmuring an apology in advance knowing he'll wake you at some point in the night. It's either the screaming, or the crying, or else the thrashing that by some miracle hasn't hurt you so far, but there's always a point at which you groggily turn over and hug his shaking body close while he tries not to think about the horrific memories still tormenting him.

He feels guilty about disrupting your sleep, but every time you manage to coax him into bed, to wrap himself around you once more.

This time the disruption is different.

As always you begin to rouse when the bed shakes, certain that Vincent is tossing about in his sleep again. He can take a minute or two before he actually wakes up at this point, so you sleepily wait for the sounds that let you know he's no longer asleep. For a little bit, nothing else happens, but as your eyes begin to slide shut again you're startled to a more alert state by a sudden, bone-deep growl.

"Mmm, Vincent...?"

You roll over on your side, open your eyes again, and freeze when met with yellow eyes instead of red.

Not much has changed - the pallor of his skin is almost truly corpse-like now, some of his hair sticks upward like a thorny crown... but the rest is still him. It's almost unnerving.

"Vincent?" you whisper again, feeling a brief pang of anxiety when his name draws no response. He isn't moving really in spite of the stare, it's almost like...

He's asleep still, and his rarely mentioned 'roommate' Chaos is simply peering through his eyes while it - he? - has the chance to do so. That's still unnerving, but there's no malice in the gaze, only what you think might be fascination. That's easier to deal with than something like Galian Beast wanting to fight at least.

Curiously, you reach over and gently brush back the messy hair draped over his shoulder. Chaos growls again but in a softer way... as if trying to purr instead. You brush your fingers through his hair slowly, and find yourself rewarded with another purr-growl. A sleepy smile tugs at your lips, and with a sigh those yellow eyes close, though his skin remains deathly pale for a few minutes more before that too subsides, and the messy hair returns to its more natural sort of spikiness.

In the morning you ask Vincent if he woke up at all last night; he shakes his head slowly, not seeming to believe his own answer but clearly unable to recall any period of consciousness. You consider telling him, then decide against it for now. He'd probably just stress out over Chaos possibly hurting you, though in your opinion it seems more likely that the creature was either curious... or lonely.

Either way, it didn't hurt you, and you don't think it will if this happens again.

[deadpresidents]

My inbox is filled with a ton of messages asking some form of this question, so here's what I would do it I was appointed the Pope of the Democratic Party and had the absolute power to shape what happens next.

First of all, I'd wait a few days until the news cycle is less of a hurricane. But once things calmed down a bit, I'd get a number of the past and present leaders of the party together to go visit President Biden and discuss the way forward. The best-case scenario would need the President to be on board with stepping aside, and I think that would require some serious conversations between Biden and his family and the party elders/leaders. The heavy-hitters would need to go see the President. I'd send President Obama and President Clinton and the other surviving past Democratic Presidential nominees: Al Gore, Hillary Clinton, and John Kerry. (Obviously, President Carter is still alive but he's 99 years old and in hospice care, so he wouldn't be involved.) They'd be joined by other Democratic heavyweights like Nancy Pelosi, Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer, Dick Durbin, Bernie Sanders, Jim Clyburn, etc.

It will be a difficult conversation because Joe Biden has spent his life wanting to be President of the United States, and he finally reached the pinnacle and nobody wants to give up that position if they don't have to. But I'd make sure they appeal to his sense of duty and patriotism -- the same things that led him to challenge Trump in 2020 when it seemed like Biden was finished with electoral politics in the wake of his son Beau's death. President Biden knows how dangerous Trump is and what this election truly means, and the Democratic leaders would need to hammer home the idea that while he was the person best able to defeat Trump in 2020, things have changed in the past four years and he's not that guy anymore.

In order for it to work, Biden would need to release his delegates and allow the Democratic National Convention to be an open convention. There are going to be many people and many reasonable arguments that Biden should endorse Kamala Harris since she is his Vice President. But the nominee would be chosen by the delegates to the Democratic Convention, so Biden couldn't just crown Harris as his heir. If he feels that she's the best choice to be the nominee and he feels a sense of loyalty to her, then I think Biden has to go further than stepping aside as the candidate. I think he would have to resign as President and allow Kamala Harris to assume the Presidency and go into the open convention as the incumbent President. That would give her a significant advantage and probably swing the nomination her way. But that's an even bigger thing to ask of President Biden, so I can't imagine being able to talk him into that. Even if he steps aside as the candidate, I think he's going to want to finish his term and he deserves that. I'm a longtime fan of Kamala Harris -- I campaigned with her for Barack Obama while she was still the DA in San Francisco. But I'm not sure she's the best candidate, either. Still, she will be in the mix and one of the favorites in an open convention.

I think an open convention would be really fascinating for people to see in 2024 since it hasn't really happened in 70+ years. It might be good for the Democratic Party and allow fresh candidates to come to the surface. I don't think there's any doubt Vice President Harris would be a candidate and it seems likely that California Governor Gavin Newsom and Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer would be major possibilities. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Maryland Governor Wes Moore are rising stars, but I don't think they have the name recognition to be the nominee this year. I really like Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and think he has all of the tools necessary to be a good President, but I'm not sure where he would stand nationally. I don't think Michelle Obama is a possibility. I know she's the dream candidate for a lot of people, but I don't think she likes politics and I don't think she has any interest in running. I think a real dark horse would be Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear. The only Democratic Presidential candidate to win Kentucky since 1980 was Bill Clinton. Beshear has won three statewide races in that very red state, and he won the most recent election in Kentucky by running as a pro-choice candidate defending a women's right to choose. I've seen Senator Raphael Warnock of Georgia mentioned, but I feel like his Senate seat is so important that he's needed there more than as President.

There are also two wild card candidates with such strong national name recognition that they would totally shake up the race. However, they'd also be controversial in many ways, but particularly because Biden would be stepping aside because of his age and these two candidates are roughly the same age as Trump. It would eliminate the argument of a fresh Democratic candidate taking Biden's place, but no one would question their experience or star power. The first one is a pretty obvious one: Hillary Clinton. I think she'd energize women voters even more than she did in 2016 because it would be a chance to get back at what happened that year. Plus, she did win the popular vote against Trump. I mean, it's a simple fact that more people voted for her in 2016 than the person that she lost to the election to. The other person also won the election that they "lost": Al Gore. I don't know if he'd do it, but you couldn't find a better advocate for fighting climate change as President than Al Gore. He's also been out of politics long enough that he might seem fresh, even if he's only two years younger than Trump. And it would be a great story -- redemption for the election that he lost at the Supreme Court rather than the ballot box.

I don't know who I would choose if I could pick the nominee, but I think an open convention would be healthy for democracy and for the Democrats. Either way, I think Biden would deserve the opportunity to save face by having him speak to the nation and explain that he is stepping aside as the nominee as an act of political courage and duty to a country facing an existential threat named Donald Trump. Let him talk about how proud he is of the things his Administration has accomplished and that he was able to stop Donald Trump once and by doing this, he is making sure America stops Donald Trump one last time. And guess what? Then he can do what I'm sure it is breaking his heart to not be able to do right now -- he can pardon his only surviving son because he'll be a lame-duck and won't have to worry about the political blowback.

[sasaranurude]

I'm a loser who both spends too much time playing gacha games and loves to hear myself talk, so here's another game review style post, this time covering my first day playing Break My Case. This time I'm not even being a little hater! I'm a lover! I'm cringe! I'm free! I love you Coly! I love you ikemen gacha games!!!!!!!

Break My Case is a new puzzle-music-adventure mobile game from Coly, the developers behind Mahoutsukai no Yakusoku and On Air. More relevant to BMC/BreMai is their game Stand My Heroes, with which it shares a writer, some gameplay elements, and of course a naming convention. Coly has developed a bit of a cult following for their unique status in the Japanese mobile gaming world: they're a company that was founded by women and hires women to make games for women. They put a lot of soul into their games. From the start, BMC is no different!

"Could you have pulled a clean version of this image from the internet so it didn't have all the game junk" no. it's my tumblr and you get my screenshots.

I (with help from friends) overviewed the initial Break My Case announcement back when it dropped. You can read that here! I said in that post that I thought a "dark rhythm game" would be a really cool direction for the game… and that's more or less what we got! GO ME!!!!!

First: the game's presentation is fantastic. Super slick graphical design and just amazing atmosphere. The sound design of this game is incredible. Genuinely. Really, really, good. All the music is amazing—I'm not knowledgeable enough to say anything other than "IT SLAPS!", but it totally does slap. The illustrations for the cards are all wonderfully atmospheric in and of themselves, and are just a delight to look at on the homescreen with its chill background music. Even just navigating menus is a sleek, seamless experience. The live2d is well-done, although it clashes a tad with the art style for a bit of an uncanny look at times. 

The atmosphere! The atmospheeeeeeere!!!

Of course, the draw to this game is the characters and story, so let's jump into that. I'll admit right now that I read the story through a machine translation—I have aaaalmost enough Japanese knowledge to fill in the gaps, especially since the story is fully voiced, but I'm definitely not getting the full nuance of the story that someone fluent in Japanese is going to get. THAT SAID, after completing the prologue, I was definitely intrigued enough that I want to continue slogging through the MTL just to read more! There's a great setup, centered around the bar Aporia and its three modes—a daytime cafe, a nighttime members-only bar, and, secretly, a "fixer" service who'll help anyone with any problem. Our main character, a woman who was just forced to quit her job at a corrupt company, gets hired to replace Aporia's eccentric owner while he goes on a who-knows-how-long vacation. The owner also has the role of "tail"—as in, the tail a lizard sheds to avoid being eaten. If anything in the fixer service goes wrong, it's the owner who takes the fall and the blame. This hasn't come to mean much in practice yet in the (quite short) prologue, but it's a fascinating setup. The story promises to touch on themes of the threads that weave our lives together, how small meetings can lead to massive life changes, and whether any human being is truly replaceable, even in our modern corporate world where people are treated like cogs in a machine. According to a staff interview, there are a handful of references to Stand My Heroes in BreMai, but the games' settings aren't otherwise closely linked.

Rough translation in alt text. The Aporia manager Ai may be the most mysterious, intimidating character, but he also beefs with a parrot the first time you meet him, so...

All the characters are staff at Aporia with various unique roles and background. The prologue just gives you a little bit of each of them, but everyone does show up, and they all have interesting dynamics with each other already. Ai, the stern manager, has some history with the MC that he refuses to divulge, and goes so far as to force psychologist Riku to agree to not look into it. The range of relationships among the staff run the gamut from the calm and mature friendship between fortune teller Kiho and art teacher Kyoya, to the unfaltering dedication of Yu to his ex-mafioso savior Tomose, to the ridiculous Takeru and Soyogu who spend their first appearance waking up after having gotten black-out drunk together the night before. My favorite dynamic of all so far is that of Kou and Mao—Kou is a playboy who insists he's not a playboy, and is introduced evading a woman by… asking the icy Mao to pretend to be his boyfriend so that she thinks he's taken and gay and leaves him alone. Which Mao exasperatedly agrees to, telling Kou that he's used up his allotment for this month which ohmygod how often does Kou do this. Kou if you're asking this guy to pretend to be your gay lover so often he gives you a monthly limit I think you might just have to admit you want him to actually be your gay lover, Kou, oh my god— 

Rough TL in alt text. Kou is letting the implication do all the heavy lifting here. He technically never said he was dating Mao. Technically. 

On to the gameplay. There's gameplay! Unique gameplay! Good unique gameplay! Oh my god, uncharted joseimuke territory! The main gameplay mode is a match-3 puzzle game with rhythm elements. As in other rhythm games, each song in the game is its own level, more or less. (Each character has two unique songs, and three songs shared with the other members of their unit.) You set up a team with cards you've collected from the gacha, which determine your power level and special skills. The "leader" of the team has to be the character whose level you've selected. The puzzle gameplay is a tile-swapping match 3—think bejeweled or candy crush—but the tiles you've matched are only cleared once a bar sliding across the screen hits them, clearing them in tune with the song. Everything cleared in a single swipe of the bar ups the combo counter. There's also a life system, where if the bar slides across the screen without clearing a single match, you lose a life… But the bar moves pretty slow. You're not likely to game over or even lose a single life any time soon. There are more difficult versions of the levels I've yet to unlock, so I'm sure the life meter becomes relevant then. There's also "auto" and "loop" features if you want to grind a level over and over for exp and items, but, of course, the computer can't score as high as you playing it yourself.

And, really, it's fun to play, so why would you want to!? The sound of matches clearing with the music is so satisfying and really makes you want to combo as high as possible. Once you've matched some tiles, you can't move them again, nor use them in a second match (eg, in a cross shape), so if you want to maximize your combo and make as many matches as possible with what's on the board, you have to think ahead about which matches you're going to make. The bar slowly crossing the screen adds a visual timed element that gives some urgency to putting all the matches together. It definitely feels like a game you can pick up an instinct for over time, which is super fun. 

All in all, a really solid, enjoyable little puzzle game. It would be fun to play even without the promise of anime boys. Stand My Heroes is also a match-3, for the record, which is what really cements the two games as being part of the same series.

Admittedly, the anime boy staring at you while you play musical candy crush is a little disconcerting.

The second gameplay mode is "Snap'n Spin", a… gameplay-lite mode that just puts chibi characters in random strange situations and lets you take pictures of them. The mode is explained to be a video game within the world of BreMai, so it's not even trying to be realistic or relevant to anything else in the game. Once you take your pokemon snaps of the boys, they get a fun little caption. You can save up to 40 pictures in your album. Other than being cute, the main way this mode interfaces with the rest of the game is that it's the primary way to unlock card stories for the cards you pulled in gacha. 

This gameplay mode is... cute? I guess? It being so disconnected from the style and aesthetics of the entire rest of the game felt weird. The chibis are adorable, so it has that going for it. And I do like some of the captions you get on the photos afterwards. My favorite were the scenes you catch of a character drinking, and then the caption reveals their current favorite drink. That's a delightful detail for a game set in a bar. Mostly, though, this mode left me wondering "why?" ...And I imagine the answer is something like "because merchandisable chibi characters are a requirement for joseimuke games." This mode could've been anything so long as these cute, starry little dudes were in it.

Urara here hated the drink and the caption revealed that, lately, his favorite thing is sparkling water. He's the youngest character in the cast, so I guess he hasn't grown into booze yet...

One last feature I want to mention is the jukebox. Like many games, BreMai has a music player that lets you listen to tracks from the game… But its music player is, genuinely, a fully-featured music player app with shuffle, repeat, lyric displays, and even background play that works when you're in another app or your phone is off. What! Wild! When I first learned a few days ago that BreMai had a built-in player for its BGM tracks, my first thought was "Well, what's stopping someone from downloading the game just to use the music player and never spending a cent on it? Wouldn't you rather have the songs on spotify so you at least get a pittance of ad revenue, in that case? It's more than nothing."

But having played the game now, I see what they did to prevent that, lol. You don't unlock the songs in the jukebox until you get an SS score on the song's level. Which, I mean, that's normal rhythm game stuff, of course. Can't fault that decision. But, as in other gacha rhythm games, your score in a level depends on the power of your team of cards, and the cards you get from the initial handful of pulls aren't gonna get you anywhere near an SS score without significant investment. So you're either buying in-game currency to buy upgrade items, more gacha pulls, or both. Of course, you can also put a bunch of time into grinding for upgrade items—they drop from levels. Gacha currency is harder to come by. So you're not getting songs in the player without actually playing the game lmfao. The character solo songs in particular (the ones with vocals rather than just instrumentals) also require you to build up rapport with that character—the game calls it "Nice". You build up Nice with them by playing their other songs and using their cards in levels. It takes 1000 Nice on a character to unlock their song. In my first day of playing, I was able to get one character to about 250 Nice, another to 200, and a handful more with a few points, so it builds at an okay pace. There's ways to pay to speed up the grinding for Nice and for upgrade items with things like level skip tickets. So, basically: you're not getting that music player to a useful state without investing either money or time, lmao. Is paying-or-grinding to get cool music you can listen to while not playing the game more "worth it" than the usual freemium game goals of better units, new in-game outfits, or prettier card illustrations? ...Honestly, maybe it is? It's novel, at least.

All gacha rhythm games have the same card select screen, don't they. These were my cards' levels after my first day of play, and you can see they didn't quite reach a suggested score of "A", much less the maximum "SS".

But I do want to stress, the monetization is, for the most part, pretty easy to ignore. Nothing in-your-face. The button to go to the shop screen is a different color, but it's not flashing with an eternal indicator, it's not popping up at every second, it's just sitting there alongside all the other menu buttons. The game isn't shoving timers in your face at all times—there's a stamina meter, which is mildly annoying, but you get ten plays when it's full, and if you're just playing casually you're probably not going to want to play the puzzle game over and over enough to fully deplete that. I know the bar is on the damn floor here but Tokyo Debunker seriously made me realize how bad it can be with mobile game monetization. BreMai is freemium, yeah, but as far as dark patterns go, it's not egregiously bad.

So, the verdict: if you're a joseimuke game fan and aren't afraid to play a game that probably won't get an English port and doesn't even have a fan translation yet (which I realize is already counting out 99.99% of people), definitely give this one a try. See if you like the gameplay—it really is worth trying—and do check out the story if you've got the ability. Or just look at the pretty anime boys. 

[therealeagal]

Hades

You know, I've mentioned before that I don't care for certain genres of video games. It's because I'm a scrub who hates losing and a fake gamer who likes games that are easy, and in neither case have I the patience to Git Gud.

On the other hand, I've also mentioned that I am endlessly fascinated by Greek mythology because I'm a nerd. It's always interesting, if a bit over-exposed. How about a game about mythology other than the bloody Greeks and the Norse? I'm lookin' at you, Kratos.

I guess there was that one Hinduism game some years ago. What was it again? The dude with the multiple arms and the giant planet sized dude who tries to crush the hero with his finger. I think it started with an N...ok I found it. Asura's Wrath. I was way off.

Didn't get enough credit if you ask me.

If one were to make a game based on mythology, perhaps there's something from Africa that would make for an interesting concept. I don't know, I'm just spitballing. Preferably one that doesn't involve freaking Anansi, because he's overexposed too.

ANYWAY.

So I picked up Hades on the strength of being a nerd, not because I had a sudden change of heart viz a viz rogue-likes.

Cast in the role of protagonist, one Zagreus, son of Hades and (so he formerly believed) Nyx, respectively the god of the Underworld and the goddess of the night.

But some how that I forget, young Zaggy discovered that Nyx is not truly his mother. His true mother is actually named Persephone and that's a whole thing, but suffice it to say, she left the underworld at some point because reasons and hasn't been seen since.

Anyway, so then young Zaggy must fight his way out of the underworld in search of his mother. Along the way, he receives help from several of the gods who reside upon Mount Olympus, who are his uncles and assorted cousins as well as his grandmother (who doesn't know she's his grandmother. It's a very top secret hush hush sort of thing), Demeter.

Then middle middle middle, everyone lives happily ever after. Except not really because they're doing a sequel, but I'm sure that game will have everyone living happily ever after. Except for the Titans, I guess, but fuck them anyway.

====

So anyway, as to the gameplay, I was prepared for a slog, and mightily did I toil until - while searching the settings for the volume controls (it's a very loud game) I discovered a nifty little option in the settings menu called God Mode. Fake gamer that I am, I naturally took the opportunity to activate it, providing 20% damage reduction, which reduction would grow incrementally 'pon my inevitable death, capped at 80% and rarely did I turn it back off.

It really does make a world of difference. What once promised to be an unbearable slog was now instead an enjoyable game.

The deaths I still suffer on occasion (on account of being a fake gamer) still manage to advance the story 9 times out of 10, and always manage to entertain and at no point do I feel overwhelmed or frustrated by needless difficulty that the devs refuse to accomodate. Well, except when using the bow. I know it's supposed to be the strongest weapon, but I'm more of a button mash kinda gamer. Perils of being a filthy casual, I guess. Gimme Excalibur any day of the week.

The only thing missing is a sword beam and a Japanese highschooler who wants to be a hero.

That's a reference by the way. It shows that I am very clever. But it's an anime reference, which cancels out the cleverness and instead shows that I'm a jackass.

P.S. If you are offended by my use of God Mode, which invalidates everything that you - as a REAL gamer - went through to Git Gud, then please remember that I warned you several times throughout this post that I am both a filthy casual and a fake gamer, so... well, I won't tell you to eat all of the shit and then die, because I am a nice person, but I will think it. Really hard.

P.P.S. This is totally unrelated, but WHY DID THEY CHANGE THE WAY THAT POSTS ARE MADE? I HATE THIS FORMAT (is that the right word?). WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE OLD WAY!? NEW IS BAD! CHANGE IS SCARY! ARGNOEHAOAFEHJKHSGDGSHGJKDHGJKDGHDK!

[mermaidchan05]

Arcana Headcanon: M6's favorite Disney Princesses

(Because I just discovered that Dorian naturally got this very wrong and I am irritated about it. Put under the cut because explaining my thoughts got long.)

Muriel- Snow White

Actually canon as declared by the OG devs. And this fits really well! Friend to All Animals, hiding out in the woods thanks to a vain villain... absolutely works.

Asra- Jasmine

This enby is streetwise, constantly outwits his enemies instead of defeating them with brute strength, has a truly kind heart despite rumors that surround the persona he presents to others (diamond in the rough, anyone?), loves going out to see the world, has plenty of magical companions... yeah, Asra is absolutely Aladdin. So how can his favorite princess be anyone but Jasmine? (Also you cannot tell me that Asra hasn't canonically pulled the "do you trust me?" bit at one point. Or that he never wanted to take his Apprentice on a magic carpet ride).

(I saw a comment on the original about relating to Mulan as a nonbinary person, and I love that! So valid! This headcanon is not meant to counter or to dismiss this in any way. I can absolutely see Asra loving the movie and appreciating Mulan as a character as well. But I cannot see her being his favorite Disney princess. More details later as well lol)

Julian - Rapunzel

Same logic as Asra. This man is Flynn Rider/Eugene Fitzherbert. Plus he'd love Rapunzel's sunny energy, and he'd be intrigued by the healing powers (not to mention the fascinating origin behind them). Plus he will absolutely serenade his love with "I See the Light."

Nadia - Merida

Nadia would be a fan of Megara, but Megara is NOT a Disney Princess.

This one was admittedly a bit tougher to pick. My first instinct went to Tiana, since Nadia would relate to her drive and the character arc of balancing work and love. Second thought was Aurora, as Nadia has often felt like the "cursed princess" archetype herself, but that could also make her hate the character, sooo...

Anyway, I settled on Merida since she's headstrong, independent, capable, and hey, Nadia can connect to the family drama. (Plus we all know she has a certain fondness for fiery redheads.)

Lucio - Mulan

TINKERBELL IS ALSO NOT A DISNEY PRINCESS SHE HAS HER OWN FRANCHISE FFS...

Lucio's the kind of guy who would buy into all those bad faith Disney takes that led to the dumb changes they made in the live action remakes. But even if it was just at the surface level of "badass warrior who basically blows up the bad guy in the end," Lucio would love Mulan.

(And I can see Asra finding out that Lucio's favorite princess was Mulan and then changing his own favorite out of spite.)

Portia - Ariel or Moana

This is the only one that I agree with. Portia would adore Ariel. But I can see her loving Moana, too. A strong warrior in her own right who does everything for her family, goes on epic sailing adventures, has TWO cute animal companions, AND has a friendship with the ocean that basically ends up as water magic? Plus she would cry over the "I know who you are" scene at the end.

[moistvonlipwig]

top 5 most formative ships?

oh INTERESTING.....most formative. hm.....how to define most formative!

Elphaba/Glinda was, to my memory, one of the first ships I actually got invested in and read fanfiction for (if you've never read the fics of Frances aka Ridiculous Mavis then you are missing out!!!). I actually never saw the musical but I did listen to the soundtrack (I first got intrigued actually at summer theater camp when two girls sang "What Is This Feeling" for a talent show and I was like. Ummm. Anyone else get a bit of a gay vibe???) and I read the first two parts of the book and kind of skimmed the rest because the rest is a mess LOL sorry Greg. Nice to know that Ariana Grande & Kristin Chenoweth are Gelphie truthers as well, that wasn't on my bingo card for the movie's rollout.

Gen/Attolia aka maybe my favorite enemies-to-lovers ship ever??? I have a lot of nostalgia for the Queen's Thief books because I read them with my mom who was a huge QT fan and was active in the Sounis LJ community for the books and loved Gen/Attolia (she was a big shipper lol, she loved Spuffy too). So I've always felt very fond of them. I re-read the books recently since the sixth book came out and they just won my heart all over again. INVENTED enemies-to-lovers actually!!! No other YA fantasy romance is doing it like them. (Sidenote, I was going through the Sounis archives sometime last year looking for discussion on The Queen of Attolia and I found this fascinating take on one of the key Gen/Attolia scenes by a guest poster and then someone was like 'Wow, your takes are so cool, who are you?' and they were like 'Yeah haha I should make an account! But you can call me [my mom's LJ handle].' Like I was sitting there thinking wow, what a great Gen/Attolia take, and it was my mom's take!!!!! Truly, I was reaching across time and space to hear her thoughts on Queen's Thief shipping, and that is, I feel, what she would want.)

Utena/Anthy because Revolutionary Girl Utena was and is such a formative show for me and they're at the very center of it. Like. Aughhh. I don't even think I can talk about it I just need everyone who hasn't seen Utena to go watch Utena right now and then You Will See.

Angel/Cordelia because getting into Cordelia/Cangel fandom really did change my fannish life and, if I'm being honest, my intellectual life in general. I mean, I joined Tumblr specifically to follow a bunch of Cordelia fans and Cangel shippers, lol. And honestly, even though many (though not all!) of those people have left Tumblr, I owe a lot of the way I think about and analyze media to several of those people and their analyses of Buffy and Angel. (Fun fact about Cangel, I actually started shipping them after "Never Kill a Boy on the First Date" -- I did not enjoy Bangel and I thought Cangel would be more entertaining -- so you can imagine the feeling of delight and vindication I got when I looked up the Angel spin-off a while later and saw that he and Cordelia were going to end up falling in love.)

I think for this last one I'll say Seven of Nine and the Doctor from Star Trek Voyager -- I have no idea what I'd think of that ship now, since I haven't rewatched the show in so long, but I really liked them a lot as a kid (like Gelphie, it was one of the first ships I regularly read fanfic for). Their friendship-that-could've-been-a-romance was one of the elements that kept me emotionally engaged in thinking both about Voyager as it was and Voyager as it could've been. Voyager was one of the first shows that really made me think about how much I wanted to Fix It, and while D/7 wasn't the biggest part of that, it was one of the reasons that I cared enough to think about it, if that makes sense? And that impulse led me to thinking more deeply about Star Trek, and television, and what goes into telling a story in general.

[the-missingno-virus]

Update: this is a first draft!

Rica had always been the curious type. Even though she was incredibly meek, she wanted to explore the world around her. She felt safe - confident, even. She had her team with her, and her Eevee had just evolved into a beautiful Espeon!

She could do this. Easy peasy, besides -- even if they're acting weird, they were just Uunown. Xavier always said Unown were incredibly weak, nothing to be scared of... So she wasn't.

It was a job the others said was too below them, not worth their time, so Rica felt like it would be the perfect chance for her to finally start making a name for herself. The perfect chance to finally give the people she loves a reason to be proud of her. What if she finds something truly amazing? It's not impossible, unlikely yes, but not impossible!

So she went to investigate. Perhaps she should have paid a bit more attention to the signs, to how there were no wild Pokemon in the area surrounding the ruins -- to how it was all blocked off. Yet, she persisted. With the help of her loyal team, she got around every obstacle in her way. Every warning in her way.

She just wanted them to be proud of her.

When she came up to the final room, unease finally started to set in. It was an Unown outbreak, yet... she hasn't seen a single Unown. At least, until she found her way on the lowest level.

It was fascinating, at first. An Unown X mixed with an Unown A. V, with an I.. An Unown E mixed with a R and an !... it started to get worse, more and more Unown connected, fused with one another. Then she came up to one she had no clue how to describe. It almost felt like the whole Alphabet, yet the shapes kept changing. One moment she was looking at a point, then it turned into an eye, then a curve.

This is exactly what she was looking for. The scientific breakthrough that would make everyone proud! So Rica didn't even think twice, didn't even notice how the other parts of this Unown moved, when she pulled out her Pokeball. It was easy work for her Xatu, she was no Xavier but she didn't have to be a battle master to take down an Unown, no matter how weird it looked.

She only had to use one Pokeball to catch it, and at the final 'click' she excitedly scooped it up, and started to make her way back out of the ruins, excited to show her discovery with the world.

She figured it must have just been due to how excited she was, but she had started to feel all tingly. From the top of her head to her toes, a tingly, pins and needles feeling. It wasn't until she stepped outside that something had started to feel utterly and completely wrong. It felt like the world was just a bit taller, things were a bit farther away... then she saw her reflection. It was awful -- there was an Unown stuck on -- stuck in her face. The Unown's two prongs flailed helplessly in the air, the rest of it... fused into the left side of Rica's face. She couldn't bear to look at herself, maybe its just a bad dream? Yeah, and her Hypno is just taking a break, right? It has to be that. It has to be... she knew it wasn't. Horrifying as it is, this was happening.

She ran back to her home town. Someone there would be able to help her -- to explain what was going on! Yet... no one was on the streets. None of the doors were unlocked. None of the windows opened... she was alone here. Rising fear festering in her throat, she kept running, screaming for help, begging for someone to save her.

Xavier was training when he heard her cries for help. He didn't think twice -- his Rica was in trouble. She needed help, and he would be there to help her. He ran to her, and found her curled up under a large tree gripping her face. He didn't hesitate when he wrapped his arms around her, squeezing her gently to remind her that he's there.

She wasn't able to speak anymore, it was all too much... but she was comfortable, for a moment.

Until she wasn't. Until her skin started to feel like gel against his. Xavier's breathing grew rough, slightly ragged. As if he was in pain. Rica was in pain. She tried to scream out. Nothing came.

For hours, they stayed like that. Unable to pull apart, shivering and silent save for the sound of their breath. Rica could tell Xavier was scared. Xavier could tell Rica felt guilty for this. He wanted to do nothing but comfort her, and yet, he was unable. Memories they shared started to merge, Rica seeing herself through Xavier's eyes, Xavier through Rica's.

The last thought the two shared as themselves, was how much they really did love one another. How sorry Xavier was he couldn't protect Rica, how sorry Rica was that she ruined Xavier's life.

The last memory that drifted through each other's minds, was a promise they made as children.

They wanted to get married. They wanted to be together, forever.

[x-authorship-x]

Okay so I've had this soulmark au thingy stuck in my head since my mind, running through multiple ideas at once like usual, accidentally crossed wires on "Shisui" and "soulmates"

Fair warning this is a bit long so uh,, sorry lmao

So! Au where the most of the shinobi population and a portion of the civilian population started developing what they called soulmarks because the higher entities got really tired of everyone killing everyone like idiots-

these soulmarks seem to form on your skin (Haven't decided what they look like) after you meet someone you can truly trust to have your back. Since soulmarks are about trust, loyalty, etc they have nothing to do with any romantic feelings (though they're probably romanticized in media). It is very common to have multiple soulmarks, and they aren't limited to just humans! Those with summons/animal companions they work with almost always get soulmarks to represent their animal partner(s) due to their extreme loyalty.

Soulmarks don't tend to form immediately after meeting but over time- though some get suspicious after a year markless. Sometimes people don't fit together as well as they think, sometimes they change and get along after time, sometimes one of them just can't bring themself to trust the other yet, etc. There's many reasons and cases of those who you think you should have a mark for not forming- while a clear reason is unknown, it quickly became a death/betrayal omen in the more superstitious shinobi communities.

Some extra info- Academy kids soulmarks with their classmates are often taken into consideration for team formations. If the person who's soulmark is in danger, it feels like pins and needles under your skin. If they feel extreme emotions, it either heats up or goes cold. Death causes soulmarks to darken and fade, but soulmarks only truly disappear when you can no longer trust them at all- often followed by betrayal. Soulmarks can be onesided- though more often in the case of one of them being very young (ex: siblings).

Now with all of that, some ideas-

• Kakashi's first soulmarks were his ninken

• Tenzo's first soulmark was Kakashi, i think it kind of freaked him out

• Shisui and Itachi formed soulmarks for each other as soon as they met, despite Itachi being so very young

• Shisui has soulmarks with his Yamanaka family despite refusing to realize he was practically adopted

• Shisui has soulmarks for his summons, which is a very big matter of pride for them

• Kakashi never formed soulmarks with his childhood team

• Gai has shed tears of joy, multiple times, for every soulmark he has

• Shisui and Kisame formed soulmarks for each other

• Kisame got a soulmark for Samehada and Shisui lost his mind when he found out because wtf

• at least one member of Squad Two has unknowingly formed a onesided soulmark with Naruto

• Genma has a habit of checking his soulmarks multiple times a day

• Raidou is fascinated by soulmarks and wants to study them

• Kagami never had a soulmark for Danzo, Sarutobi did and refuses to acknowledge what it means now it's gone

And now the one idea that started it all ✨

• Squad Two not having a soulmark for Shisui, possibly onesided where Shisui has theirs, until right before Danzo betrays him :)

Two main ways you could take this- Shisui somehow surviving the first attempt bc everyone who has his soulmark is pretty much alerted to that he's in danger

Or in hope au style, Shisui doesn't survive and wakes up in the past only for the others to get his soulmark and getting almost phantom sensations bc he's reacting to a danger that technically hasn't happened- maybe even his mark being unnaturally darker than it should be..

Also I'd just love to see how the others would react to having a soulmark from Shisui during his long mission bc it seems like it just kept getting worse for him LMAO

Do with this what you will, i just needed to write it down and get it out of my head so it would stop haunting me

Anyways I hope you're having a great day <3

Wowza!!! ✨✨✨

This is just a magnificent ask, I'm so impressed with the thought you've put into this AU! The delicious delicious platonic found family angst!!!!

What if 🥹 shisui had the squads soul marks the whole time 🥹 but they were between his shoulders (like wings) so he never saw them 🥹 and the burn just blended in with the pain of training, the buzzing chakra of Shunshin, the shame of sharingan eyes always watching him and finding him lacking 🥹 can you fucking imagine them begging to know why shisui didn't trust them with his problems and he breaks down and says they can't accuse him of that shit when he knows he gave them marks but they never gave him any back 😭 the angst, the gut wrenching whump.... This is such a good AU, anon!!!

SHISUI AND KISAME FORMING SOULMARKS AFTER LITERALLY A WEEK WORKING TOGETHER IM SO EMOTIONAL FOR THEM LMAO I CANT DECIDE IF IT'S BETTER THAT THEY DONT REALISE UNTIL AFTER THEY'VE SPLIT WAYS AND HAVE SEPERATE "OH SHIT" REACTIONS AND THEN SHUFFLE AROUND IT FOR AGES OR THEY GET THEM AS SOON AS THEY STAND UNITED AGAINST THE WORLD AND THEY SIMULTANEOUSLY FEEL THE SEAR OF THE MARK AND-!!! OOOOOH BOYYYYYY

Ino was born with Shisui's soulmark on her besides her parents'🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹❤️‍🔥

This is so beautiful and interesting, anon, thanks for sharing with us!!!! Have a great day, this was a lovely way to wrap up the week 🥰

[the-sonic-crew]

(Warning: This ask includes: Gacha, Oc Inserts, Oc Asks. May contain: Cringe) (To Mods: I just found this bog, and I really liked it, so I though I'd send in an ask! I'd just like to see how everyone would react to my OC! Thank you~ :D ) "Oh. Hey guys!"

See the bandaid on her nose? Because she likes messing about in the lab, She has a habit of rubbing the bridge of her nose when she's focused, and she tends to get messy, so she'll spill something like acid on her gloves and then rub her nose, which is why at this point she just wears a bandaid to protect her nose, LOL.

The white thing on her wrist is a weapon she's been testing out. Hand made by yours truly, when tapped, it emits a energy weapon of some sort. (By using Chaos energy. Like Shadow's powers!) A dangerous weapon for others and herself, if not careful, and she has almost killed herself many ties with it, but Zoey has been slowly adjusting herself to Chaos energy, and may or may not have stolen an emerald from Gerald a few times.

She got the shoes from a Scientist who was like a second mother and had retired a while ago. She hasn't changed shoes since.

I'm sure you noticed her ears. When she was born, she had a bit of a mutation due to the fact that she was born premature. Meet Zoey! A 17 year old Human mobian, she used to live on the ARK with her sister and many other families. A bit of a science nerd, she used to be extra interested in Gerald's work, which led to her meeting Maria and Shadow as well! However, when G.U.N raided the ark, she was forced into an escape pod and sent to Earth. When she had land, Trauma and the force of the landing had forced her brain into losing her memory. (Sound familiar?) However, she was found another family, of which she lives with today! She still hasn't regained her past memories, but it doesn't bother her much. (Or does it?) Anyways, what do you guys think of her?

/I decided to do them responding, and also what I think they'd think of her! :}/

I remember Zoey vaguely, I'd pass her occasionally while being with Maria. Hope she's doing well.

ANOTHER SCIENTIST!!

Sonic would find her combination of smarts and recklessness intriguing and probably feel extremely interest by her possible ties to Shadow. He'd feel sympathetic especially considering the ARK and the trauma she's been through. He’d admire her adventurous spirit and think her weapon skills were pretty cool.

Tails would be fascinated by Zoey's knowledge and experiments with Chaos energy. He might be a bit concerned about her safety habits but would also bond with her over science and tinkering, probably eager to collaborate or exchange ideas.

Knuckles would be wary of her weapon, especially with its ties to Chaos energy, but he’d respect her resilience. He’d see her as a bit reckless, though, and try to lecture her on being more careful with such powerful energy.

Amy would be empathetic toward Zoey’s memory loss and the traumatic impact of the G.U.N. raid. She’d be supportive, and would admire Zoey’s courage to keep going despite her past.

Shadow would feel a deep connection to Zoey due to their shared history on the ARK and her connection to Maria. He might be protective and occasionally wary of her Chaos-energy experimentation. Ultimately, he’d appreciate her resilience and loyalty to her past.

Rouge would find Zoey’s adventurous side amusing and might tease her a bit. She’d respect Zoey’s talent for tech and weaponry and probably be impressed by her “borrowing” from Gerald. Rouge might even offer her tips on acquiring information (or Chaos energy) a little more subtly.

E-123 Omega would be intrigued by her use of Chaos energy as a weapon. He might respect her as a fellow “dangerous ally” and appreciate her willingness to push limits, though he’d probably suggest using her weapon on Eggman’s forces exclusively.

Espio would admire Zoey’s skill and dedication to science but might caution her to be mindful of her limitations with Chaos energy. He’d respect her history and probably offer help in training with her weapon or defensive skills.

Vector would be curious about her background and probably want to know if her inventions could be helpful in his investigations. He’d be friendly and supportive, though he’d encourage her to charge a bit for her talents!

Charmy would find her fascinating and probably ask her tons of questions, like a curious little sibling. He’d be wowed by her gadgets and maybe a bit in awe of her connection to Shadow and the ARK.

Cream would be sympathetic and caring, noticing that Zoey might have a hidden sadness from her memory loss. She’d be gentle with her and try to make her feel at home, probably offering her sweets to cheer her up.

Vanilla would be concerned about Zoey’s safety and maybe remind her to be careful with her experiments. She’d appreciate Zoey’s kindness and might even offer her a place to stay if Zoey ever needed it.

Tangle would be thrilled to meet someone with such a rebellious, scientific streak! She’d love Zoey’s spunk and would probably try to get her into all sorts of adventures, possibly challenging her to use that energy weapon in a (safe) friendly spar.

Whisper would be a bit shy at first but would respect Zoey’s resilience and dedication to science. She’d understand the trauma from Zoey’s past and probably open up to her over time, possibly even forming a close friendship.

Maria would be delighted to have a fellow science lover and likely feel like a big sister to her, helping her stay out of trouble. She’d admire Zoey’s curiosity and be thrilled by her resilience after the raid, even if she herself died.

Dr. Starline would be intrigued by Zoey’s connection to the ARK and Chaos energy. He might try to manipulate her knowledge for his own plans, perhaps seeking ways to replicate her weapon’s power. He’d find her ingenuity interesting, but his curiosity would be mostly self-serving.

Dr. Eggman would be interested in Zoey’s ARK connection and potentially see her as a useful pawn, though he’d only truly respect her skills if he saw her as a rival inventor. He’d likely want her tech, especially her Chaos weapon, for his own schemes.

Metal Sonic would likely view Zoey as a potential threat because of her use of Chaos energy, perhaps treating her with cold, silent hostility. If Eggman saw potential in her tech, Metal Sonic might end up keeping an eye on her.

/Also, just thought it'd be funny to point out that in Sonic Boom Tails has a crush on a fox named Zoey lmao/

[prettyboyhowl]

the gang goes to Barbie (drabble)

(when I thought about which movie the ROs would see between Barbie and Oppenheimer I quickly realised none would go for Oppenheimer lmao, so have a drabble)

You look down at Gil's footwear with a combination of disgust and awe. "I still can't believe you bought those. Are you even going to wear them after today?"

"Uh, hell yeah! It's gonna be me and my barbie pink Crocs all day every day." With a shit-eating grin, he flicks his pink sunglasses down over his eyes. "That's Kenergy, babyyy."

Nearby, Otto sports a similar pair of shades on top of her head. You all agreed to wear pink to see the movie, but she lacked the colour in her wardrobe and didn't want to buy a new outfit. Instead, in an effort to commit, she took an old plain white tee and scribbled on it with hot pink marker. The front says 'BARBIE', with a messy thick line underneath it, and there's a large 'B' on the back. She's wearing it with a pair of black cargo pants and boots.

In contrast, Lemon Sorbet truly went all out, showing up to your meeting spot outside the cinema in a pink suit. He bristles with energy, looking very excited and happy to be here.

Gil's not completely donned in pink, dressed in a hawaiian shirt and shorts, but he's a staunch competitor for 'most attention-grabbing' with his pink shades, the pink Crocs, and the flaming hot pink feather boa draped around his neck. Passers-by glance at him as they approach, then do double takes as they pass, the streets crowded with people on their way home from work. You stand in a bit to avoid blocking the sidewalk.

The most normal-looking one is actually Ernie, who, despite her commitment to the theme, hasn't changed much from usual. The elegant light pink jacket and skirt combo may be a little fancy for the cinema, but it's the kind of outfit she'd normally wear. She's standing off to the side, eyes sparkling as she takes a picture with a Barbie movie poster that's been put up on the outside wall of the cinema; framed and rimmed with lights to combat the darkness setting into the sky.

"Alright, let's go," Gil exclaims, gathering the group's attention. He begins to lead the way to the supermarket three doors down.

"Aren't we going into the cinema?" Ernestine asks.

"We're getting snacks first," you say with a smile.

Gil slows to take up the space on Ernestine's other side. "Right, see cinemas usually don't let you bring in your own food because they want you to buy their snacks, which are more expensive," he explains to the Otherworlder.

"Ohh," Ernestine nods understandingly. "So you save money by smuggling in things you get from the supermarket."

"Exactly!"

"Why don't you steal from the supermarket while you're at it?" There's not a hint of sarcasm or judgement to her tone, and when you scan her face you find her looking at you in genuine question.

"Uhh," your smile freezes, "that would be illegal." You swear they have laws in Faethairis; why do you always seem to be having this conversation with Ernie?

"You're breaking the cinema's rule, aren't you?" she points out.

"Yeaaah," Gil pulls a face, "but that's not the same as breaking a law. Potato, tomato, you know?"

Ernestine tilts her head. "Aren't you already breaking laws-"

She's cut off by loud laughter from Gil, who looks around to check no one was listening in. His voice pitches up nervously. "Whaaat, we have not done… anything of the sort."

"What are you three talking about?" Lemon Sorbet asks brightly, catching up from behind with Otto in tow.

Three different answers come simultaneously: "What snacks we want." "Law-breaking." "Nothing much."

Otto lifts a brow amusedly as Lemon Sorbet just smiles cheerily. "Ooh, I'm so excited for the movie," he confesses. "Aren't you, Otto?"

She shrugs non-committally. "Eh. Better this than the other one."

"To think of how far Barbie has come… " He lifts a finger. "You know, I was there when the first one was released. Fascinating, how things evolve." You can see the scholar in him ignite as he begins to get lost in reminiscence.

"Hey, we should all take a group photo later," Gil suggests as you all file into the supermarket, flooding the bright white aisles with a wave of pink.

"Can you stop pushing me?" "I'm not even touching you… ow!"

"Otto I think you need to stand a bit closer." "Yeah, people will think you're scared to be seen with us." "That's ridiculous." "Okay now you're too close."

"Are we smiling or doing funny faces?"

"Let's smile first."

"Okay wait is everyone in the frame?" You start the countdown. "Okay, 1, 2, 3…"

"Barbie!" "Margot Robbie." "Cheese!" "…"

*click*

[victimized-martyr]

Ok, for the ask thing, hope this isn’t too much, 24, 11, 13. If you feel like answering, thanks! You have fun posts/thoughts about SP

24 and 13 are answered :)

11. Is there a popular character you like that the fandom doesn't? Why?

I know that the younger (more active) fans dislike Cartman, and tend to exclude him in works. But idk if that alone makes him unpopular? He's definitely the most controversial. Against my better judgement, I do indeed, like Cartman.

He's not a character you're supposed to love. He reflects the biases and the bigotry we're all capable of, and like most sociopaths in media, he's extravagant, loves to entertain, and is charming. His saving grace is that he's only a little boy, an animated one at that, and that degree of separation to his many many crimes makes it easy for us to laugh at him. That's another thing about Cartman-- he's genuinely funny. Trey Parker puts his all into even the most offensive jokes and he finds a way to tailor them to a character's personality. I can't believe it, but I love singing "too many minorities" and "safe space" to myself while working... it's so catchy.

I used to despise Cartman and found him one note (this was watching bits of season 4 and 6. I was bareelly getting into sp. It wasn't until I saw scott tenorman that I sat down to reevaluate him) but after seeing the episodes dedicated to highlighting just how messed up he is under the surface, what drove him to act the way he does, and the few snippets we see that he's truly capable of change (and it's shocking that according to trey, it doesn't take a lot to turn Cartman around.)

He fascinates me. There hasn't been a villain/ main character quite like him before or since.

[theroundbartable]

Hello again, Rai...Do you mind if I ask your top 5 (or top 10) favorite moments from any media that you love (books, anime/manga, tv series, movies, games, etc)? Thanks if you want to answer. Sorry if I ask too much and if I accidentally send this ask twice....

Hey there :)

I don't mind at all, thank you so much for leaving a message ^^ You did send this twice but that's alright, I didn't immediately answer it anyway. There is a lot more going on right now than I thought it would. And you don't need to feel like you're bothering me. ^^ This is what the ask box is for. I would disable it if I didn't want messages ^^

As to your question... I have some that left an impact on me and that even after 10+ years my cheese brain hasn't let slip through the cracks. But I don't really have favorites. They were simply favorites in the moment, so I'm listing them randomly. But they all did inspire me to write in one way or another. They are the reason why I'm here.

Harry Potter, the prisoner of Askaban. (disclaimer: I do not support JKR's views. I stand with the fandom.) In the scene when Sirius just invaded the Gryffindor tower and the students sleep in the Great Hall, Dumbledore says something that made me invested with fantasy and therefore writing and art. (I whatched it in German, so the translation is probably off.) "When we sleep, we venture into a world that belongs to us and only us. Maybe he's swimming in the deepest of oceans right now, or foating over the highest cloud."

How to train your dragon: The entire scene when Hiccs tries to befriend Toothless and he dances around that self drawn picture. I watched an entire youtube analysis on how the music was chosen. It's phenomenally fascinating and it's perhaps my favorite comfort movie. I can always watch the first movie (I don't care as much about the rest).

Elfenlied There is a scene in Elfenlied, the very first anime I watched consciously, when she breaks out of the facility. She's full of blood, she's still wearing the mask... This was the first time a scene inspired me to write a story. At the time I was 12 and wanted to make an original, but basically, this is the first media that truly made me write a whole novel. It sucked, but it's where I started.

BBC Merlin I want to say the entire fucking show, why else would I be here? I love everything in it but there is two scenes I adore to bits. A) "I think you're mad. I think you're all mad, people should marry for love, not convenience. And if Uther thinks an unhappy King makes for a better Kingdom, then he is wrong. Because you have a choice, as to how you do it." B) "How did you know this place was sacred?" M: It's obvious. A: Pretend it isn't. M: It's like... everything, the leafs, the ants, are vibrating. Full of life. Like everything is more than it seems."

Voltron legendary defender Yes, I am a Klancer. And I am of course referring to the Bonding moment. It changed my brain chemistry. :)

Fairy Tail You may not remember me from that long ago, but I used to write Gajevy fanfiction. And my favorite scene was the one when they were on that island for the S-Rank test and Gajeel ended up saving Levy. I loved how this ship grew from awkward to inevitable and I was there from the very beginning. Anyways, here the quote, again, from the top of my head because like I hell I look any of these up XD "It's hard to find someone small like you, so don't leave my side." This is all I can think of at the moment. Feel free to ask me more questions if you like ^^

[fridayincarnate]

desperately wanting any director's cut info about By Any Other Name; LOVED that fic despite not having read Phasma!

Oh man, that's so wonderful to hear, thank you! I'm so glad you asked! I wasn't expecting questions about my Hardinal fic and I'm delighted to talk about it.

(By Any Other Name is here for anyone who hasn't read it and would like to! Spoilers for the fic ahead.)

This is a prime example of a fic that blew up way beyond what I was expecting when I started, haha. Partly that's because the idea expanded to involve more character exploration, which is fine. But a huge part of it was that I underestimated how much Cardinal would resist the realization that Hux is interested in him.

When I tell you this man willfully chose ignorance to every hint that Hux tried to drop! But as I wrote and delved deeper into Cardinal's psyche, that made more and more sense. Cardinal's newfound interest in Armitage poses an existential threat to his self-image as a loyal First Order soldier, not to mention the pragmatic instinct to avoid any repercussions from Brendol. So he represses his interest in Armitage, and he represses his awareness of Armitage's interest in him even further. The latter is the real threat, because if Armitage reciprocates suddenly it becomes a real possibility. That means the consequences become real, too.

Writing Cardinal's POV was such a fascinating challenge because huge amounts of the relationship and character development happen at a subliminal level. And his conditioning actively gets in the way of where I needed him to go (accepting his feelings for Hux).

At times, this made the pacing drag. I cut this bit from the section where Hux is asleep and Cardinal is processing his feelings:

He isn’t supposed to be able to understand why Armitage fears his father would send someone to kill him, but he does. His conditioning scrapes at the insides of his skull in protest with each grueling step he takes along that line of thought. He knows how cutthroat the competition is among officers—officers of the First Order are the best of the best, fair-minded and true, their judgment is beyond reproach—and the galaxy has yet to produce a nerf herder thick enough to miss the tension that exists between Armitage and Brendol. All the same, Cardinal has his doubts that Brendol would go as far as to kill him. How worried can Armitage truly be if he’s allowed Cardinal to take off his armor and sit for a rest?

I liked the glimpse of his conditioning reasserting itself, but it didn't feel crucial to Cardinal accepting his desire for Hux, which was the main purpose of that section.

The other section that I grappled with the most was Cardinal's realization that Armitage has wanted him for a long time.

This went very differently in my first draft! Picking up from the moment where Cardinal asks "why me [for your first time]?" and Hux gives his "the only winning move was not to play" speech, originally Cardinal responded like this:

“I am glad that you changed your mind,” Cardinal murmurs, skimming his knuckles against one narrow shoulder, marveling again at how vulnerable he looks without the uniform. Especially today, with the weight of the Grand Admiral’s loss in his eyes. Cardinal sits bolt upright. “Oh, gods. I’m so sorry, Armitage. It was never my intention to take advantage of your grief.” “Shut up, Cardinal.” Armitage’s eyes harden. His fingers dig into Cardinal’s forearm, anchoring him in Armitage’s bed. “Archex,” he amends, though his anger is unabated. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” “You’ll feel differently tomorrow.” Cardinal swallows a lump of anxiety. “Or the next day… whenever your judgment returns to you.” “I am entirely possessed of my judgment,” Armitage hisses. He tugs on Cardinal’s arm, beckoning him back into the warm temptation of his sheets. Cardinal shakes his head. “If you weren’t compromised you would never have even thought of doing this with me.” “You cannot be this stupid!” The heat in Armitage’s voice swells and then snaps like a flag in a sudden gust of wind. “I’ve never been able to stop thinking about doing this!” Shock halts Cardinal in place. He can’t have heard what he thinks he did, or—Armitage is telling him what he wants to hear to keep him from leaving. But Armitage’s jaw drops and his lip quivers, and Cardinal sees his shock mirrored back at him as Armitage registers what he’s just said.

While there was something satisfying in having it laid out that bluntly and seeing Hux snap, he would never be so direct. It also felt like a few too many emotional ups and downs for that section after they've had sex, cycling through the same emotional beats in a way that began feeling redundant.

I fiddled with that section forever because it felt like such an emotionally impactful reveal, and one that Hux would try his damnedest to hide! I'm satisfied with the changes - hopefully that still comes through in a subtler way. It also feels right for Cardinal to see through Hux's "I never trusted anyone else" bullshit, because he knows very well that Hux has never trusted him either!

There was so much that was fun to explore with this fic - Cardinal's psyche and conditioning, a more vulnerable Hux, what happened to Grand Admiral Sloane, what Hux and Cardinal's dynamic looks like while Brendol is alive to cast his shadow over it.

Thanks again for reading and sending an ask about it!

[ravelqueen]

Since I only now finished the second season there is already quite a bit of meta available for the end and while I find a lot of it interesting and I'm not saying it's wrong (because who knows where Mr. Gaiman is hopefully taking us) I also think it's fascinating that at the core of a lot of theories seems to be the assumption that Aziraphale acted out of character in that last scene when I find he acted extremely like himself.

1) The decision to go back to heaven

Aziraphale has - different from Crowley - never been comfortable acting independently from heaven. He did it when he found it necessary (and later more comfortable along with the deal) but there's always been a very clear level of discomfort around it. Crowley was circumspect with his more virtuous actions because he was worried about the possible consequences - Aziraphale has always felt guilty, because what if he was really working against Her?

So him jumping at a chance to work with heaven presumably under his directives, under directives that would understand that you can't just e.g. exchange children, a more compassionate heaven makes total sense to me.

And sure he has to give up the comforts he's grown accustomed to - the food, the books, the variety humanity provides - but he's not selfish. He wasn't going to give them up only to make Armageddon possible, but he certainly is ready to sacrifice them for the greater good. As he tells Crowley: I can make things better.

2) Why does he believe Metatron?

Angels Don't Lie.

This season has hammered this idea home and good - sure they can obfuscate, they can leave out details, they can forget, but they don't lie.

And yes of course he himself is proof that they certainly can and nothing will happen, but I do think that he believes himself to be an abberation in this case and that the only reason he hasn't been punished is because Crowley is the only one that knows. And he's still mostly really bad at lying so I think he truly believes he'd be able to spot it - in a way even Aziraphale's first lie was extremely see-through but since angels don't lie they also don't know how to spot them in themselves.

(Plus i also think that since Aziraphale is one of the lower tier angels he's convinced that also gave him a pass.)

3) Asking Crowley to come back to heaven with him, knowing that would hurt him

Now the second part of that assumption is the crux, the most central part to why his actions are very much in character for Aziraphale, because does he know?

I don't think he does and all his actions during their flashbacks and interactions proves that at the heart of it he fully 100% believes that if he could, Crowley would jump at getting to undo his Fall.

Because to him Crowley is good and Crowley is Kind - and he's only forced to pretend he isn't because as a Demon he can't be. And he just wants Crowley to live happily, to be happy and for Aziraphale that means not being Fallen.

I don't think Aziraphale wants to change Crowley or that he spent 6000 years trying to fix him or anything toxic like that. But we see how he feels about the mere idea of Falling, how he acts when he's sure it's his time to go after Job - he's devastated, he's crying, he's desperate.

And it's not like Crowley is helping - Hell is hell and he never sugar coats that. And while Aziraphale had over the millenia gotten a few stern talking-to's, he's never been punished the way he had to watch Crowley he punished.

And on top of it all, he remembers Crowley pre-Fall, how happy, how joyful, how full of wonder and how he didn't have to hide any of this then. How he could just be this way without having to hide it away.

So i don't think he realises that Crowley's decision to be alone so he doesn't have to play along with Hell's schemes actually applies to the whole system.

And the reason he doesn't realise this is because at the heart of it, he believes in heaven. Despite everything, despite the cruelties he's seen and been done to him, he believes that there is something like the Ultimate Good, the place God's plan is truly realised and he believes that that place is Heaven. It's not the system's fault, it's the angels who made the decisions and even those aren't evil (because Angels Are Good) they are misguided or clueless or uneducated etc. Aziraphale clings to this world view and he always has done so - he's even in s2 adamant that Heaven Is Good and Hell Is Evil.

So of course he would want to be in charge, to change Heaven the way he always felt it should be.

And of course he'd want Crowley there; to an extent Crowley is his standard of who Angels/ Heaven should act/be - kinder than anyone no matter the circumstances.

So I do think his offer was heartfelt, was supposed to be their triumph as a couple, to be able to be part of a whole but also together, where they belong and where they can make things better for the humans they're both so fond of.

Even his reaction to Crowley disagreeing to go fits perfectly in what we know of him - we get pretty much the exact same reaction when Crowley refuses to help with Gabriel: a plea, an earnestly expressed desire to do it with Crowley but just as earnest obstinacy to go at it alone if Crowley doesn't want to join him.

So all in all while that last scene breaks my heart and makes me want to shake him it fits so well into the Aziraphale we've come to know that I can't find myself being mad at it.

[the-ellia-west]

You can rant all your incoherent ideas to me. So, whatcha thinking of? Stories? Characters? WIPS? Let’s hear ‘em! ✨

AHAHAHAHHAHAHH

YOU ASKED FOR THIS @goldencomet69

YOU'VE FALLEN FOR MY TRAP! (Thank you by the way, this made my day and was very kind! Love youu!!!)

Anyyyyywaaaaayyyyyyyyy

I'm going to talk about ALL THE STUFF I WANNA TALK ABOUT!!!! >:]

-------------------------------------------------

First - J&R to get it out of the way (My side WIP if y'all don't know)

So, I've decided I'm gonna kill off Morena because I want to ABSOLUTELY FUCKING WRECK JAK AGAIN

I got inspired from videos analyzing clips from some shows I watch, where the characters I love more than anything react to the death of their teammates and I never noticed it while watching and it's really fascinating.

But anyway, I'm stealing the idea. (I'm probably gonna have to watch that clip again)

So here's my plan:

Morena is a mother figure and secondary leader of the crew, and alongside Jak is the only other character who is of high class and uses formal speech when neutral around others.

They're also very similar in general, Top tier Sass, have lost family, Morena's always drinking Tea, Jak is always drinking alchohol. Morena always wears dresses, Jak always wears suits. They both enjoy civil conversation over small topics where there's no snide comments or dropping shade.

These two are the only pair who'd almost always polite to one another. They are on good terms.

Morena makes Jak tea in the mornings, and he cooks her breakfast in return.

These two enjoy each other's company as teammates and coworkers, trying to help and support each other in small ways even though they rarely ever get into deep personal conversation, mostly talking about work, herbs, flowers, other people, weather, drinks, ect.

Then Morena dies. I'm not sure how it's gonna happen yet, but It will. I'm gonna kill her off, just as Jak is starting to have slight hope for the future and getting better in his efforts to change.

But watching her die destroys EVERYTHING about his progress and sends him crashing right back to the start, with a few more shitty events cracking the base of the mountain and pushing him even further down.

This is Jak at his absolute lowest.

This is Jak after Eveny died, after he came home from the Cannibalism incident.

This is Jak where any hope he had for the future is dead.

Because Morena's death not only reminded Jak that death is an ever-present threat to those he loves, it also reminded him that he can be hurt, and it brought back every single memory of corpses and loss he has ever experienced.

After that, Eynalis takes him aside and tortures him.

A fire gets set on accident and threatens Pherun

Rose tries to cheer Jak up, and other works for a little while, but things go downhill again

Light bloody horror sequence which heavily involves Jak

Silas gets kidnapped and Jak is at the front lines to get him back, but volunteers to be the distraction of a fight that will obviously be lost by anyone, and fights a 1v8 against well-trained soldiers.

Then Magic activates again and he hurts Rose

Then I gave him a disease, (you'll pick up what it is when I show you)

Argument

Jak gets tortured again

They go on a mission where Jak almost loses Pherun and ends up killing someone to protect him

And he reaches his lowest a few days after that

There's a couple moments after Jak getting tortured the second time where Finn tries to get Rose and Jak to forgive one another.

They desperately want to, but both are too proud to admit how they truly feels, and the one time Rose tries, Jak is too out of it to pay attention and she gives up.

But when Jak reaches his lowest, Rose hasn't seen him all the previous day and goes to find him, that's when she sees what happened.

But spoilersssss!!! So y'all will have to wait!

If you haven't seen, you can check this WIP out over on @jakkon-and-rose-topic

Now some TCOT things :]

After Marril gets a bit of a break is gonna be the absolute sweetest and most mundane moment ever.

Because of his curse he hasn't been able to get any more sleep than about 4 hours every night. But when he gets a break, he wakes up late, for once in his life, not tired, and you know that kind of morning where you wake up with creases on your face and it feels like you just hit the restart button on life.

That's what happens after he gets rid of the curse, and putting the pieces together, he gets so hopeful he almost literally rips the fabric of the shirt he's wearing to see if it's gone.

And then after this point, another character comes in and he just hugs her, and starts crying because it's finally over.

Anyyyywayyyyyy I hoped you liked my rambling

@njnetails