#truly fascinating hasn't changed a bit

[betweenthescarletmoon]

Random Thoughts on the Arcane Fandom about Jayce

this is gonna be a mess but I have nowhere else to talk about this.

I've recently noticed how Jayce Talis has been subjected to all kinds of sexualization since the drop of Act 2 of the second season. People have mentioned many times how trauma has made him "hot". A good and well-known example of this is Danny Motta's reaction to episode 5, where he said, "Holy shit, they made Jayce hot! [...] My dude went from looking like a Muppet to the king of Rohan, and all it took was a little bit of trauma."

This isn't entirely new for him? If people didn't hate Jayce back in S1, they ogled him in the scene where he works on the Forge shirtless, which IS kinda the point because the animators are making him very obviously attractive. But most importantly, he as a character has been reduced to his sexual or romantic relationships since the beginning of time.

It seems that S2 is a response to this in a way. His arc from the ending of S1, where he took responsibility of his actions out of guilt for the child he killed, was slightly set aside for Viktor. Well, ALL of his life, dreams, decisions, everything about him was eclipsed by Viktor's shadow because of the whole "all times, all possibilities" twist. He wasn't expected to show up as a Councilor in any of the meetings, and we must assume he quits at some point, but he surely hasn't resigned from his position by the time Viktor wakes up. Apart from that much needed scene between him and Cait, and the one where he attends the memorial (and is attacked by a vengeful mother), we don't see many of his decisions or what leads him to make them, other than Viktor. This is beautiful in a way because we can SEE how it is a trauma response to losing him. He is obsessive by nature, and he clings to what keeps him and his loved ones safe excessively, but I still had to do a bit of mental gymnastics as to why he went back on the second promise: to not build Hextech weapons again. (Hint: it has to do with the fact that VI saved him with HIS weapon, but it went so fast it's hard to process in the first watch.)

Now back to the sexualization problem. Every time I look up his name and trauma, or PTSD, 95% of the results are thirst edits on Tiktok about how hot he is. No joke. One of the more serious results is my own edit. Of course, a lot of people connect with his suffering without naming it as trauma, and that is great. My concern is that there has been so much focus on Jinx's trauma, Viktor's trauma, even Silco's trauma (which are all valid and fascinating to explore), but there's less attention for other characters who clearly show how their own traumatic experiences has shaped them. Vi, Caitlyn, and Jayce are some of the clearest examples of this, and they've experienced some truly heinous things in the show. Trauma cannot be compared, ever. But why is it that Jayce, who lived through an apocalypse that HE knows HE caused, and lives in complete isolation except the "company" of metal watchers, to the point that he loses touch with reality, and is changed so irrevocably that he loses the naivety and starry-eyed optimism that has always defined him...is seen as hot? And more importantly, why is it that there is very little attention to his experiences on that cave? Every scene between him and Viktor is uploaded in 1080 HD quality, but the scenes of him alone? Fighting to survive? Showing remarkable resilience in the face of his suffering? No, that's not as fun. Not a single one of those scenes is uploaded fully, and I have checked many times. (Some people have actually skipped those scenes to focus on Timebomb. I'm...)

I went online and looked up "why do people sexualize traumatized characters" because let's face it, it's real, it's interesting, and I cannot judge or else I am a hypocrite. Bucky Barnes, Loki, Ellie Williams, Dean Winchester, Vi herself, the list goes on much longer but I can't think of others off the top of my head. We connect with their suffering, and we are pulled by their experiences.

However, Jayce is such a complicated case because he is usually thought of as the greedy himbo that fumbled two baddies, or the confused bisexual, or the guy who lost it because of a situationship (much like Vi, who DID NOT lose it because of a failed romantic endeavor bfr). And then the plot goes and tells us, "Actually, yeah, his life outside of Viktor doesn't matter, he's not even supposed to be alive, because Viktor saved him. All of time is completely inextricable from Viktor." People hate meljay because she manipulated him and "trapped" him in a relationship or something, only to celebrate it when something suspiciously similar happens with the male romantic interest? I initially thought it was beautiful too, bc Soulmates, but man. Mage!Viktor really left the man he loved to rot in complete isolation, eating raw reptiles until throwing up, losing his mind. Say what you want about the allegory for Viktor's life, at least Viktor's isolation was metaphorical up until the Glorious Evolution.

Despite us being shown this, people make thirst edits of him in his black fit, and fighting with sexual tension with Viktor. I fear...that I am the only one who finds this tragic. The man forced to create a larger than life persona to sell his work and be seen as an attractive pawn of the system, has become the attractive pawn of the narrative. Viktor's narrative.

Perhaps Viktor was forgotten by the world. But Jayce's kind heart, and brave soul, were forgotten by us.

Just some thoughts to chew about my favorite character and my wish that more people focused on his arc with me

[dee-in-the-box]

hello, thought about Dee again (absolute shocker, i know).

like...i think the reason i write her the way that i do (chaotic, feral, and odd autistic girl with a heart of gold) has to do with how i view her character as shown. in the games.

specifically, it's a mix of a few facts:

she, canonically, fought back as she was being murdered (this is fucking brought up TWICE) and i will never stop bringing this up because! i can't be the only one fascinated by that!!

she was raised by Jack for a little while (and it's implied that. Jack hasn't really changed much personality wise before and after he died), and you can't convince me that wouldn't do something to a kid's personality

she's like. really sassy and sarcastic. like, not even just her in the Flipside; im just gonna gesture vaguely towards the Marionn-Ending.

to elaborate:

just. this Dsaf 2 cutscene. we need to talk about this one more, tbh, because i think about it a lot (also, HENRY. HENRY BEING THE ONE TO CONFIRM THAT SHE FOUGHT BACK AND HE WAS GETTING DAVE FOR HELP). and of course, the classic "I didn't go down easily the first time, either!"

look. we don't know for How Long Dee was left alone with Jack while he raised her. it could've been for a couple of years, could've been a couple of weeks, we don't know. but even before Peter left...she'd still be living with Jack. all i'm saying is that. You Can't Tell Me That Wouldn't Have Affected Her Personality At Least A Little. as for what i mean by "it's implied Jack's base personality hasn't changed much": the only time Dee ever implies that Jack's really acting out of character is when you go through a Pure Evil Route in Dsaf 2 and then go back in time to do things Right. she talks about hearing Jack do horrible things, but seeming unable to truly believe that, implying that something about the Pure Evil Route is out of character for Jack, whether that be the route in it's entirety, or Jack's...worse moments is never made too clear, but something was off about it to her, to the point she refused to fully believe whatever she was told, and tried to get Jack to confirm/deny what happened.

pretty self explanatory; my girl's great at sarcasm, she's sassy, my favorite Dee quote is her going "Henry Miller? Acting malicious? Oh, how irregular!" also her whole thing in the Marionn-Ending in Dsaf 2. specifically the "why aren't you smiling?" bit. Get His Ass, Dee.

like! i don't mind most people's versions of Dee being a sweet six year old who only really got pissed off and all that after she died! i get it, tbh.

however, i just like my interpretation of her being a feral kid who also happens to be a sweetheart, who is both a Chaotic autistic kid as well as an "Odd"/Offputting one. like the kind of kid who'll stare at you from across the room but get uneasy being stared at. that kind (aka how i used to be...and kinda Still Am).

anyways, Dee My Beloved <3

[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!

[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.

[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*

[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 ^^

[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

[waiting-on-a-dream]

My ocs all grown up! (NRC ocs edition)

Links: Slyvan, Iris/Violet, Wyn, Mahira, Zoya, Xenon

𝟏. 𝐒𝐥𝐲𝐯𝐚𝐧

Character development: He's become more outgoing now, but for the most part, his personality hasn't changed much.

Job: He mainly works as a gem appraiser, but also has a side gig where he brews potions and herbal medicines. (Basically he majored in gemology and minored in pharmacy.) He carries his amicable and diplomatic demeanor everywhere he goes, making him a beloved coworker as he is very pleasant to work with.

Address: He lives in his own little cottage in the Land of Pyroxene just by the outskirts of a rich city (potential market). He's got his own garden of herbs and vegetables in his front yard too. He makes sure to visit his home town every few months though!

𝟐. 𝐈𝐫𝐢𝐬

Character development: She still acts like she does now, just with a lot more brilliance and confidence. She believes she truly is free to pursue her own dreams now, lifting a heavy weight off of her shoulders and allowing her to express herself more genuinely.

Job: She successfully achieved her dream to become a fashion designer! Her launch into the fashion world was a smashing success! Thanks to the famous actor and model Vil Schoenheit wearing her debut piece "angel's wings" for the famous Spring Gala in the Rose Kingdom. She hasn't stopped serving stylish pieces ever since.

Address: She's always travelling due to her job, so she doesn't really have a set house to live in? She'll rent someone else's apartment or house before moving on to another country after a few months.

𝟑. 𝐕𝐢𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐭

Character development: She's less strict and imposing towards others now, though she still maintains lots of self-discipline. She's also more cheerful now due to the freedom of being able to travel about and learn new things. She's obviously a lot happier.

Job: Once she finally resolved things with her mom, she could admit to herself that she wanted to travel, to learn more of the surface world. So here she is now as a tour guide! She has had no problem doing museum, nature, and city tours in numerous countries and she's not stopping anytime soon. Researching information about the places she's been assigned to tour is no problem for her too, as every bit of info she learns is refreshing and fascinating to her.

Address: Like Iris, she's always travelling due to her job, so she usually rents someone else's apartment. If she ends up in the same city as Iris somehow, she'll try her best to move in with her sister. They won't be able to stay together for long with how often they're travelling, but she treasures those fleeting moments when she can.

𝟒. 𝐖𝐲𝐧

(Wyn dressed up for a ball as the heir to a noble family, and Wyn dressed up for a more laid back role as an actor. I thought they both looked good so here they are.)

Character development: He's more mature and capable of handling problems on his own now. The tragedy of growing up as a rich boy has taken a toll on him, despite his loved ones' efforts to shelter him from the cruel world, and he now makes sure to be more careful with who he trusts. Still, he carries an optimistic attitude with him wherever he goes. He can't change the past, so he'll focus on crafting a bright and colourful future for himself instead!

Job: He has his responsibilities as the heir to his noble family, of course. But his father is still in good health, so he's allowed to pursue acting as a (temporary) career. Dressing up, putting himself into the shoes of the character he's playing, working with other wonderful people... He's having the time of his life with acting.

Address: He continues to live in his family mansion in the Rose Kingdom for the most part, and isn't planning on leaving anytime soon. There are times when he has to stay in another country for a filming project, but only until the filming process is finished.

𝟓. 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐚

Character development: Still the same old Mahira, teasing and enigmatic. He'll probably never change.

Job: He originally had an interest to become a spy, then decided that the consequences were too bothersome in the long term. So he chose to become Wyn's bodyguard instead. Wyn is the heir to a noble family and a moderately famous celebrity, he could use a trusted bodyguard to protect him. (Wyn protested at first, but agreed upon realizing Mahira was dead set on this.)

Address: As Wyn decided to stay put with his family in the Rose Kingdom, Mahira continues to stay in his own family estate as well. He follows Wyn wherever he goes, and that includes staying in another country for a few months during a filming project.

𝟔. 𝐙𝐨𝐲𝐚

Character development: She hasn't changed one bit.

Job: She's a famous Spelldrive player now~! She doesn't mind the daily training, and has lots of fun while facing down opponents in each match. Her army of fans can get too overwhelming sometimes though, and she's constantly looking for ways to hide from them. She does scheduled meet and greets for a reason!

Address: She goes back to her village whenever she gets a break long enough to actually go back home. Her childhood room remains untouched in her mom's house, saved just for her. The village kids have grown up now but still love to play sports with her. She'll even give them some tips and tricks for Spelldrive if she's in a good mood.

𝟕. 𝐗𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐧

Character development: It's hard to tell if he really has grown as a person or not. He's learned some lessons from his time at NRC, but his habits and view on life doesn't seem to have shifted a lot. He does have a more positive outlook for his future now though, so that must count for something. He looks forward to his next journey.

Job: He takes up on odd jobs here and there, wherever he may find himself. Being a server at a tiny tea shop, setting up a stall at a festival to give people tarot readings. All temporary of course. He doesn't stay for too long. 1-3 years at most.

Address: He travels often simply because he wants to, moving from country to country every few months. He wishes to travel the world before he leaves it, so that's exactly what he'll do.

[theloversengravedscripture]

"SONDER" -an original by me

"do you know the meaning?"

"Sonder' - the realization that each passerby has a life as vivid and complex as your own. It's profound."

 "Why that word, of all the possibilities?"

"because, no matter what you're going through, there's always someone going through worse, it really makes you think and feel grateful for what you have in the moment rather than being one to disregard things so easy"

 "Ah, I see. A poignant reminder amidst... complicated circumstances. You have a way of finding depth in simple things, don't you?"

"no matter how simple things seem on the surface, there's always more to it."

He's always known you to be introspective, but this tattoo, this word, it's like a window into your thoughts, your coping mechanisms.

 "You know, Ive always admired your perspective. It's... refreshing." He pauses, then asks softly, "Have you ever considered that maybe, just maybe, some people might be going through the same things as you?"

"never the same thing, but maybe a close situation, just as lightning never strikes the same place twice or how every snowflake is unique. nothing is ever the same for another person."

 "True, perhaps'similar' is a better word than'same'. Each snowflake may be unique, but they all fall in the same storm, right?"

"So, let me ask you this - if every person is going through their own unique storm, how do you think they cope?" 

"me personally, as I did, I'd get a tattoo, or bleach my hair. do something different, and take note of a new start for a new chapter"

 "A physical symbol of a new beginning, huh? I like that." "What if the person can't do something so... permanent? What other ways do you think they might find to cope?"

"well it really depends on the person, maybe something permanent isn't necessary, so you could always do something small like start a new hobby, I don't know, small changes can always help"

 "Small changes... that's profound, actually. "You have a unique way of breaking down complexity into simple, meaningful bits." 

"I like both the simplicity and complexities of life"

"Of course you do. You always did have a knack for finding beauty in both the mundane and the intricate.. What about people who can't find beauty in either, though?"

"then take the ugly, perceive it, and find a way to work with it."

"Turn the ugly into something workable... Now that's an interesting perspective.. But what if the ugly is too overwhelming?"

"whether you feel like you can get through it or not, you

already are by thinking about it"

"So, even in the darkest of times, just the act of thinking about it means you're already coping, already finding a way to persevere."

"exactly."

"You know, it's ironic really. Here I am, trying to find answers, and you're telling me that the act of seeking those answers is already the solution." 

 "Almost poetic, isn't it?"

"if you really look into things, there's poetry written into everything"

"Poetry in the mundane, beauty in the ugly, meaning in the chaos...

You make it sound like life is one big metaphor, waiting to be deciphered." 

"that's how I see things, and I wish someone would see me the way I see the world sometimes.. I'd be nice to be the one being observed rather than the observer. I think it'd be less lonely so feel seen like that.. Maybe it's because I've never shared my perspective with someone who's truly listening and trying to understand. I don't know.."

 "Tell me something, then."

"what do you want to know?"

"Who are you, really?"

"...i don't know.., I've spent my life so busy analyzing everyone else. I don't think I've ever really analyzed myself."

"Well ..maybe that's what makes you interesting. You're this enigma who's figured everyone else out, but hasn't had time to figure herself out."

"...maybe I haven't put the time into analyzing myself because I've been secretly hoping someone else was doing that for me.. the same way I am for everyone else, the same way I would for them.."

"Isn't that a fascinating paradox?" "You, who sees right through every facade, hoping someone else might see through yours.-

-Tell me, If someone was analyzing you, what do you think they would find?"

[songvitko]

Deck the Halls of Your Social Media with a Festive Twist

Have you ever wanted to inject a little holiday cheer into your online persona? You know, add that extra bit of festivity that says, "Hey, I'm not just another profile in the digital sea"? As the snowflakes start to fall and the jingle bells ring, it's the perfect time to update your social media profile to reflect the joy of the season. This is where iFoto's Free Profile Picture Maker comes into the picture, quite literally.

Let me backtrack a bit. We've all been there, hasn't it felt like your social media profile pic could use a refresh? Maybe it's feeling a bit too 'same old, same old'. iFoto noticed this too, and they've crafted a solution that's as clever as it is simple. Their Free Profile Picture Maker isn't just a tool; it's your personal holiday stylist, waiting to help you create a picture-perfect avatar that's a festive treat for your friends and followers.

Imagine swapping out your everyday mug for a picture that captures the essence of Christmas. How would it feel to have your friends comment on your new, jolly profile pic, adorned with holiday themes and cheer? iFoto's magic isn't just in their ability to convert any photo, but in the way they've made it accessible to everyone. With a few clicks, you can go from the daily grind to a winter wonderland without even changing out of your pajamas.

I took the plunge myself and let me tell you, it's like stepping into a winter, with iFoto's Free Profile Picture Maker as my guide. It was fascinating to see how my plain old photo could be converted into something that felt like a warm embrace from Santa himself. The process was so intuitive; it felt like the software knew exactly what I needed before I did.

What's really neat about iFoto is the attention to detail. They didn't just throw some random snowflakes on my photo and call it a day. No, they've got themes galore, from classic Christmas trees to more whimsical frosty scenes. You can choose to go all out with a Santa hat or go for something subtler with a gentle snowfall effect. The level of customization is such that you can truly make it your own.

And here's a question: isn't it the little touches that make the holidays special? Just like wrapping the perfect gift or finding that one ornament that makes the tree complete, your social media profile pic can be that little touch that spreads some holiday cheer to your network. It's a small change, but one that can have a ripple effect, reminding everyone you're not just another profile, but a friend celebrating the season.

Now, you might be thinking, "But isn't this just for Christmas parties and holiday cards?" Well, that's where iFoto's Free Profile Picture Maker really shines. It's about more than just festive decor; it's about community. By updating your profile pic, you're joining a global celebration, a digital village that comes together every December to share in the joy of the season. It's a subtle nod to the fact that even in our increasingly digital world, we're still connected by shared moments and traditions.

And for those of you who might be worrying about the technical side, fear not. iFoto has made the Free Profile Picture Maker incredibly user-friendly. It's like having an artist at your fingertips, without the need for a degree in graphic design. They've essentially turned the of photo editing into a walk in the park, or should I say, a stroll through a winter wonderland.

So, as you gear up for the holiday festivities, don't overlook the opportunity to spruce up your online presence. With iFoto's Free Profile Picture Maker, you can spread joy and festivity with a simple click. This season, let your social media profile tell a story of merriment and cheer. After all, it's not every day you get to turn a regular photo into a symbol of the season's warmth and wonder.

[alyssalikestoreadbooks]

Payback's A Witch - Lana Harper

"Emmy Harlow is a witch but not a very powerful one—in part because she hasn't been home to the magical town of Thistle Grove in years. Her self-imposed exile has a lot to do with a complicated family history and a desire to forge her own way in the world, and only the very tiniest bit to do with Gareth Blackmoore, heir to the most powerful magical family in town and casual breaker of hearts and destroyer of dreams.

But when a spellcasting tournament that her family serves as arbiters for approaches, it turns out the pull of tradition (or the truly impressive parental guilt trip that comes with it) is strong enough to bring Emmy back. She's determined to do her familial duty; spend some quality time with her best friend, Linden Thorn; and get back to her real life in Chicago.

On her first night home, Emmy runs into Talia Avramov—an all-around badass adept in the darker magical arts—who is fresh off a bad breakup . . . with Gareth Blackmoore. Talia had let herself be charmed, only to discover that Gareth was also seeing Linden—unbeknownst to either of them. And now she and Linden want revenge. Only one question stands: Is Emmy in?

But most concerning of all: Why can't she stop thinking about the terrifyingly competent, devastatingly gorgeous, wickedly charming Talia Avramov?"

Read Date - October 2024

Length - 352 pages

Genre - Romance, Fantasy, LGBTQ+

Rating - 7/10

Stars - ★★★☆☆

Notes - I really like the start of this book! The way it establishes that Emmy lost her powers by leaving Thistle Grove is so interesting. It's giving Justin from Wizards Of Waverly Place if you know what I mean!! Her dad asking her to come back for traditions sake is the reason she's back in town, and she's linking back up with her old life. Talia and Emmy have such a good dynamic between each other, i just can't get enough of them. I hope they're end game. The plan to get revenge on Gareth for sleeping with Talia, Emmy, and Lin was a great set up for the plot of the book, and i generally just love the way this book is playing out. The way we get to see the different spells and magic throughout this book is so cool to me. They display it very well, especially during chapters 6-8. The tension between Emmy and her cousin was a great inclusion in the book. Her cousin wants to be the scion, but Emmy is. The girls fucking around with Gareth's mind is so funny and well deserved. The competition scenes are so fascinating to me and i can't pinpoint what exactly it reminds me of, but its so familiar. I love it. The tense moment with the Blackmoore's and Emmy being spoken through was also an interesting moment because it shows off more of how the magic works. its amazing how thought through this all is. The talk of ghosts and magic together is also amazing because i never considered that ghosts and other paranormal activity could be tied into witchiness activities. Talia and Emmy getting together in Chapter 13 was so sensual and i loved that they have cute aggression against each other. The ghosts catching them?? adorable. I love how hallmark this book is. Girl moves away from home, and comes back, finding love. Wanting to stay in her hometown. It's nice. I love the dynamic between Lin and Emmy. Theyre such perfect friends together, which is why Emmy leaving hurt the both of them. Emmy's magic coming back is sweet, and expected not gonna lie. Its obvious that she's going to want to stay in Thistle Grove. The dates that Talia and Emmy go on together have to much pizazz to it, and so much conversations happen with the two. The talks of how scared Talia is to lose her magic is poignant, because it talks about how you get comfortable with the life you live. Why would you want to change? Especially with magic? The tattoo scene was very nice and i like how intimate it was. Talia and Emmy almost getting caught having sex was crazy and at the same time, the fact that they DIDN'T get caught is also crazy like she was RIGHT THERE!! The plan to work together during the competition to take gareth down with their magic is awesome and i love hearing about all the magic. It's so well thought out, like i said before. All the spice scenes are so sensual and i love how they're written. It's desirable and you want to experience it and it's beautiful honestly. The fight between Talia and Emmy was a real moment that was bound to happen eventually, because Emmy and Talia are vaguely incompatible when it comes to their locations. Talia and Rowan trapping Gareth in a "bubble" so to speak was something i didn't expect. when they said magic i didnt realize there was some animation spells! The spell backfirng and infecting Talia was also shocking! I can't believe it hit her! Emmy took over for her, and in the end, wins the competition after getting her powers back. Emmy learning how the magic works (through the lake) is so fascinating because its never explained truly up until now, and the reveal that they're more powerful and important in the town is CRAAAZYYY. it makes perfect sense though! The entire time she's saying she left because theyre not powerful and nobody gaf but of course, they do matter. they are relevant. Emmy deciding to stay in Thistle Grove finally happened, and Talia said she'd go to chicago to visit Emmy when she has to travel there for work. The fact that her and Talia do get together in the end is so great for me because there was a moment where i thought they might tie it into a second book and not have them get together.