#unlike today where you just have the same game with a different name

[thewertsearch]

GG: Gosh! So formal today. UU: yes. u_u; UU: i'm afraid i am gUilty of rehearsing this pep talk well in advance. UU: i thoUght yoU deserved a proper sendoff.

Umbra has been talking to Jane for a while, then, supporting her from the sidelines.

Are the other Players aware of UU's existence, or is Jane the only one who's heard from them? Each of the original humans was initially harassed by a different troll, so maybe Bro, Jake and Roxy are being 'cheered' by their own respective cheerleaders.

UU: have yoU corresponded with yoUr first designated co-player yet? GG: No, I haven't seen her online yet today. GG: I'm really hoping Lalonde won't flake out on me this time. Have you heard from her?

I've got to say, I'm pretty relieved that the Derse kids have the same last names as before. I was fully prepared for Roxy to be a Noir, or something.

UU: not the today that is local to yoU. UU: thoUgh i do have a wee bit more troUble monitoring her than the rest of yoU. cUrioUs dark patches in transmission, hUmph.

...well, she may not be a Noir, but she is going Grimdark.

My hopes for Roxy to be the only non-corrupted human have quickly been dashed. We've got a full house of Dark Players; four ticking time bombs, ready to be set off at any moment.

This is going to be fun.

GG: I wanted to tell you, I had an amazing dream last night! […] GG: I was in a bright gold city. Above was a brilliant blue sky, but the horizon was dark as night.

Right, so Jane's a Prospit dreamer - and Jake must be the same, since she saw him there earlier. No surprises there.

UU: the place yoU visited was called prospit. it is where i have woken Up every time i have gone to sleep for most of my life.

But this is a big surprise.

UranianUmbra is a Player, and I can't figure out what session they could possibly fit into. Their grey text initially made me wonder if they were the pre-Scratch Signless - but Kid Signless wouldn't need to type in grey, would he? On a peaceful Alternia, he'd have no reason to fear culling, and could happily type in red.

What other sessions are available, then? Jane's, maybe? A fifth interloper to this reset session would certainly be an interesting twist - but it doesn't gel with the rules of the Scratch as they've been presented, and I don't think it fits the narrative.

I guess the only other possibility is that UU is in a fifth session, completely distinct from the four we're aware of.

UU: my prospit is an alternate version from yoUrs, in a completely different session qUite far afield of yoUr reality. UU: if we are ever to meet in person, it is Unlikely to be while playing oUr respective games!

And yes, that does appear to be the case.

...well, I suppose UU could just be bullshitting us, but I don't think that's the case. Bringing a fifth session into the mix is just too juicy to be a mere cover story. I'm pretty sure I believe it - and I have three main theories about what kind of session they're a part of.

Namely:

UU is part of the session which created Alternia’s universe.

UU is starting a session inside the kids' new universe.

UU's session is both of those things at once.

[angstywaifu]

Black Dahlia - 9. 10 Gold Pieces (Garrick)

One tragic day changes Dahlia's life forever. Despised by her father and brother, she's spent her entire life trying to be the child and sister she use to be. But nothing she ever does is good enough. She joins the Rider's Quadrant to prove them wrong. Garrick now in his second year has proven he is more than the mark on his skin to his fellow riders, and taken leadership of his own Squad alongside Xaden. Little does he know the girl walking across the parapet is about to send him on a rollercoaster of a year.

Set Pre Fourth Wing/Books

Garrick Tavis x OC (Dahlia Aetos)

Black Dahlia Masterlist | Masterlist A/N: I just wrote her threshing part. And I can't wait for you guys to meet her dragon.

The snapping of twigs and crunching of leaves announces the arrival of the rest of the group. Xaden and I turn to see Eya leading the very small group of first years over to us. One by one they lower their hoods, their faces illuminated by the moon overhead.

”So, how did you all go in challenges?” Xaden asks as if he doesn’t already know.

He had watched every single fight we we’re in. He already knew what everyone needed to work on and improve. But he wanted to hear it from them. Needed them to figure out their strengths and weaknesses on their own.

”Well I don’t know about you guys but I kicked ass out there today.” Imogen says confidently as she crosses her arms across her chest.

She had done good. She’d clearly ended up in a home where she was allowed to train and fight. Her technique was a little sloppy, but it was something we could work on and fix.

”Yes, we all know you did well.” Ciaran mutters as he leans up against a tree.

Imogen’s head snaps towards him, eyes locking onto his instantly. I watch as Ciaran cowers slightly at her stare. A stare I couldn’t help but compare to that damn Aetos girl now. Fuck.

”Yes I did, unlike you two. What the hell was that footwork? I’ve seen babies taking their first steps have better footwork than you.” She snaps back at him without missing a beat.

”Not all of us got sent to homes where we were allowed to train.” He grumbles back before turning his head away from her.

Bodhi rubs the back of his neck nervously. He had won his fight, but barely. “I won, but I definitely could have done better. Pretty sure I was a few seconds off losing.”

Xaden nods in agreement. “You just need to get use to different fighting styles again, refine your technique. Which is why we’re doing this. Having these meetings so we can help each other instead of insulting each other.”

Imogen huffs at Xaden’s words, fully knowing the last ones we’re directed at her. Deep down she did care, and would help anyone who needed it. She just needed to stop having such a short fuse.

”Which is why we’re also going to start shuffling the groups up for training, that way you guys can learn off each other.” I announce, everyone nodding in agreement.

”We’ll keep the same nights per week, you’ll just change who you’re with every day or two so you don’t get use to fighting the same person.” Xaden adds.

Bodhi clears his throat, drawing our attention to him. “Am I still able to keep my one night per week for the other training?”

He doesn’t say her name, but I know who he means. Dahlia. He’d been training with her and two others from his squad. Similar to what we we’re doing with the other marked ones. Making sure they survived.

Xaden nods. “Yes, I want to make sure our squad has a good chance in challenges, and hopefully squad games later in the year. And honestly training with her would be very beneficial.”

A growl rumbles from my throat before I can stop it, everyone turning to look at me. Everything about her infuriated me. The way she’d proven me wrong today in her challenge, her attitude, and of course that damn last name.

”What’s his problem?” Imogen mutters to Bodhi, causing him to smirk.

”He doesn’t trust Dahlia. Think’s she’s going to rat us out to her father if she finds out what we’re up to.” He tells her happily.

Imogen looks at me and cocks her eyebrow. “Really? Have you seen how she is with Dain? They hate each other. Pretty sure that extends to her father to.”

”Yes, but as I keep saying it could all be an act. She’s probably waiting for us to slip up.” I growl out before clenching my jaw.

”Someone’s just salty he under estimated her fighting ability.” Xaden teases from next to me as he leans back against the tree.

”I am not!” I grumble back at him.

”Oh, so you weren't ranting to me earlier about her making you eat your words?” He challenges.

I narrow my eyes at Xaden, my nostrils flaring as I huff at him causing him to chuckle at me. Out of the corner of my eye I catch Bodhi smirking at me. He wasn’t wrong though. I’d very much under estimated her. Thought everyone had talked her up because of who she was. But today she had only solidified the talking I’d heard about her. How she had definitely taken down that third year without breaking a sweat. I’d even laughed as she’d pulled out a staff she’d kept close to her side. A very rare weapon choice, especially for dragon riders. But she’d made it look so easy. Made that damn staff look like a deadly weapon. And something told me she would be just as talented with any other weapon she touched. She’d literally made me eat the last words I’d uttered in her ear before she stepped onto the mat.

”Damn Tavis, she’s really gotten under your skin.” Imogen teases, not even phased by my temper.

”Oh you have no idea.” Xaden mutters causing the others to snicker.

”You lot done? Because last time I checked we weren’t here to talk about her.” I say angrily, trying to end the conversation.

”We’re done. I’ll let you know who you’re training with tomorrow.” Xaden says, promptly ending the conversation topic.

Everyone nods in agreement before placing their hoods over their heads, turning to head back up to the quadrant. Xaden and I hang back, taking place at the rear of the group, ready to hang back so we don’t arouse suspicion heading back into the quadrant together. Now that there were more marked riders, we’d noticed Professors and any leadership that were around were becoming more strict on us sticking to the hanging out in groups of three or less.

A few steps a head Imogen leans her head towards Bodhi. “How much you wanna bet he ends up fucking her?”

”What did I just say!” I roar, causing everyone to burst into fits of laughter as I push past them.

”10 gold pieces.”

Taglist: @imtoanonymousforyou @simplyme-fornow @omalmal @lalaluch @wolfbc97 @leptitlu @fullmoon-94

[fictoweirdoesten]

Uhhh soooo I was gonna upload a fic today, but while I was researching the topic I was gonna write about, my ex-fp's Instagram showed up in the search history and now suddenly I don't have the motivation to write anymore! Yay!!! So instead I'm just gonna yap about my mc if you don't mind. Since I suck at drawing, the mc that I show doesn't really envision how I truly picture her so...bear with me lol

Her/His(depends based on the mood of the day) name is Kwin. She's a total stinker and a

l o s e r. Type of person to say, "I hate men," while being around 5 different guys and experiencing the worst gender envy you could ever imagine. I imagine her hair is spikey and short. Also, she's short, shorter then canon mc (a wopping 5ft. doesn't help with the dysphoria) and also thicker then canon mc as well (she's a Hunter 🤠 where's her muscle at infold?)

Unlike canon mc, Kwin is only a Hunter the same reason why depressed people join the military. She felt Gran breathing down the back of her neck after lazying around the house after she (barely) graduated high school and relying on Caleb's part time job's income to buy things. Eventually she just relented and became a Hunter (almost failed the exam btw) (had to excuse herself from class constantly due to anxiety/panic attacks).

Her only friend in UNICORNS is Xavier, but only because she keeps getting partnered up with this guy constantly on missions. One day they were chillin and Kwin was playing a game on her phone. Xavier was nosy af and decided to sneak a glance and saw she was playing an otome game "Hate and Innerspace"(see what I did there). He tapped her shoulder, rubbed his eyes, and quietly asked:

"Who do you main? I like Cavier the most."

"...Xaleb..."

And they became best friends ever since (yes, Xavier got totally friend zoned). Fried Chicken Fridays, Game Nights. Honestly so jealous...

Being a Hunter is dangerous work, and that's where Zayne comes in.

Zayne was her (only) childhood friend back in the day. If she met Zayne now, she'd absolutely avoid him. Avoidant Attachment isn't her thing and she has a deep fear of rejection/abandonment. But the her (or he) back then was more sociable, so when she was a kid, she was way more oblivious and pushy when it came to befriending people (and failed miserably. no one wanted to talk to the weird lab rat kid, well, except for zayne-)

When Zayne was assigned her primary physician, she got anxious, but also excited. She loved Zayne back then, loved to tease him and pinch his cheeks.

But the Zayne she met again was way colder and reserved. Their first meeting again made her extremely uncomfortable, but she didn't give up on him just yet. After the accident they had when they were kids, she figured he just felt guilty about what he'd done. So she pushed, and pushed, and pushed, and eventually Zayne started to relax with her once more.

"ZayZaaaaay!" She exclaims, running up to him with a smile on her face as he exists the hospital. He sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"It's late out. And you don't drive. How did you get here?"

"I have legs yknow," she pouts, crossing her arms. He stands in front of her, and reaches his hand out to pet her hair. "The dessert shop should still be open."

"Are you gonna buy me three cake slices this time?"

"Are you 'gonna' drink a gallon of water a day?"

"..."

Stinkers. The both of them. Honestly probably toxic and shouldn't be together but they're not real it's fine.

Kwin ran into Rafayel one day while returning home on a mission. Bumped straight into him, knocking his stupid coffee on the sidewalk.

"Heeeeeeey!" He was dramatic. A diva from the start. Kwin tenses up, sweat dripping down her face. Before she could apologize, he shook his head, let's out a 'tsk', and slowly approached her before kneeling down to get a better look of her face.

"Woooow. Sooo much acne. Hey, pepperoni pizza, wanna like, go get me another coffee?"

She hated this guy, but she couldn't say no. So they walked back to the coffee shop. Her social anxiety was terrible when she ordered. Rafayel noticed and took pity on her soul, so he decided that what she needed was a yap session. He yapped for a whole hour before Thomas found him and yanked him back to the studio. Of course, he pretty much pressured her into giving out her number, so they've been in contact with each other ever since then. And while Kwin still holds a grudge since that day, they absolutely adore each other and feed off of each other's clingliness.

Now when they revisit the coffee shop together, Rafayel orders. Of course, he can't help but embarras her somehow. That was his love language.

"So like...should I use he/him or she/her today?"

"Rafayel...either is fine."

"Cool."

They walk into the coffee shop. Kwin trails behind him as he makes his way to the counter.

"Yeah I'll get the Iced Americano. Grande. As for the cutie behind me, she/he will get the Iced Caramel Mocciahto with whipped cream. Venti."

He felt the daggers staring at his back, felt her hands clench and the torturous amount of sweat she was accumulating behind him.

He'll make up for it later, of course.

Kwin hates him. Despises him, even.

She had met Sylus when she snuck into the N109 Zone to learn more about her past. Even when she was lazy and unmotivated, the death of Gran and Caleb gave her a bit of determination to at least find out the truth (and you can thank the past three guys for giving her the motivation to even keep breathing during that rough period in her life).

Instead of Sylus having interest in Kwin like with canon mc (none of that star-crossed lovers bs), instead Sylus happened to (unintentionally) save her while he was on a mission himself and just happened to be there at the time. She thanked him, but as she was walking off, he decided to mess with her a bit.

"A kitten walking around this late in the N109 zone?" His voice suddenly filled the dark void that surrounded them. She turned back around, an eyebrow raised as she tilted her head. She was suspicious of this guy. Even if he saved her, he could have bad intentions.

He saw her suspicion and chuckled, slowly approaching her with his hands up, an arrogant smirk on his face.

"I'm not a threat, little hunter. I'm just curious on why someone from Linkon is here in the first place."

Kwin never told him, at least not back then. But over time he kept bothering up, showing up "coincidentally". She wondered how someone as frustratingly attractive and powerful as him is even bothering with someone like her. But Sylus just loves the little kitten that she is. And while Kwin sometimes snaps and gives him the cold shoulder, Sylus just finds it amusing, and appreciates the times when she lets her guard down even more and opens up to him about her past.

tw: psuedo-incest I guess 😭 but they're adopted siblings so does that even count? Idk.

-But the two of them were distant when they first met. Two kids stuck being experimented on. Fun. Caleb was interested in Kwin, but Kwin was so drained from the constant testing done on her, that she didn't have the energy to really care much about him. Or anyone, for that matter.

But as soon as they got outta there and into an orphanage, they were stuck like someone had glued their sides together, and was like that all the way until Caleb became an adult.

But she was still dependent on him, and he didn't mind that at all.

But then he exploded.

And then she found him again when she was forced to infiltrate the Farspace Fleet thanks to Captain Jenna.

And then they were inseparable once again.

"Oh, you want me to stay with you forever and I'll stay in a mansion with a whole maze and I'll never have to work again?"

Kwin was about to quit as a Hunter immediately, but then she remembered that she'd be closer to Ever if she kept her job, and finding out the truth about her (and Caleb's) past, so she decided not to. Of course, Caleb was pissy at first, but later on he realized that she had found her purpose in life. And well, seeing her so determined and confident, he couldn't stop her now.

But she was still dependent on him, and he was still dependent on her. That never changed.

"Hey pipsqueak," he poked her cheek as she sat in his lap, scrolling on her phone. She tilted her head up to look at him. "In China, people call the older men in their life 'gege'."

"Yeah? And is there a gender neutral term for someone younger?"

"Baobei?" He questioned, scrolling down to read the definition. "It means 'baby', I guess-"

"So that means I'm your Baobei then?"

Caleb's eyes widened as he watched her turn her attention back to her phone. She wasn't slick, far from it. She did that to get a reaction out of him, and it worked...maybe a little too well...

Kwin froze. Caleb shifted, biting his lip as his whole face turned red. Kwin then shot up from his lap, turned around, karate-chopped his head, and rested her hands on her hips as she scolded him, trying her hardest to hide the smirk creeping up at the corner of her lips.

"15 minutes. Take care of it. Now."

"Y-Yes, Colonel..."

(and now y'all know what I daydream about everyday instead of being present in our current reality)

[hervygervy]

Also since I'm the resident pyrrhon autist I'm curious how his japanese dialogue handles humility with his arrogant personality and all. Particularly I've often wondered if the way he uses those terms switches or not at that bit around the beginning of his bossfight when he's briefly himself and trying to fight them back, like if he shows any "cracks" so to speak. I hope specific kinda translation comparison requests like this are okay

Thank you for your request! Let's talk about Pyrrhon :)

His boss fight has a really interesting difference in the Japanese version! I will talk about it at the end of this post because first I would like to talk about Pyrrhon more generally.

Normally I would like to include English voice files just for the sake of easily accessible comparison, but this website seeks to inhibit me and contain my hyperfixation and I am only able to attach so many voice files. Tragic. So because we have a lot of ground to cover, unfortunately, we'll just be working with Japanese voice files today. I'll try to reference the English version when I can. Once again, we'll be here a while, so read below the cutoff!

Some initial notes that might be of interest to you before we really dive in (it's a bunch of language stuff so bear with me!) Pyrrhon's called ラーズ (Raazu, but I'll render it as "Raaz" in my translations) in the Japanese version. I sincerely wish I could tell you what this is derived from but I honest to goodness have no idea. The English name meanwhile is obviously sourced from "pyro" as in fire and even perhaps figures like King Pyhrrus, which is where the phrase "Pyrrhic victory" comes from (a triumph which takes such a toll on the victor that it eventually leads to defeat).

In the Japanese version he consistently uses informal speech and masculine sentence ending particles. We don't have particles in English so it's difficult to explain, but the best way I can describe it is the way he ends his sentences give off a strong and gruff masculine vibe.

Despite this very apparent manner of speech, he uses 私 (watashi) to refer to himself. I point this out because unlike in English, there are dozens of first-person pronouns in Japanese and what you use, depending on the context, will say a lot about you as a person. 私 is like the "default" pronoun (as in like that's what you'd be taught to use in a class first thing). It's gender neutral and applicable for both casual and formal situations. I'd say it leans ever so slightly formal. In casual conversations, it sounds a little feminine. If a man is using it in a casual situation, it either sounds awkward, or like the speaker is trying to establish some distance between himself and the listener, thus coming across as a little cold and stiff.

Palutena also uses "watashi," but interestingly, in the game's subtitles, hers is always written out in hiragana like わたし while Pyrrhon's is always written in kanji like 私. It's the exact same word at the end of the day so I guess it's just a stylistic choice?

There are also a bunch of second-person pronouns in Japanese because of course there are. They're rarely used in actual conversation, however. It tends to come across as a bit rude, and using the other person's name instead of "you" is generally preferable. I've only ever really seen it in anime and manga or texts that address the "general you" as it's called. Pyrrhon uses キミ (kimi) to refer to others. The way キミ (or 君 as it's usually written) is perceived tends to vary from person to person it seems, it can either sound affectionate or it can sound like you're a bossy man addressing his subordinates since it's apparently historically associated with the masculine first-person pronoun 僕 (boku). Nowadays 僕 is more of the young boy's pronoun, though. Pit actually uses it.

With that out of the way, you know that Pyrrhon is meant to be a comic book superhero parody of sorts, so naturally, in the Japanese version, he uses a lot of English words/phrases in his speech. Here's the Japanese equivalent of his introduction as an example:

He uses a few English words here. The English script adapts this by instead giving him a lot of silly one-liners that you'd expect to hear in some Saturday morning cartoon. You could probably make the argument that this aspect of his character thus more effectively expressed in the English version. This interaction also plays out a little differently here in the Japanese version. Oh, but I guess I should translate:

Pyrrhon: No problem!

Palutena: Are you... the sun god, Raaz?

Pyrrhon: Yes!

Pit: The sun god, Raaz...?

Viridi: The self-proclaimed "emissary of the sun."

Pyrrhon: So you're all together, huh?

Palutena: Raaz, is there something you know about this enemy army?

Pyrrhon: Listen well! This here! Is the floating continental cluster of the Aurum!

Hades: The Aurum, huh?

Pyrrhon: This bit's important so I'll say it again! This is the floating continental cluster of the Aurum!

Viridi: Geez, that's enough.

Pyrrhon: In the book of Revelation of the Realm of Gods, chapter 84, verse 3: "Lured by destruction and heresy, they are born from nothing and appear to return to nothing. Those that swallow the heavens, earth, and sea--they are the Aurum. They travel across the galaxy!"

Viridi: Is there really such a legend?

Pyrrhon: To put it plainly, you could say the Aurum can swallow up the world at this rate! Let's work together! Come now, shoot these invaders from space!

Pit: Is it really alright to put our trust this guy?

Palutena: Well, his explanation matches the current state of affairs.

Viridi: Well, I suppose it's good to call this enemy army "the Aurum."

Pyrrhon pretty much sticks true to this style of speech throughout the rest of this section of the game. It's over the top and gruff and commanding you could say.

A few notes! Pyrrhon is referred to as a 太陽神 (taiyoushin) which means "sun god" I suppose, but if we break down the meanings for the individual kanji, it's "plump sunshine god" and I personally find that amusing. Okay, what's actually more interesting is Viridi states that he's a "self-proclaimed 太陽の使い" (taiyou no tsukai) or "messenger/envoy of the sun." I went with "emissary" for my translation since that's a common phrase in a lot of mythologies and it carries a similar sentiment. But either way, the use of 使い implies more something along the lines of "servant of the sun" which is curious. Personally I'm wondering if the purpose behind this wording is to draw a parallel to Pit who can be described as a 天の使い (ten no tsukai) or "angel," but I'll return to that thought later.

Another minor note is that Pyrrhon states that the Aurum are "破壊と破戒にいざなわれ" (hakai to hakai ni izanaware) and 破戒 (hakai) means like, breaking a religious commandment, so I went to translate it as "heresy" for simplicity's sake.

When Pyrrhon says "those that swallow the heavens, earth, and sea," he uses the word 者 (mono) to describe them. It means "person" which makes the Aurum sound a lot more humanlike. I still opted to use "those" because it still can be used as a determiner.

Lastly, this is just mildly interesting, instead of "the Book of Divine Prophecy," it's a mess of kanji that I attempted to decode as "the Revelation of the Realm of Gods." It's written as 神界黙示録 (shinkai mokushiroku). The last three kanji in this set, 黙示録 (mokushiroku), is actually the title of the book of Revelation. You know, like from the Bible. Neat, huh?

Since we don't have English voice files, I'll just point out the notable dialogue differences:

In English, Pyrrhon elaborates that the floating islands we encounter in chapter 15 are just one of the many bases the Aurum possess. In the Japanese, he doesn't really comment on this and instead just repeats the fact that we are indeed looking at the Aurum islands. Thanks, buddy.

In English, once Pyrrhon finishes explaining the supposed passage, he tells the others to "stow their fear" and that he'll essentially take care of everything on his own, or at least, that's the implication. In Japanese he immediately suggests everyone work together. Everyone seems a bit more receptive in Japanese whereas they're more hesitant in English, especially with Viridi saying "you know things are dire if that's the guy we're listening to."

Also, sometimes what he says is rendered using Roman letters in the subtitles:

His laughter is always rendered in Roman letters. In the Japanese text below, he says "shoot! Shoot!!" as in English "shoot," not Japanese "shoot" (撃つ/utsu). It's not quite the same as kablooey kablammy, huh...

I'm not quite done with chapter 15 yet. There's one curious dialogue difference at the end of the level. Here's the English line:

And the Japanese:

He says "it seems I won't be bored for a while!" Well, I'm glad he's having fun.

Much like how his comic book superhero persona is hammed up in the English version, I'd say his arrogance and haughtiness is intensified. He does a lot more talking down to the others in the English dialogue. Sure, he does speak informally in the Japanese version, but this is also a video game so, that's par for the course. Anime, manga, and video games don't often reflect how actual spoken Japanese goes. You could say it's like, super exaggerated Japanese. And it can often get pretty crude or informal. What I'm trying to say is, Japanese Pyrrhon's speech doesn't strike me as terribly unusual. He talks like any other brash anime character. None of the other characters seemed too unnerved by him compared to the English version, anyway.

As for chapter 16, Pyrrhon only appears for a brief moment to aggravate the boss. The interactions between the two versions are pretty much the same, so there's not much to talk about, but I will note this!

"You seem to be having trouble, Pit!" ...or "Pit-kun" in this case.

Most of the time he addresses Pit as "kun." This is a masculine honorific, usually used by men addressing their male subordinates or used to refer to good male friends (it's not wrong to use it for women, but the typical usage is for men). In English he says "looks like you could use a hand, little angel" which to me sounds kinda condescending but I'm sure the intention was to sound kinda affectionate in the "hey, we're buddies, right?" kinda way that the Japanese seems to convey. Or maybe I'm totally wrong and the English writers did want to make him sound more condescending.

In a previous post, I talked a little bit about how talking about giving things in Japanese is complicated. In particular, Viridi was using やる (yaru) when asking Palutena if she was giving Pit any kind of allowance (the Japanese equivalent of the "floor ice cream" bit). やる is used when talking about giving things to something of lower status, but in the context that the receiver is literally like a plant or an animal. Pyrrhon seems to have a little bit more respect than her!

"I shall lend you a hand!" Or "I shall assist you!" However you want to word it. Here he's using あげよう (ageyou) which the volitional conjugation of あげる (ageru). あげる is used when talking about giving something to someone of equal or lower status, but not in the animal or plant type of lower status. Hopefully that makes sense. Considering that he addresses Pit as "kun" and not in the sarcastic way like Hades does, I'm going to presume that Japanese Pyrrhon sees him on a relatively equal enough playing field. That's the impression I get anyway.

Alright! That was! A whole lot of yapping! And there is more to come because because we are so close to the moment you've been waiting for! We shall talk about chapter 17!! And then the boss fight!!!

When Pyrrhon and Pit encounter the Aurum brain, in the English version, Pyrrhon's lines are delivered in a pretty nonchalant fashion. In Japanese he maintains his energy and pep. Take a listen:

In English he says something like "do your thing, Pit! You know, your... shooting thing." Anyway, a translation for the voice clip!

Pit: This is... the Aurum brain?

Pyrrhon: Shoot at it, Pit! Shoot at it until your sacred treasure burns up!

No more "kun," huh? He's probably too fixated on that brain, anyway.

Oh, uh, any instance of 神器 (jingi) or "sacred treasure" in the Japanese version is replaced with "weapon" in the English version. I wonder if such phrasing is for the sake of keeping in line with franchise terminology, or perhaps directly referencing "weapons" would have run the team into trouble with the ratings board, CERO. If you care, the game has a CERO B rating in Japan, which means it's suitable for ages 12 and up. It's pretty much the equivalent of the ESRB E10+ rating, which is what the game got in the states. Supposedly, the beheading of the Hewdraw is what cemented the game's rating as B in Japan.

That's not relevant. Let's move onto when Pyrrhon assumes control over the Aurum troops!

Level Infinity Epic Super God Plus!! ...nah he didn't say that. It went something like this:

Pit: I-I'm saved! And Raaz?

Pyrrhon: Hahahahaha... HAHAHAHAHAHA!! Well done, Pit!

Pit: Raaz?!

Pyrrhon: Thanks to you, I've become this magnificent! I'm invincible! I'm invincible! I'm invincible! I'm invincible! I've obtained the strongest power!

Pit: What do you mean?

Pyrrhon: This is what I mean...!

"Kun" has returned! Anyway, I pointed out the one line change already.

How irritating that it's split up into two voice files. Continuing the conversation:

I shall continue the translation:

Pit: No way... Raaz?!

Pyrrhon: HAHAHAHAHAHA! The Aurum are now my hands and feet! The Aurum will embark reborn! I'll give you all a show!

Hades: Ho ho! This guy's interesting! What a discovery!

Viridi: I don't think this is a situation to be glad about.

Pit: Raaz, you rat! Tricking an angel! That's not okay!

Pyrrhon: With this vast power, I will challenge the gods!

A few notes: Pyrrhon uses やる (yaru) for "give" here! He's really on his high horse now.

Pit says "ラーズめ" and tacking め onto anything makes it derogatory. People can translate it in a number of ways, like "you scum" or "damn you" or "bastard" or what have you (I'm really not fond of swearing so I hope my friends don't read this and make a big deal about it). Pit's kinda talking in a childish way here so I opted for "rat," especially since that's what's used in the English version, haha. He uses いけない (ikenai) which is something one would use when describing something like socially unacceptable. Basically he's saying "you're not allowed to trick me!"

Lastly, when Pyrrhon says "challenge," he's using 挑戦 (chousen) which carries the implication of a defiant attitude. I felt that was important to mention!

The differences between the English and Japanese here are pretty minor. Pyrrhon emphasizes his newfound power a lot more in the English version, I'd say, with his whole "not even the combined power of the gods can stop me" bit. He also seems a bit more overtly haughty? (seems a bit more subtle in Japanese to me anyway). He blatantly brushes off Pit in English ("What?! I can't hear you over all this awesome!") but just kinda continues his spiel in Japanese.

We all know that Pyrrhon shows off his quirky new powers by blocking Palutena's extraction (or "jamming" it as he says in Japanese) and we're forced to fight on some dinky platforms. Thankfully we have dialogue to ease the pain. We always do, I guess. Such is the way of radio-style storying telling as it's called in gaming. One interaction always stood out to me. In English it goes like this:

Hades: Our little sun buddy must have a thing for you, Pit.

Viridi: Of course he does. Pit's the only one that loon considers an equal.

We can infer a lot from this... Pit and Pyrrhon are comparable in the sense that neither of them are really taken all that seriously by the gods. For Pit, we can easily see this by the way quite literally any other character treats him. Other characters are baffled to see that he can put up a fight or they simply don't want to admit that he's a genuine one man army. Palutena is probably the only character that will give him any credit, but even then, she isn't beyond toying with him or speaking for him. But I already addressed all that in a post replying to a comment.

Pyrrhon is also disregarded immediately, both in English and Japanese. His status as a god is always called into question (we the player never learn his true place in the divine hierarchy), other characters are quick to doubt him, and well, everyone only ends up following along with him because what other choice is there?

You get the point. Pyrrhon seeks the Aurum's power in order to finally get on the gods' level. To finally be taken seriously. That kind of thing. I was really surprised to learn that the interaction plays out a little differently in Japanese:

It goes something like this:

Pit: Alright! We made it out of the giant battleship!

Palutena: Enemies are approaching from all directions! Watch your surroundings well!

Hades: Did Sunny fall in love? You're very popular, eh?

Viridi: Of course he is. Because right now, as it stands, the only one who can oppose Aurum Raaz is Pit.

Quick note: Hades calls Pyrrhon "太陽ちゃん" (taiyou-chan) and ちゃん is an affectionate honorific, one you'd use for close friends or pets. Obviously he's using it sarcastically here. I employed some creative translation. The actual English script writers had to do the same thing, you know.

But yeah, I can't say the Japanese dialogue leaves as much room for character analysis, huh? It's more or less stating the obvious. The Underworld army isn't really participating here, and Viridi was unable to inhibit Pyrrhon with her last reset bomb. So yeah, Pit really is the only one left that can actually challenge Pyrrhon.

Well, I can go back to that point I brought up earlier. Pyrrhon was called the 太陽の使い or "messenger of the sun," and you can draw that kind of parallel to 天の使い or "heavenly messenger," or more simply, "angel." On that basis, I'd say perhaps you can draw a connection between the two. Maybe they were always meant to be compared in both versions. Or maybe I'm looking too deep into it.

Before we get to the boss fight, I just wish to point out that in the Japanese version, a standard centurion gets some speaking lines, whereas the English version only has a strongarm talking:

I guess I'll translate: "Captain! We came because we wanted to be useful to Lady Palutena."

Okay okay okay boss fight time!! In English, Pyrrhon starts talking in a robotic voice. In Japanese, it's a strained voice. Take a listen:

Translation as usual!

Palutena: Raaz is just up ahead!

Pyrrhon: Stooooop... turn baaaaaack...

Pit: Is Raaz like, acting completely strange or what?

Palutena: Perhaps it's because of the overflowing exaltation?

Oh, and the portraits are different! In English we immediately get a glimpse of Aurum Pyrrhon:

In Japanese, he's still using one of his standard portraits:

...the laughing one to be precise. Okay. But his speech is now rendered in katakana. To reiterate from a previous post, Japanese uses three writing systems all at once. Katakana, this angular text you see here, is mainly used to render foreign words into the Japanese sound system, but it can also be used for stylization purposes and whatnot. Here it's clearly meant to indicate that his words aren't fully his own...

After a loading screen we get to fight him! The boss intro in English has Pyrrhon spew out this binary code:

Supposedly it spells "kill" in ASCII binary. In Japanese it's a lot more "normal":

Pyrrhon: You've come... Pit...

Pit: Raaz! What in the world?!

He's still straining like before the loading screen. But where things get interesting is as he continues to try to talk:

Whoa! Pyrrhon! I can't hear you all over that TV static!

Yeah, so in order to understand what he's saying at all, you actually have to read the text. Cool, because that's what I've been doing anyway. My audio processing abilities are atrocious, after all. That and it's easier to look up words I don't know (which is a lot of them) in my dictionary when I can actually see what words they're using. So let's translate:

Pit: Raaz! Are you really controlling the Aurum? Or, are you being controlled by the Aurum?!

Pyrrhon: I... >cannot be controlled.

The top image is the text pertaining to Pyrrhon struggling to say "I" and the bottom image depicts when the static kicks in with "cannot be controlled" by using an > arrow.

The static speech is rendered in katakana. Alien speech is typically written that way in Japanese media to really emphasize their foreign status.

It's a bit eerie to listen to when it's just the audio, huh? Let's hear a bit more:

Pit: W-what was that?!

Palutena: As expected, you could say he succumbed to the power of the Aurum brain.

Pyrrhon: >Do not inhibit our mission. We will consume all.

Hades: They behave just like insects. Considering their strength, it's fine if they're low-grade, huh?

Palutena: Drawn to the torch of battle, they live only to consume everything. Calling them bees or locusts might not entirely be wrong.

Pyrrhon: >We will multiply. We will continue to increase.

Viridi: But every living thing is like this. Their desperate survival connects to their growth, and they influence each other, enabling for the cycle of life. However, these guys are troubling! Their power is too strong!

Palutena: That and they're an alien species, after all.

Pit: Won't they eat everything at this rate?!

Palutena: That's why you have to put an end to this, Pit!

It's pretty similar to the English. Minus the hungry moths. RIP hungry moths. And I guess in English Aurum Pyrrhon says "we will be all" rather than "we will consume all." Something like that.

Also, when the Aurum (static) speak, they use the pronoun ワレワレ (wareware) which is super old-fashioned and means "we." It supposedly has a strong emphasis on one's own existence. Fitting for the Aurum.

I'll share with ya one last static:

Yay, it's easy for me:

Pit: Return to space!

Pyrrhon: >Uuuoooooo

Eventually the static becomes calming to listen to.

Obviously I didn't hit every Pyrrhon moment, but these are all the notable differences I could find and interesting things I could point out! Aurum Pyrrhon is pretty different between both versions, huh? The whole static thing almost makes it seem all the more dire. To me anyway.

Thank you for bearing with me in this long post. I'll probably do more characterization posts next, so they'll probably be just as long as this one...

[tisayemate]

Vaporised

Jake ‘Hangman’ Seresin x Reader (callsign Vapour)

Fluff

Summary: Vapour teaches Hangman to put his mouth where his money is.

AN: tomorrow’s my birthday!! (Yup, sharing the same birthday as Scarlett Johansson and Mark Ruffalo 🥹)

Story under the cut:

Hangman was in rare form that morning—if by "rare" you meant absolutely, maddeningly, always insufferable.

The squadron had barely settled into the briefing room when Jake "Hangman" Seresin made it his mission to antagonize everyone in his orbit.

"Rooster, you planning to keep that mustache after I wipe the floor with you today?" he quipped, leaning back in his chair. "Or is it aerodynamic enough to help you fly better?"

Rooster shot him a flat look. "Shouldn’t you be studying the rulebook, Seresin? I hear you keep forgetting what 'teamwork' means."

Jake laughed, loud and carefree. "What can I say? I don’t need teamwork when I’ve got skill. I’m just built different."

"Built irritating," Phoenix muttered under her breath, earning a smirk from Bob.

In the corner of the room, you—call sign Vapour—remained silent, arms crossed, and gaze steady on the whiteboard. You had no intention of getting involved in Jake’s antics. He’d teased you enough in the past, despite the fact you barely spoke to him.

“Awfully quiet over there, Vapour,” Jake called out, turning his attention to you. “What’s the matter? Saving all your words for your post-match excuses?”

You didn’t even glance at him. “I, unlike some, don’t waste words,” came your reply.

That earned a round of "oohs" from the others, and even Hangman seemed momentarily caught off guard before recovering with a grin. “We’ll see if your flying’s as sharp as your tongue.”

The reason you were called Vapour wasn’t a mystery to anyone. During a training exercise, you’d pulled off a miracle landing with barely a drop of fuel left, earning you the respect of the instructors and the envy of a certain cocky aviator. Jake had never stopped trying to one-up you since.

Today’s dogfight simulation would be the perfect battleground.

Up in the air, Hangman’s taunts were relentless.

“Vapour, you sure you’re up there? Haven’t seen you all game,” he teased over the comms. “Or maybe that’s just your style—light and forgettable.”

Phoenix groaned. “Do you ever shut up, Seresin?”

“I’m just providing commentary,” he replied. “Gotta make things interesting while I mop the floor with you.”

You stayed quiet, focusing on your maneuvers. You weren’t interested in banter—you had one goal: take Hangman down.

Jake was good. Annoyingly good. But he was also predictable. He liked flashy moves and big risks, and you had no problem using that against him. You let him chase you for a while, luring him into a false sense of control.

“Gotcha now, Vapour,” he said smugly, locking onto your tail.

“Do you?” you replied, your voice finally cutting through the comms.

With a sharp roll and a sudden cutback, you slipped out of his sights and got behind him instead. Jake’s curses filled the channel as you locked on and fired the simulated kill shot.

“Hangman, you’re tagged,” Maverick announced.

Silence.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Jake Seresin had nothing to say.

“Vapour!,” Rooster cheered. “Finally someone shut him up!”

You smirked, leveling your jet and heading back to base. 

Back on the ground, Jake’s usual swagger was noticeably absent as the team debriefed. Rooster, Phoenix, and the others took turns mocking him, clearly reveling in his defeat.

Jake made a beeline for you afterward, his expression unreadable.

“Vapour,” he said, folding his arms. “You got lucky.”

You arched an eyebrow. “Luck? Or maybe you’re just all talk.”

For once, he didn’t have a comeback. He just stood there, staring at you like he was trying to figure you out.

Before he could say anything else, you gave him a pat on the shoulder. “You know Hangman’s actually the perfect name for someone who just got left swinging in the wind.”

And with that, you walked off, leaving him standing there—thoroughly humbled.

[jasontoddiefor]

I just binged Roses and Champagne and then saw your idea for Lee Won & Caesar meeting as kids and bestie I’m going to need you to elaborate on that because it is living in my head rent free and I need need need to know your thoughts I beg of you

Welcome to hell! I’ve managed to write like the start of this AU so uuu take a snippet and some thoughts.

The first time he met his father, the last time he was just Jung Leewon, he stood in the Russian embassy in Seoul, his entire life packed up in one suitcase. The winter frost covered the windows of the office he had been sitting in since they collected him from his foster parents, summoned by an unburied passport with his baby photo identifying him as someone’s son.

Miss Ivanova had been been looking over him since the early morning, bringing him snacks and hot chocolate, talking quietly in a Russian that sounded much calmer than that of his after-school teacher. Leewon had always known that his father must be Russian, the only explanation as to why his mother ensured he learned the language, why his features had the other kids laugh at him, but he hadn’t known his name.

His name held a meaning near impossible for a child to grasp. The workers in the embassy all glanced at him nervously, as though expecting a ghost to sweep through the office.

When the doors finally opened, a tall man followed by even more men in suits stormed the embassy. He was cursing up a storm too disastrous for Leewon to catch. The people in the embassy cowered in front of him like prey in front of a beast, a display of fear unlike Leewon had ever seen before.

And then the man’s eyes landed on Leewon, and his entire tirade stopped at once. He walked across the room as though daring anyone to stop him. In front of Leewon, this tall man fell to his knees, putting his hands on both sides of Leewon’s face.

“You look like Suyeon,” the man breathed, then pressed Leewon close to his chest, allowing him to bury his face in the stranger’s, in his father’s, neck. “I will take you home now, I promise, you will not be left alone again. All will be well.”

His mother had promised the same before the winter started, and she left him even before Christmas. Snow was falling heavily already, they’d have been able to celebrate in the snow.

So my basic thoughts so far are that his mother dies when he’s about nine? And in all the fuckery that goes into arranging a guardian, they discover huh!!! This kid has a Russian passport! Wonder where that leads! (Probably not accurate to the timeline but by today laws, he’d be eligible for dual citizenship). So Mikhail is informed and goes to pick his son up. And from there on o was thinking of Leewon’s life as filled witch dichotomies? Unlike Caesar, who really raised himself to survive, Leewon is kept preciously close and raised similarly. There’s no keeping him away from the mafia, so he must learn how to defend himself and what decisions to make, but he’s much more the princess in the tower instead of Daniel in the lions’ den.

And of course that fucks with him. He tries to run away exactly once, not yet quite having grasped the danger, and runs straight into Caesar, both kids, both raised very differently, perhaps both desiring a little what the other has (security vs freedom). Anyway, Leewon leaves an impression and they’re both returned to the places they ought to be, but hmm let’s say the connection lasts? Maybe teenage rebellion is talking semi amicably with the enemy and drunk kissing him in some shady alley. Maybe it’s all part of a plan to humiliate and win in this game of cat and mouse. Maybe you’re just sick of it all.

I don’t quite have like A Plot for this. Mostly I’m just caught by this idea of like, being raised as your parents’ child and what you do with that. I imagine at one point Leewon argues for going to university in Korea and that becomes a rather ugly fight in the family. And Vladimir being adopted somewhere between that poor kid and my son needs a companion and my son needs protection so that’s one messed up sinking relationship from the start.

So yeah!! Idk tell me your thoughts!!,

[mariacallous]

There is probably not a second that goes by without an ABBA song being played somewhere in the world. A remix of “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight)” is pulsing through a club on a Mediterranean island, a Vietnamese grocery store is piping in “Happy New Year,” a Mexican radio station is playing the Spanish-language version of “Knowing Me, Knowing You.” Live performances, too, continue unabated, and not just in karaoke bars, or in stage productions of “Mamma Mia!” Maybe it is morning in Kawasaki, Japan, and a tribute band is performing for thirty people in a public square, or evening in Johannesburg, where a different tribute act plays to a sold-out theatre. (The group Björn Again, the best known of these reënactors, claims to have been summoned to perform for an enthusiastic Vladimir Putin; the Kremlin denies this.) In London, you can see and hear the real thing—or, at least, life-size holograms of its members, affectionately called ABBAtars, fronting a live band in a purpose-built arena.

Such is the afterlife in pop Valhalla. ABBA, made up of the songwriter-producers Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson and the singers Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, is bigger today than it ever was during the group’s active years, between 1972 and 1982—a dense stretch that saw the two couples that made up the band splitting up but continuing to make music together. Not that ABBA didn’t enjoy plenty of adulation in its day, beginning with a breakthrough victory in the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest, with “Waterloo,” and continuing with a series of albums that dominated pop charts around the world. Scenes from “ABBA: The Movie,” which follows the band on its 1977 Australian tour, show “ABBAmania” in full sweaty force, with fans thronging and reporters needling.

Still, unlike the Beatles, ABBA was never able to shake a faint odor of the unhip in its time. At best, the band members were seen by rock critics and listeners as craftsmen rather than artists. At worst, especially in their native Sweden, they were seen as peddlers of lowest-common-denominator pop: “as dead as a can of pickled herring,” in the words of a diss track by another artist, a nod to the Swedish canned-fish company that shares ABBA’s name.

A long nineteen-eighties spent in the wilderness, with the group’s alumni pursuing lacklustre solo albums and unwieldy projects, such as a musical about chess, did not give the critics much cause to change their assessment. In 1989, seven years after the band split, Sweden Music, the publisher of ABBA’s songs, was sold to PolyGram, with the expectation that the back catalogue would sell dependably but modestly.

The nineties saw the beginnings of a reversal of ABBA’s fortunes—commercially, with the enormous success of the 1992 greatest-hits compilation, “ABBA Gold,” but also in the arena of cool. That same year, U2 brought out Andersson and Ulvaeus for a sing-along rendition of “Dancing Queen”; the British synth-pop duo Erasure released an EP of ABBA covers; and Kurt Cobain improbably selected Björn Again, the tribute act, to appear alongside Nirvana at the Reading Festival. It was around this time that a number of English-language books about the band began to appear: first the scurrilous “ABBA: The Name of the Game,” bizarrely co-written by the former Rolling Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham, then a translation of Fältskog’s autobiography, then Carl Magnus Palm’s definitive biography, “Bright Lights, Dark Shadows: The Real Story of ABBA.” The flow of books has continued to this day, with fan memoirs, song-by-song breakdowns, and no fewer than two academic monographs on the song “Fernando.”

Into this crowded field steps Jan Gradvall’s “The Story of ABBA: Melancholy Undercover,” a book that does not, in fact, tell the story of ABBA. Gradvall forgoes the standard band-bio form and opts instead for a rangy study of the group’s origins and legacy. It is a wise choice, and not just because there isn’t much to add to Palm’s seven-hundred-page opus. A band composed of two couples who got divorced and then chronicled the fallout in their music (if more obliquely than, say, Fleetwood Mac) may seem like a piquant subject for a biography, but the group members’ consummate professionalism and fierce protectiveness of their private lives have made it hard to fit their story into any of our received genres. There is surprisingly little melodrama or tragedy to draw on: just four co-workers.

Gradvall, who has been on the ABBA beat for many years and has interviewed its members extensively over the past decade-plus, has realized that the most interesting thing about the band isn’t its story but its penumbra: the wider musical world that birthed it, and the one it will leave behind. His method is digressive and episodic. Vignettes about events such as the genesis of “Mamma Mia!” and capsule profiles of each member—Andersson the fountain of melodies, Ulvaeus the introspective searcher, Fältskog the reluctant star, Lyngstad the tragic child with a perfect voice—are interposed with bits of chatty musical sociology, all given a pleasant breeziness in Sarah Clyne Sundberg’s translation. We learn about raggare, Sweden’s distinctive rocker culture, and about dansbands, the typically horn-driven groups that play an eclectic mix of styles at open-air dances. Fältskog and Lyngstad both started their musical careers singing in dansbands; as Gradvall writes, ABBA would occasionally draw on this tradition, as in “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do,” with its metallic swarm of saxophones.

In the wake of the nineties revival, ABBA’s music has come to seem so universal—pure, uncut, lab-grade pop, purified of any particularizing influences—that it can be hard to remember that it originated in a particular milieu, and a marginal one at that. From the vantage of the early seventies, it seemed improbable that these four Swedes, with their guileless voices and sequinned stage outfits, could reach the highest level of the global pop empyrean. Sweden was not known as an exporter of music. Domestically, folksong and German-style schlager ballads dominated the charts well into the sixties, while rock and roll and R. & B. filtered in slowly, often through Britain. As in the U.K., the first Swedish groups to play a particular brand of American-style music often enjoyed success. Before ABBA, Andersson played keyboards in the Hep Stars, a garage-rock outfit whose signature song, “Cadillac,” was adapted from the Renegades’ version of Vince Taylor’s 1959 “Brand New Cadillac”—a game of musical telephone that transformed Taylor’s upbeat rock number into a brooding minor-key stomp. It was a smash in Sweden, but it didn’t exactly take over the world.

These kinds of lossy translations would become a secret source of power for ABBA. “Waterloo,” which gets its own chapter, sounds a bit like someone trying to draw rock and roll from memory after getting a partial glimpse of it. The peppy shuffle rhythm and the bright chords ground the verse in familiar territory, but Andersson’s martial piano flourishes on the minor chord in the pre-chorus briefly pull the song somewhere older and darker. With its Phil Spector-by-way-of-schlager sound and its winning E.S.L. lyrics—“My, my! / At Waterloo Napoleon did surrender / Oh, yeah! / And I have met my destiny in quite a similar way”—the song is a spirited exercise in trying on musical styles, even as a resigned ambivalence bubbles just below its surface. The quality that ABBA’s detractors criticized as inauthenticity was always something else: a playful theatricality, a delight in assuming roles and guises. ABBA albums are full of genre exercises—a chanson on “Ring Ring”; glam and prog-rock excursions on the mid-seventies records; a more sustained interest in disco toward the end of the decade; no shortage of tropical-flavored numbers like “Sitting in the Palmtree” and “Happy Hawaii.” Before they settled on a name and a group identity, the members briefly toured together in a cabaret-style variety act; this spirit is carried forward in their music.

From the start, ABBA’s ambition was to make genuinely global pop music. Stig Anderson, the band’s manager, explained that “Waterloo” came out of a desire to find a song title that would be universally intelligible to Eurovision’s viewers. (Other songs achieve universality by bypassing language in favor of pure sound: “Ring Ring,” “Bang-a-Boomerang,” “Dum Dum Diddle.”) The band decided to sing in English, the international language of pop, for much the same reason. The best chapter in “The Story of ABBA” contextualizes this choice. “The de facto lingua franca on Planet Earth today,” Gradvall writes, “is tourist English: English reduced to its bare essence, a stock cube containing the language’s most commonly used phrases. . . . Pop music was one of the first cultural expressions to harness the inherent potential of tourist English.” The book reconstructs the history of European pop sung in corrupted Englishes, from Adriano Celentano’s 1972 faux-English novelty hit “Prisencolinensinainciusol” to the micro-genre Gradvall terms “charter disco,” in which Euro artists made such tourist-English pronouncements as “Yes Sir, I Can Boogie” over the sorts of grooves a Swede was likely to hear on holiday in the Mediterranean. ABBA continued in this tradition, with what A. O. Scott has called “those lyrics in a language uncannily like English,” filled with stilted diction and curious malapropisms. In lines like “Money, money, money / Must be funny / In the rich man’s world,” meaning takes a back seat to prosody.

As Gradvall shows at length, music and happenstance worked together to make ABBA a global phenomenon. One is surprised to learn about the group’s popularity in the Communist world. The presence of Swedish aid workers in Vietnam after the war allowed ABBA’s music to spread throughout that country; “Happy New Year” is now a ubiquitous feature of Tết, the Lunar New Year festival. A promotional visit to Poland “led the . . . communist regime to spend the entire 1976 budget for Western pop music on pressing one single album edition: 800,000 copies of Arrival,” ABBA’s hit record that year. Meanwhile, in rightward-drifting Australia, a tenth-anniversary celebration of the 1977 “ABBAmania” moment led to gay bars hosting regular ABBA nights; at the same time, New York d.j.s were remixing songs such as “Lay All Your Love on Me.” Gradvall identifies these parallel developments in global queer night life as the germ of the nineteen-nineties revival. The over-all impression is of a band simultaneously subcultural, taken up in marginal scenes, and supercultural, soundtracking life on both sides of the Iron Curtain. Later, as the way opened, Swedish producers and artists, from Denniz Pop to Max Martin, would follow, bringing glossy, meticulous pop to the global marketplace.

An overlooked element of ABBA’s genius is its skill in making music not just for export but for perennial reactivation. Part of this comes down to the songs, with their alchemical fusion of pathos and infectiousness. “S.O.S.” is a plea to a distant lover in the form of a cathartic dance party; “Dancing Queen” is both a good-time anthem and a dispatch from the lost world of late childhood, glowing with borrowed warmth from a bygone “time of your life.” Perhaps this built-in quality of displacement is what gives ABBA its uncanny effectiveness at long range, across space and time. In the nineteen-seventies, faced with tremendous demand and insufficient time or will for a world tour, the band worked with the film director Lasse Hallström to produce simple promotional clips for their songs—proto-music videos that would keep audiences happy and engaged in countries where they would not be performing. “Mamma Mia!” has functioned in much the same way.

“The Story of ABBA” describes the latest of these innovations: “ABBA Voyage,” a mixed-reality live show, playing regularly in London since 2022, that conjures holographic avatars of the group’s members to sing their greatest hits. The bandmates, now in their seventies and eighties, tell Gradvall how they put on “space suits and helmets”—motion-capture equipment—to sing and mime their routines from the seventies. It would be easy to dismiss this as self-karaoke. But, in Gradvall’s telling, we can see it as proof that ABBA has managed to construct a pop-music perpetual-motion machine. One suspects that it will continue to broadcast its delicious, ambivalent songs in one form or another, for as long as there are human ears to listen.

[nerdy-the-artist]

Space Pirate Design Ranking

The Metroid series has a boatload of different designs, completely changing between every game except the 2D iterations. Some think it’s simple design inconsistency, others think that they’re different genetic manipulations of the same species, while others (including myself) are of the opinion that the Space Pirates are a collective made up of various species. Today, I’ll be ranking these designs based on what they convey and, simply, what I think is cool and aesthetically pleasing. For the sake of simplicity, I’ll only be ranking the standard Space Pirate variant of each game, the “core enemy type” if you will. And yes, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond is here, though its place in the ranking is subject to change as we get more closer looks.

7. Metroid Prime 2 Echoes

Some people may consider this a sin to put so low on the list but, to me, this really just doesn’t fit the whole vibe of the Space Pirates, especially in the Prime series. In the Metroid Prime saga, the Space Pirates are an authoritarian empire who recklessly abuse technological advancement for the sake of domination. This just… doesn’t say that. It’s a good design, don’t get me wrong, but this really looks like some weird skeleton knight. I could see this crawling out of some crypt to seek vengeance, not descending from a space ship to plunder. For that reason, I gotta put this guy in last place.

6th place: Metroid Prime Federation Force

For many of the problems Metroid Prime 2’s design has, I think Federation Force remedies… and then makes the opposite mistakes. Federation Force’s Space Pirate design is, canonically, around the same height as Metroid Prime’s Omega Pirate. Why make mechs for your game if you’re just gonna scale the enemies up anyway is anyone’s guess. With that in mind, I kinda like this as a heavy unit for the Space Pirates, but the center of this design just is a bit hard to look at. I love the limbs and the inclusion of the iconic Prime Pirate energy blade. There’s a mix of fleshy joints and tough, metal plating that I enjoy, I actually like the bright red eyes as well, especially for a heavy unit. But the carapace around it just feels… it’s kinda hard to look at. That mouth, as well, is just a bit too buggy and lacks expressiveness. Really, that’s my edict on this thing. Good extremities, but lacks expression and is generally tough to look at. Still, I imagine someone could retool/retexture this thing to be a real banger of a design.

5th place: Metroid Other M

From here on, these designs are ones I truly like as Space Pirates. Metroid Other M’s Space Pirate design was a tough one to find a good image of. This was about the best one I could find in a cursory search. As far as official designs go, I think this is the best translation of the iconic Zebesian Space Pirate to 3D we’ve ever gotten. There was a small effort made in Prime 2 to bring the claws back, but here there are on full display and they look great. The whole design is, honestly, fantastic. You can see the smooth bands around the limbs and torso, downward pointed jaw, and the big, smooth, blank eyes of the old sprite. The spines on the back and head really add some personal flare to these guys as well, and the whole design has a delightfully cheesy color scheme that I simply adore. I think the series has designs that evoke certain feelings and themes better, but this is certainly a fun looking guy.

4th place: Metroid Prime 3 Corruption

Unlike every other type but the Zebesians, the Space Pirates of Corruption have a distinct name based on the Homeworld we explore, Urtraghians. There is a distinctly pseudo organic bend to these guys, with the textures on the armor plating feeling almost Xenomorphic. However, where I think this design stands out is, of course, the head. The long, pointed teeth clearly visible under the rows of eyes really makes this eel-like head intimidating. You can really imagine the Urtraghians descending from their ships in a city, gunning down innocents and plundering whatever they choose. These animalistic terrors will smell where you’re hiding and drag you out kicking and screaming. It really fits the Space Pirates’ role in the story. From day one, they really have just been a bogeyman for the Federation. We rarely actually see them doing… ya know… pirating. The rampant technological obsession was a concept introduced by the Prime trilogy. As a design for the Bogeyman of the Galaxy, I think the Urtraghians work great.

3. Metroid Prime 4 Beyond

Haha, 3 is for 4 and 4 is for 3. This will be subject to change and many people might not rank them until we get clearer images, but uh… I’m doin it. Beyond’s pirates have a very buggy design, but in a way that’s parallel, not identical, to the Zebesian designs from the 2d games. Their mouth is split into mandibles, they have a hard carapace, and their movements can be jittery and unsettling. The large size of them compared to the Federation personnel seen in the trailer really evokes power and control. Their armor has outward pointed edges and defined pectorals. These are conquerors, proud, undefeatable warriors. The sparseness of it also evokes a sense of confidence, as if they don’t need a full covering when their hardened shell is so superior to weak flesh. It’s almost ornamental in a way. (Though someone should remind them they lost in every previous fight against Samus). Their mandibular maws, hunched backs, double thumbed hands, and digitigrade stance (standing on their toes with their heels off the ground) also evokes a certain other core enemy type in a sci fi shooter.

I’m going to leave it here for now as I have some other stuff to get to at the moment and I Forgor the image limit on Tumblr posts. I’ll get the ranking for the final (first?) two designs by the end of today. Then, I might make a post about what roles I’d fit these different species into for my own storytelling purposes.

[alys0r]

A small analysis of the Moonvale characters.

I must say right away that the characters from Moonvale seem to me more realistic and lively, even despite the disgusting avatars with artificial intelligence. These are clearly more or less the same types of characters from Duskwood, but somewhat modified. Initially, I thought that I would be extremely disappointed if everything in Moonvale was exactly the same as in the previous Everbyte game, but no. It seems that everything repeats itself, but it repeats extremely well. This is not a copy, but a parallel. Moreover, there are still differences. But about everything in order.

ADAM

Our missing waif. And yet we interact with him directly. We're connected somehow, and it's not just about the envelope with our name on it. Was Adam on his way to give us the envelope? I doubt it very much, considering that the main character is obviously not privy to this. Is it all related to Duskwood? I'm pretty sure I'm not, and if I am, it's obviously not with Hannah. To be honest, I haven't looked at the theory of this game yet, and I don't know if anyone has voiced such a thought, but the cave is clearly similar to the mine where Jake and Richie were. Especially considering that, as Jake said, if I'm not mistaken, the mine stretches for many kilometers, and the actions of the current game take place not so far from Duskwood. Soooooo, returning to Adam, this whole situation with him is clearly very different from the situation with Hannah, which is good news. I can't get a good look at Adam himself, given that there is no clear information about him

ERIC

Eric is probably one of my favorites (apart from Jake, of course, heh) among all those created by Everbyte. He is a lively and interesting character. Of all the people I'm dealing with today, it's the hardest for me to compare Eric to anyone in particular. Maybe with Thomas, because it's the first time we've talked to him, but that's all. Eric clearly has some kind of sin in the past, as can be understood from his correspondence with Ash, and it seems to me that this will play an important role in the plot (it is not surprising that such attention is paid to this). He is completely calm even in a tense situation and knows how to think clearly enough. The fact that he went into the forest alone, strangely, is still explained by the fact that he is well-versed in the wild. Eric is proactive, but he still thinks first and then acts, thanks to him for that (although this may change in the next chapters). And, apart from Adam, this is the only character whose face we've seen. Separately, I want to note that the idea that Eric could have done something bad on the night of the Festival (given that people from nearby cities come to Duskwood during the festival) is quite interesting.

ASH

Lily, with her combative nature, is clearly visible here. But Ash is clearly more sarcastic. And she doesn't throw accusations right and left, preferring to find out at least something first (but not personal data (I still love Lily)). Unfortunately, it is difficult to say anything else about this, given that this is only the first chapter. But Ash is already making a positive impression.

CHARLIE

Richie is No. 2, but not the kidnapper. Charlie seems to be much more free and open than Richie, but we all know why Richie himself couldn't be like that. Charlie is clearly more active and impressionable. One of those people who can't sit still and like to get involved in something. And unlike Eric, he acts first. It still seems to me that something unpleasant will be revealed about Charlie (although perhaps this applies to everyone in general). But he is a very nice person.

VIOLET

It reminds me of Jesse, but it's hard to say for sure yet. I think, like Jesse, he will play a big role specifically for the main character.

ANONYMOUS

I think, like me, you also thought at first that it was Jake. I'm not going to build theories about personality yet, but chel clearly knows us as well as Adam. Whether he will play the same role as Jake is difficult to say. (It will certainly be very funny if they also make him a romantic interest, deciding to stupidly copy Jake….)

That's all for now. I'm wondering which of the Duskwood characters will still make themselves felt (except Jake, I think he will obviously still show up). Maybe it will be Allan. Although it seems to me that in any case it will be someone little expected by us. And maybe I will have correspondence with the main guys of Duskwood, but literally something one-time.

I'm sorry for the mistakes, I don't know English very well and I use a translator

[sergeifyodorov]

Any interest in grading everyone’s first day of free agency? Would love to hear your thoughts!!

ooh okay ! well as tuned in as i am i didn't catch everything so this is going to be pretty incomplete/fairly uninformed but here's my attempt:

boston bruins: that zadorov contract LOL AND LMAO (i say as if hes not going to immediately skyrocket to excellence.) that lindholm contract might be even worse with the same caveat. A+ for me, a hater

buffalo sabres: what did they even do? C.

detroit red wings: kane is a bad move + jack campbell is fine at that contract + cam talbot is the epitome of "goalies? what's up with goalies?" + why do they have 4 goalies now. C-

florida panthers: lost montour, lost oel, lost lomberg. that reinhart contract is really good though. C+

montreal canadiens: if slaf continues on his upward trajectory that contract looks great; if he doesn't, they're already bad so it doesn't matter all that much. B

ottawa senators: what did they even do? get noah gregor? i hear he's very fast. C.

tampa bay lightning: where do i even start with this one

toronto maple leafs: the problem w/ all of the leafs' acquisitions is that they are Fine, some of them even Good, but they're just overpaid enough for me to not only get annoyed about it but also see 30 ft of insufferably rancid discourse every time i open twitter. B+

carolina hurricanes: appear to have lost half the guys i remember being on their roster, but the one dude they did end up signing was one of the small handful of good deals i saw handed out today. C

columbus blue jackets: this team's quality does not matter. you know what does matter? gaudreau/monahan reunion. A

new jersey devils: brett pesce's good. B+

new york islanders: anthony duclair's good but i mourn what lou lamoriello will make him do with his hair. C+

new york rangers: what did they even do. C.

philadelphia flyers: MATVEI MICHKOV IS COMING. TELL YOUR FRIENDS, TELL YOUR ENEMIES, TELL TRAVIS KONECNY, TELL EVERYONE!!! A

pittsburgh penguins: incredibly committed to the bit of only signing players over 30 and they don't have poj back yet. C

washington capitals: genuine home runs in here. chychrun... pld... matt roy... didn't even give out valuable picks to acquire these assets! A

chicago blackhawks: i think they're trying to crawl out of this rebuild with no other serious potential core members other than bedard, which don't get me wrong is a bad move, but i also think they're not doing a terrible job of crawling out of the rebuild. B

colorado avalanche: kept jo drouin. C+

dallas stars: lyubushkin is incredibly bad and they gave him 3.25 aav. and casey desmith is there. F

minnesota wild: extended one of the sexiest toothless men on earth jake middleton. A

nashville predators: A+

st louis blues: what did they even do. C

utah hockey club: that durzi price is a bit steep but hey, if you've never had the money before i guess you might as well spend it. also sergachev was a BALLSY move i will miss you my cunty mistress. also we (the nhl) have a fucking iginla again... for our health. we need an iginla. B-

winnipeg jets: what did they even do. C

anaheim ducks: what did they even do. C

calgary flames: sharangovich extension + anthony mantha. tidy bit of business. zayne parekh YOU are the 2025 calder trophy winner. C+

edmonton oilers: managed to get a couple good players on nice cheap contracts, improved their rush game even more somehow, and will have to re-print their goalie's jerseys because they now have two different guys named skinner. A

la kings: gave joel edmundson nearly 4 million dollars a year. D

seattle kraken: stole brandon montour from florida. B+

san jose sharks: unlike the hawks, seem to be actively prepared to break out of the rebuild and trying to do it. toffoli? great! wennberg? a little overpaid but they're trying to hit the cap floor at this point so it's quite good! rumours of pavs return to san jose but you didn't hear it from me. B+

vancouver canucks: jake debrusk is gonna be a good linemate for petey imho. the hronek and myers contracts were a little rich but honestly they seem to be a lot more coherent ideologically than they were just a couple years ago. B

vegas golden knights: basically lost every remaining original misfit/otherwise quality forward in an effort to keep marchessault, and then lost marchessault anyway to the Power Of Divorce. and now they have ilya samsonov as their starting goaltender. F

[demifiendrsa]

Ghost of Yōtei - The Onryō’s List

Japanese version

Ghost of Yotei will launch for PlayStation 5 on October 2, 2025. Pre-orders will open on May 2, 2025.

Stills

Latest details

The Onryo’s List

Alongside today’s news, we’ve also released our latest trailer for Ghost of Yotei, “The Onryo’s List.” Sixteen years ago in the heart of Ezo (called Hokkaido in present day), a gang of outlaws known as the Yotei Six took everything from Atsu. They killed her family and left her for dead, pinned to a burning ginkgo tree outside her home. But Atsu survived. She learned to fight, to kill, and to hunt, and after years away she has returned to her home with a list of six names: The Snake, The Oni, The Kitsune, The Spider, The Dragon, and Lord Saito.

One by one, she’s hunting them down to avenge her family, armed with the same katana used to pin her to that burning tree all those years ago. But while Atsu’s story begins with vengeance, she’ll find there’s more to her journey than just revenge. As she explores Ezo, Atsu will meet unlikely allies and forge connections that help give her a new sense of purpose.

We hope the brief looks in today’s trailer give you a taste of what you can expect from Ghost of Yotei. Beyond your first look at the Yotei Six, you’ll spot some of the gorgeous scenery of Ezo as well as a handful of Atsu’s new weapons, a few of her allies, and even a new gameplay mechanic that will allow you to glimpse Atsu’s past and understand everything that was taken from her.

But we’ve only scratched the surface. In Ghost of Yotei, we’ve built upon and evolved the way you explore the open world, offering even more freedom and variety than in Ghost of Tsushima. You’ll choose which leads to follow as you pick which Yotei Six member you want to hunt down first. Atsu can also track other dangerous targets and claim bounties, or seek out weapon sensei to learn new skills. Ezo is wild, and as deadly as it is beautiful. As you trek across the open world you’ll find unexpected dangers and peaceful reprieves (including some returning activities from Tsushima), and you’ll be able to build a campfire anywhere in the open world for a rest under the stars. We want you to have the freedom to explore Ezo however you decide to, and we can’t wait to share more.

Pre-Orders

Today we can also reveal that pre-orders for Ghost of Yotei begin next week, on May 2 at 10:00 a.m. in your local time zone (10:00 a.m. ET for those in the United States), and you’ll be able to choose between multiple different editions, including our amazing Collector’s Edition.

First, if you pre-order any edition of Ghost of Yotei you’ll receive a unique in-game mask, as well as a set of seven PlayStation Network avatars featuring concept art of Atsu and each member of the Yotei Six at launch. Pre-orders on PlayStation Store will receive the avatars immediately.

Standard Edition

The standard edition of Ghost of Yotei will be $69.99 USD / £69.99 / €79.99 / ¥8,980 MSRP and will be available at retail or at PlayStation Store.

Digital Deluxe Edition

At PlayStation Store, you’ll also be able to pre-order the Ghost of Yotei Digital Deluxe Edition for $79.99 / £79.99 / €89.99 / ¥9,980 MSRP.

The Digital Deluxe Edition includes a digital copy of Ghost of Yotei plus in-game bonuses including The Snake’s armor set, as well as an alternate dye for your starting armor. You’ll also receive a unique horse color and unique saddle dye, plus an in-game Charm, gold Sword Kit, and an early unlock of Traveler’s Maps, which allow you to find statues throughout the world to upgrade your skills.

Collector’s Edition

Finally, we are thrilled to reveal the Ghost of Yotei Collector’s Edition, which will be available for pre-order at PlayStation Direct in parts of the world where it is available, or at select retailers in other regions. Collector’s Edition pricing will be announced at a later date.

This packed edition includes all of the pre-order bonuses, all in-game items from the Digital Deluxe Edition, and a digital copy of the game, as well as a replica display edition of Atsu’s Ghost mask. The mask is built to-scale with Jin’s mask from our Ghost of Tsushima Collector’s Edition. If you have both, they look great next to each other on a shelf! The mask measures 6.8 x 5 x 5.9 inches and is made of resin, plus includes its own display stand.

Also included is a replica of Atsu’s sash, complete with the names of all six members of the Yotei Six (but you’ll have to cross them off yourself). The sash measures 71 inches long and is made of a cotton blend, a perfect cosplay accessory or wall decoration.

There’s also a replica of the Tsuba from Atsu’s katana, forged by her father in the image of two twin wolves. This Tsuba measures roughly 3 x 3 inches and also includes its own display stand.

In addition to all of the above, the Ghost of Yotei Collector’s Edition also includes a pouch of coins and instructions to play Zeni Hajiki, a game of skill you’ll play throughout Ghost of Yotei. There’s also a foldable papercraft ginkgo tree along with a wolf at its base, and a set of four 5 x 7-inch art cards featuring the sash, the wolf, Atsu’s Ghost mask, and our key art.

[satoshi-mochida]

Ghost of Yotei launches October 2 - Gematsu

Ghost of Yotei will launch for PlayStation 5 on October 2, publisher Sony Interactive Entertainment and developer Sucker Punch Productions announced. Pre-orders will open on May 2.

Here are the latest details:

The Onryo’s List

Alongside today’s news, we’ve also released our latest trailer for Ghost of Yotei, “The Onryo’s List.” Sixteen years ago in the heart of Ezo (called Hokkaido in present day), a gang of outlaws known as the Yotei Six took everything from Atsu. They killed her family and left her for dead, pinned to a burning ginkgo tree outside her home. But Atsu survived. She learned to fight, to kill, and to hunt, and after years away she has returned to her home with a list of six names: The Snake, The Oni, The Kitsune, The Spider, The Dragon, and Lord Saito. One by one, she’s hunting them down to avenge her family, armed with the same katana used to pin her to that burning tree all those years ago. But while Atsu’s story begins with vengeance, she’ll find there’s more to her journey than just revenge. As she explores Ezo, Atsu will meet unlikely allies and forge connections that help give her a new sense of purpose. We hope the brief looks in today’s trailer give you a taste of what you can expect from Ghost of Yotei. Beyond your first look at the Yotei Six, you’ll spot some of the gorgeous scenery of Ezo as well as a handful of Atsu’s new weapons, a few of her allies, and even a new gameplay mechanic that will allow you to glimpse Atsu’s past and understand everything that was taken from her. But we’ve only scratched the surface. In Ghost of Yotei, we’ve built upon and evolved the way you explore the open world, offering even more freedom and variety than in Ghost of Tsushima. You’ll choose which leads to follow as you pick which Yotei Six member you want to hunt down first. Atsu can also track other dangerous targets and claim bounties, or seek out weapon sensei to learn new skills. Ezo is wild, and as deadly as it is beautiful. As you trek across the open world you’ll find unexpected dangers and peaceful reprieves (including some returning activities from Tsushima), and you’ll be able to build a campfire anywhere in the open world for a rest under the stars. We want you to have the freedom to explore Ezo however you decide to, and we can’t wait to share more.

Pre-Orders

Today we can also reveal that pre-orders for Ghost of Yotei begin next week, on May 2 at 10:00 a.m. in your local time zone (10:00 a.m. ET for those in the United States), and you’ll be able to choose between multiple different editions, including our amazing Collector’s Edition. First, if you pre-order any edition of Ghost of Yotei you’ll receive a unique in-game mask, as well as a set of seven PlayStation Network avatars featuring concept art of Atsu and each member of the Yotei Six at launch. Pre-orders on PlayStation Store will receive the avatars immediately.

Standard Edition

The standard edition of Ghost of Yotei will be $69.99 USD / £69.99 / €79.99 / ¥8,980 MSRP and will be available at retail or at PlayStation Store.

Digital Deluxe Edition

At PlayStation Store, you’ll also be able to pre-order the Ghost of Yotei Digital Deluxe Edition for $79.99 / £79.99 / €89.99 / ¥9,980 MSRP. The Digital Deluxe Edition includes a digital copy of Ghost of Yotei plus in-game bonuses including The Snake’s armor set, as well as an alternate dye for your starting armor. You’ll also receive a unique horse color and unique saddle dye, plus an in-game Charm, gold Sword Kit, and an early unlock of Traveler’s Maps, which allow you to find statues throughout the world to upgrade your skills.

Collector’s Edition

Finally, we are thrilled to reveal the Ghost of Yotei Collector’s Edition, which will be available for pre-order at PlayStation Direct in parts of the world where it is available, or at select retailers in other regions. Collector’s Edition pricing will be announced at a later date. This packed edition includes all of the pre-order bonuses, all in-game items from the Digital Deluxe Edition, and a digital copy of the game, as well as a replica display edition of Atsu’s Ghost mask. The mask is built to-scale with Jin’s mask from our Ghost of Tsushima Collector’s Edition. If you have both, they look great next to each other on a shelf! The mask measures 6.8 x 5 x 5.9 inches and is made of resin, plus includes its own display stand. Also included is a replica of Atsu’s sash, complete with the names of all six members of the Yotei Six (but you’ll have to cross them off yourself). The sash measures 71 inches long and is made of a cotton blend, a perfect cosplay accessory or wall decoration. There’s also a replica of the Tsuba from Atsu’s katana, forged by her father in the image of two twin wolves. This Tsuba measures roughly 3 x 3 inches and also includes its own display stand. In addition to all of the above, the Ghost of Yotei Collector’s Edition also includes a pouch of coins and instructions to play Zeni Hajiki, a game of skill you’ll play throughout Ghost of Yotei. There’s also a foldable papercraft ginkgo tree along with a wolf at its base, and a set of four 5 x 7-inch art cards featuring the sash, the wolf, Atsu’s Ghost mask, and our key art.

Watch a new trailer below. View a new set of screenshots at the gallery.

The Onryo’s List Trailer

English

Japanese

[karenblacksocial]

The Best AI-Powered Platforms for Creators on TikTok

TikTok has evolved from a social media app to a world stage for creators, influencers, and brands. Viewers have countless videos to consume on the daily and standing out takes more than good luck; it requires a strategy, timing strategy, the proper tools, and a little finesse. 

In this ever growing list of tools, several AI powered platforms are making strides to empower TikTok creators with access to data analytics and even smarter ways to access growth versus before. There are many options to choose from, but one platform is growing as the go for those that are determined to make organic, sustainable growth happen.

Let’s take a closer look at some of the best platforms available today—and why cloutify.ai deserves a top spot on your radar.

Cloutify: The Smartest Tool for Organic TikTok Growth

Cloutify was designed for creators who want authentic engagement and not just artificially inflated numbers. Cloutify positions itself as a platform that prioritizes placing content in front of people - instead of paying for bots or ads. Cloutify is built on sophisticated target audience placement, timing, and accountability to support natural and consistent growth.  

When you connect to your Cloutify account, the platform analyzes the reach and engagement history of your content, and then actively works behind the scenes - enhancing visibility, presenting your videos to users who are more likely to engage—as a deliberate, creator-first approach to TikTok growth.

Unlike tools that try to game the algorithm, Cloutify focuses on working with it. You don’t need to change your content style or chase trends—you just get more reach, more consistency, and more relevant viewers.

TrendTok Analytics: Useful for Staying Ahead of Trends

Another popular AI-powered platform for TikTok creators is TrendTok. It tracks viral sounds, hashtags, and topic trends, giving creators a competitive edge when it comes to content timing.

While it doesn’t offer growth support in the same way Cloutify does, TrendTok is a great research tool. It’s especially helpful for creators who want to ride the wave of what's trending and produce content that's more likely to catch fire quickly.

Pairing TrendTok’s trend data with Cloutify’s targeting and timing insights can help creators plan more strategically without losing authenticity.

Exolyt: Data-Rich TikTok Analytics for Power Users

Exolyt is another name that often comes up among TikTok professionals. It offers deep analytics on profile performance, post history, and engagement metrics. You can monitor follower spikes, see average views per post, and track competitor growth.

Where it shines is in detailed reporting. Brands and agencies managing multiple creators will appreciate the dashboard-style interface. However, it lacks Cloutify’s focus on actionability and AI-assisted audience reach.

Think of Exolyt as a performance mirror—it shows you where you are. Cloutify, by contrast, helps you get where you want to go.

Hypefury – Scheduling and Repurposing Across Platforms

Originally built for X (formerly Twitter), Hypefury has recently introduced scheduling features for TikTok. It’s a solid choice for creators who publish content across multiple platforms and want to keep their posting consistent.

Hypefury supports repurposing content for different formats and time zones, which can be helpful if your audience is spread globally. However, it doesn't offer TikTok-specific AI targeting or audience matching. It’s more of a time-saver than a growth engine.

Creators looking for efficiency may find Hypefury helpful as a companion tool—but for actual audience building on TikTok, Cloutify still takes the lead.

Why Cloutify Is the Standout for Organic TikTok Growth

Each platform on this list brings value in its own way. However, for growing an audience—especially an audience that cares about your content—Cloutify is unparalleled.

Their easy interface, transparently clear results and completely hands off automation are perfect for creators that don't want a micromanager for their growth. Cloutify is best for you if you are either a creator in the early stages trying to get an audience for the first time, or if you're a seasoned TikToker just trying to get more visibility without compromising your voice.

The best part? You never have to compromise your authenticity. Cloutify amplifies what’s already working and helps it go further—organically, sustainably, and ethically.

The Role of AI in Understanding TikTok’s Algorithm

TikTok’s algorithm is famously opaque, but one thing is clear: it favors relevance and retention. That’s why using AI tools isn’t just helpful—it’s increasingly essential.

Cloutify's approach aligns directly with how the algorithm works. It surfaces your content to people who are already engaging with similar creators, which boosts watch time and interaction rates organically. Over time, this improves your chances of landing on the For You page without needing to "go viral" in one big spike.

In a space that changes as fast as TikTok, having AI that keeps up—and adapts in real time—gives creators a serious advantage.

Smart Growth Comes From Smart Tools

Growing on TikTok today means more than just knowing what to post—it means knowing how to post, when to post, and who to reach. AI-powered platforms make that process clearer, faster, and more effective.

Tools like TrendTok, Exolyt, and Hypefury each solve specific pieces of the puzzle—from trend discovery to analytics and scheduling. But when it comes to organic audience growth, Cloutify brings everything together: targeting, timing, optimization, and performance tracking, all in one user-friendly platform.

It’s not just a tool. It’s a growth partner. And in a crowded creator economy, that kind of strategic edge is exactly what makes a difference—not just in reach, but in real, lasting connection.

If you're building your presence on TikTok and want growth that feels natural and aligned with your brand, Cloutify is where to start—and where you’ll likely stay.

[lunarsilkscreen]

Alienation and Schizoaffectivedisorder (and Fame)

Think of anyone conspiracy theorist you know that constantly complains about the "conspiracy against them."

It looks crazy right? Why would anybody be attacking them at such a large scale. Why would anyone focus so many resources on an individual?

Take this example; someassbutt with more money than sense keeps taking out fiver orders around a "Targets" Location, or common locations.

Literally conspiring against them. Super Troll style. Why would they bully a person in such a way; and would the people taking fiver orders... Know?

Conspiracy is real; and Trolls even more so. Maybe they don't like the person, maybe they do, maybe they don't even know the person.

Let's take a few steps back though.

One could say that I have an avoidant personality disorder. What does that mean in context?

It means I do not have the tools, or at least; not the experience to use them in social situations IRL. There are many reasons for this. One could blame the teachers or the parents or bullies... Creating a pavlovian aversion to people.

I've complained about [The Haters] before. Sometimes [The Haters] are even [stans]{fanatics}.

Frequently I'm told nobody that likes you is a [The Haters] and nobody that hates you is a [the stans]. Sometimes they're one and the same.

If everyone has a generally positive vibe around you; they may start getting jealous of you for placing your attention elsewhere. They may start getting jealous of each other for your attention.

In my life, IRL, plenty have said they thought I was a good person; While supporting bills that embody Queer-Erasure--The Stans.

"Nobody hates me, No friend can be a fanatic."

They sure can.

And apparently I still hold several world records across various games and [Melin Shoot], before all *this* was a household name.

And nobody thought to tell me this. Just kind of assuming I kept track of what everybody else doing.

Jesus fucking Christ. Talk about work and personal life separation. If only the two worlds could've met; I wouldn't still be outside.

The problem with people like me; is that trolls happen, and they don't always mean harm. They just think you're in on the joke.

But you're not in on the joke, you're not aware of your Fame or how others perceive you except on a personal level.

"Dangerous things happen around Melin, and I'm not about that life *today*."

My whole life; the rules were different for *me*. It's hard to quantify; but you know those stereotypical social rules and sometimes gender roles?

It seems that I frequently was held to different standards than your average person. Why is that?

Agreeable, Likeable, and one of the "Good Ones" *I guess*.

In online gaming that wasn't always the case. I could control others perception of me, and it was commonplace you didn't know the gender or sex of the player behind other characters.

And then. Melin got famous... That's what I get for using the same name everywhere I suppose. I wonder what that means about Macro-Socio-Economictrends around me *specifically*.

What does that do to your personality?

You're fearful. Anxious. Worried that your work-life is going to blend into your personal life. Unlike other famous people, however, my personal life was where the fame lay.

I know this; because a few of my closest friends are online friends, and they explained to me; "we didn't tell anyone we were famous. It's not like it was a secret, it's just that we didn't want our various lives to bleed through."

And they became afraid of Melin specifically because weird shit happens around Melin...

Like Melin being Famous to Famous people. And because of the online associations and My rise to fame... Those famous friends got extremely afraid of being around *me*.

They thought their Fame was bleeding into their characters.... But it was my fame creating an atmosphere of oppression among those I associated with.

Isn't that funny?

Especially when I referenced YouTubers and quotes that they were directly responsible for; whenever they'd get on headset.

Like some sort of Psychopath Stalker.

Y'all wonder why I say that I don't have any friends... This is why. I can't have them.

I can't be friends with anybody. Too much social capital, too much influence, too many people getting jealous of me and scared for their own careers.

And, that even affected my work supervisors.

Imagine that.

As an enlisted airmen I remember being nervous around those higher rank than I. Imagine coming out at work that *you're* *the* [Melin Shoot]...

Imagine *your* supervisors being nervous around *you*. Subsequently, stepping on toes, and triggering everybody else because [Melin's a renegade that can't be stopped!]

I'm REALLY tired of this Lore dump.

This life is so tediously boring.

I can't even go do the things that I like, that I used to use to blow off all this stress. Because it all bleeds together now.

A friend invited me to their discord channel one... No. A handful of different IRL friends invited me to their discord channels. They always have similar reactions.

Quiet Deference.

One IRL friend... They heard Melin was famous when one of *their* friends talked fervently about *do you know who that is!?*

The person you were talking about didn't even know who that was.

But I remember meeting a few pseudo-famous musicians one time and talking about how I very much enjoyed their work and then the whole table got stupidly quiet.

So I know the feeling from both sides now.

Avoidant Personality Disorder avoids dangerous situations.

Fame may seem like a conspiracy.

Because it is one.

Those with lots of social responsibility or social currency find themselves alienated. Even from those who claim to be friends and turn out to be [fanatics] who thought you were gonna make a bazillion dollars over night and let them ride your coattails into the sunset.

The reason why my wife and I could communicate wordlessly is because we both understood this particular nuance of life.

I was not famous in the most exact sense of the word. Yet I was. All the same. A symbol, or maybe a villain in some people's stories; bullied by the masses and having to follow much stricter rules than even those military co-workers.

And I still couldn't make it through. And I wanted to. I really did.

Yet; I wonder what that means about the military as a whole, or various trends and systems and just... Van Gogh.

I cannot have friends, and now I cannot even just hang out in my games with my [my people].

I downloaded a random indie MMO with the thought of proving that I could learn about the community and add to my portfolio another thing that I've proved about the nature of sociology and social trends.

But I don't want to do anything. Borderline *can't* because I have to have a role-model mindset. And if I go play a game I want to play or stream, I might accidentally set a few more records and attract that attention to my Anonymity.

I literally cannot socialize with others *without* causing issues. And because of that; I may be charismatic, but there's a lot of interpersonal skills that I've never had the opportunity to practice.

Because it always leads to that same place where people don't *hate* me per se... They either don't understand me, or they get jealous, or they feel like they're being dragged along for the ride, or they have an expectation I can do something for them.

And it sucks that it's even among people with more fame than I.

Yeah I know. Why *should* you care about somebody who's *probably* set-up for several lifetimes. Not yet I'm not, only on paper.

Why do I write all this? Because the DSM-5 and 6 sucks.

What causes disorders such as these? Just being such a goddamn likeable personal pet.

This is just... So dumb.

I can't be alone, so I go-to places with anonymous people, where I can pretend to be a spy and hide my identity.

Do you know what it feels like to be recognized by people you don't know nor recognize?

Do you know what it feels like to just try to do regular things and people avoid you because they don't want to disappoint you?

It sucks that the people that want to join you are mostly opportunists, and the people you want to join have a nervous breakdown when they see your screen name in a chatroom.

And it really sucks; when your friends who don't understand all that *don't* understand why you have to set boundaries for *them*.

Why the fucking fuck do I get to experience all the downsides, and I don't even get to experience the rise to fame?

That growing crowd rockstars get.

...this sucks.

[vegan-kaktus]

Aaaah omg, thank you so much for your wonderful tutorial! You're a hero!

With your help, I (think?) I just managed to successfully default something for the first time (at least it looks alright in game), even though I had to do it slightly differently than you described.

In case it is helpful to someone else struggling with the same SimPE problem I had/have, I'll describe what caused my issue and how I (hopefully) worked around it:

Reading your tutorial reminded me that when I first tried to make object defaults (many months ago before I stopped again in frustration), I got into the habit of using the "Import" function in Plugin View instead of clicking directly one the GMDC file and selecting "Replace".

Why? Because every time I try to replace a mesh this way, SimPE throws me an "Invalid CRES: System.OutOfMemoryException" error. And then SimPE doesn't let me do anything anymore with the file.

When googling, I found a post by letomills on Tumblr (letomills.tumblr.com/post/749025761566015488/trying-out-simpe-07769-it-gives-me-the-same) describing the same issue.

I have tried literally every single fix suggested to them in the notes of their post (restarting, clearing cache, applying 4GB to SimPE exe, trying different versions of SimpE etc) and also the one leto finally found that fixed the issue (CCleaner).

I tried it all again today and NOTHING has worked to fix this cursed error for me. (Which weirdly enough only appears when I try to replace a mesh - unlike leto, I can replace textures with Build DXT just fine).

So in despair, I tried again with the "Import" function since it's my only option. This gives me a pop up window where I can select an action under "Group Settings" (Nothing, Replace, Add, Rename, Update). I selected "Replace" since that is what I wanted to do and clicked "OK".

But even though I clicked Replace instead of Add, I now had 4 groups instead of 2 (including the shadows). Going by your tutorial, I assumed that it wasn't supposed to be that way and deleted the two original groups and made sure the group names and everything were correct, like you said.

I tested the resulting file in game and it seems to have worked! Though maybe you can tell me if this is a legitimate alternative way of doing this or if I'm celebrating too early and there is an issue with this I'm not seeing?

But either way, thank you so much again, I really appreciate your help, you're amazing <3

Hello again anon! :-D

Your SimPE problem is very weird, I can get a similiar error whenever SimPE has been open for quite a bit and has opened too many files (I have the 4gb patch successfully patched), but then a simple restart fixes the problem for me. You mentioned that the 4gb patch didn't solve your issue, how much ram does your pc/laptop have? The 4gb patch is only useful if you have more than 4gb ram. If you have 4gb or less, maybe this could be worth a try? I only skimmed through it but they mentioned 2gb etc.

The import button is 100% an option and valid way to import meshes! That's how I added the penguin's hat in my default. Just remember to delete the original groups (like you mentioned you did), and all is good!! (I would personally click "add" and then remove the original groups, I don't trust any kind of "replace" option ahaha but that's just me lol). And no worries at all, I'm just happy I could be of some help!!

[ss-arcade-project]

Day One - Part One (Researching Arcade Games)

A new term, a new project.

This time, it's arcade games. I need to research them in order to learn about and extract key elements from them to understand what makes a successful arcade game, and to then utilise these in my own creation.

But first:

What makes an arcade game?

Is it the gameplay loop, the visual style, or the mechanics of the game? I'd say that it can be a factor of all three, with the visual style usually being 8-bit and the mechanics being limited to only 6 buttons, as that is usally all you'd have on an arcade machine. But more than anything, it's the gameplay loop.

You're not going to be playing a 100 hour long rpg on an arcade machine, it will be short and only give you about few minutes of playtime at the maximum.

I'll be checking out 5 arcade games today to see if they hold any similarities, be it with mechanics, art styles, any form of high score system and the replayability factor.

Digdug 2:

I know nothing about Digdug but it sounds like an interesting game to start with.

As to be expected from a game from the mid to late 80's, it has a very 8-bit art style When playing, I had completely forgotten about the fact that older games are stuck on a tile system, so moving around can feel quite janky when not used to it.

Playing again and I realised that I have a secondary attack, in which I can actually destroy the environment. Which is where I guess the 'Dig' part of the name comes in. Other than that, it was quite fun. While the game is limited to just a few colours, you can make out with ease what is going on and what you're looking at. Additionally, there is a great replayability factor. It isn't hard to get back to where you were before so you can try out different strategies and playstyles. For example, you can either flat out aim to eliminate the enemies, or you can destroy the landscape around you to get bonus points while also limiting the movement area for your player.

The gameplay loop in this game, when it comes to second by second in terms of what you're doing as a player is loading in and identifying the map, seeing which cracks in the ground have been pre-generated for you and working to complete these cracks in order to destroy the play area and eliminate any enemies to gain huge points. Minute by minute, your goal would be to simply progress as far as possible, taking it slowly so that you don't rush yourself into a quick death as your points are determined on the enemies you eliminate via either your main attack or destroying the ground. Additionally, a variety of fruit spawn on the ground which can be consumed to gain a small point bonus. Then long term, hour by hour, you'd most likely be working hard to try and beat any high scores that would be set on the game, or to try and beat your own personal best score. So if your furthest round is round 6, you may work to try get to 7 and beyond.

I'd say this was a great arcade game to start with, and I imagine most other arcade games will follow the same sort of replayability and art style, with different game mechanics of course.

Q*bert:

I also know nothing about Q*bert (This seems to be a familiar trend), but he was a main character in the 2015 film Pixels, starring Adam Sandler.

It seems to be a game in which you are tasked with changing all of the blue square tiles into yellow tiles by stepping onto them, while also avoiding enemies that move every second or so.

Again, it is quite difficult, especially when you aren't used to the movement controls with a game that is built in an isometric way.

Just beating level 1 took about 10 minutes of constant retrying. Absolutely not my type of game but at the same time, it is very addicting to get the hang of it and see how far you can get.

It is in a similar fashion to DigDug in the way that there is a lives system and a rounds system, though mechanically these games are very different, as there is no use of the A and B buttons within gameplay unlike with DigDug. I'm not too sure if DigDug introduces more enemies as you continue playing, but Q*bert does it immediately on the second 'round'.

Very different gameplay loop, with one requiring you to avoid enemies and the other requiring you to eliminate the enemies, and the points you gain being determined solely on if you beat the round or not. Second by second, I'd say you're constantly analysing the map, trying to see where to go in order to clear the level while also avoiding any enemies and their potential future paths. Then when it comes to minute by minute, it would still be a similar thing as you're never really trying to much else beside moving where there aren't enemies and heading towards any unexplored areas. And when you're thinking of it from an hour by hour perspective, it's a similar sort of thing to DigDug. Trying to either beat the high score set or getting to a further level than you've ever been before.

Pac-Man:

Finally, something familar to me.

I don't think I need to explain Pac-Man, but just incase you need a recap, your goal is collect all of the little pellets on the map while also avoiding the ghosts. However, if you collect one of the larger pellets, the ghosts become vulnerable for about 5 seconds, allowing you to eliminate them and send them back to their spawn, in which their vulnerability will then be removed.

Again, this is similar to both DigDug and Q*bert as they both involve enemies, with a way to gain points when they're eliminated like in DigDug, and the need to explore the entire level in order to win like with Q*bert.

And, like with the previous games, there is a similar style in terms of very limited colour usage and a similar gameplay loop of 'get further, get more points, die, repeat'

The gameplay loop in this game is very simple. Every second, you're analysing the level. Figuring out where to go, where you haven't been yet, where the enemies are. A constant game of cat and mouse (until you eat a big pellet, of course.) Minute by minute, you're aiming to complete the level, trying to grab those final few pellets in the most annoying areas of the level, running low on huge pellets. Then hour by hour, as it is with the other two games, you're aiming to either beat the high score on the game, be it your own or somebody elses, or trying to get past the highest level you've gotten to.

Paper Boy 2:

Here's an interesting one, seemingly very different from all the others I have covered so far.

Like all of the others, as I am not used to the gameplay, I am horrifically bad at this. However, from this game I can understand the premise based on the title alone. You are a paperboy and are tasked with riding around a neighbourhood, delivering papers to the correct customers.

Again, it is very similar to all the previous games covered in terms of the limited colours, high scores and enemies to avoid (yes, even in a paper boy game.) This makes it more similar to Pac-Man and Q*bert than DigDug as you are avoiding enemies as opposed to directly targeting them.

Now, when it comes to the gameplay loop. Second by second, you're trying to avoid the enemies, making sure you're throwing the newspapers at the correct times in order to score points. Minute by minute, you're aiming to get as far as possible. Hour by hour, as mentioned with everything else, you're trying to either get the highest score or beating your own personal best.

Frogger:

Finally, we're looking at another game I am somewhat familiar with.

This is quite fun, but that's probably because my brain associates this type of game with Crossy Road, a game that was absolutely based off of Frogger. The gameplay loop, as it was before for many others, is to avoid enemies and hazards and complete the level by achieving a task. Here, you have to get 5 frogs over a road of traffic and a fast moving river, in order to get them to the end. It is very fast pased, like with Paper Boy and Pac Man, though similarly to DigDug, you can take your time and plan out your route momentarily rather than going full throttle every single time. The way the game alleviates this, however, is through the usage of a timer that goes down, forcing the player to make quick decisions and not allowing them to take their time with their limited lives.

Second by second, you are looking at the map and figuring out where to go as well as the pathing of the moving cars, lilypads, and logs so you don't get hit. Minute by minute, you are working towards completing the level, making sure you're not running low on your timer while you slowly progress to get more frogs on the other side. Hour by hour, you are attempting, as always, to get further and beat any high scores whether it be your best or the best on that machine.

Frogger seems to be very difficult as, if you get abysmal luck, you can have times where the win point refuses to spawn in a feasible location that you can reach, but this is probably also done intentionally in order to make the player play as much as possible.