#v; beyond time and space [post-game]

[agentpinesmustdie]

The following is a test of Agency communication lines.

she spy on my liar till i rising pho-

[sgiandubh]

Gleberman's podcast, take 2: the video edition

I volunteered to take one for the team, again, this time watching (or trying to, at least) the video version of Gleberman's infamous podcast on Youtube (if you are a masochist, like me, feel free: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_md73Ws2O4&t=303s). You see, I was so intrigued by the OTT praise that I wanted to see the live reactions. To do so, I even watched it at a 0,25 reduced speed ratio, just to catch up those pesky, spontaneous facial expressions he couldn't possibly hide.

Let's start with what we all know: in 10 years, S is much, much better at hiding his game and almost proficient at mastering the poker face. But if you really pay attention (and I did), you might still notice some interesting things: after all, we aren't robots and we can't calibrate or control everything. So, here's my take on what I saw, with screencaps, and covering only the bits I quoted in my first post (https://www.tumblr.com/sgiandubh/733285180488450048/and-kia-ora-to-new-zealand-like-youve )- the rest was really beyond my patience and goodwill abilities, to be honest.

A word and a question on the staging of this podcast, before anything else. I am always paying great attention to the outfits of the people who participate, because I believe they are an integral part of the show itself. While Gleberman's was, to be honest, unacceptably sloppy, S was right on point the message he wanted to convey, with the short-sleeved (?) khaki shirt that spelled three things: Bachelor. Traveler/Explorer. Tropical Chic. As a side note, I wish he'd been dressed like that in the Nevis resort suite snippet: not the usual Peter Panesque/Marty McFly/boyz in da hood outfit. But hey, that's just me, what do I know, after all, maybe the boy really feels more relaxed in those. Brand-wise, however, I will never cease to drum up the urgent need to step up the outfit game and start aligning it with the real age.

The other thing that intrigued me is common to S and C: their love of cupboards and hallways when it comes to playing the show/not show game on podcasts 'from home'. Because they know we watch and because they know, by now, we are probably worse than the MI-6, we're left with... eh... nothing. He apparently found the perfect solution with that sort of a connecting space he is always showing us, lately. Seriously, though, who the hell places himself in front of an opening (sliding door?) to a bigger room, except when wanting to block both the view and any other interpretation? Heh. Things that make one go 🤔.

Anyways. Let's have a look at some reactions I have screencapped:

Gleberman: 'same sweetest person and like an amazing human being'.

Translation: I am pursing my lips and bracing myself for the rest of the #silly compliment. I can't possibly express how much this annoys and embarrasses the bejesus out of me. But hey, Monica, have at it and let's be done already with this circus.

Gleberman: '...and friend to talk to and I just love you.'

Translation: I close my eyes because I don't want to hear the OTT crap this woman is shamelessly peddling around. I cross my arms defensively, because this is the best I can do. I really pray internally she'd immediately stop it, somehow (though I am fully aware she won't and this is just the beginning). She definitely overstepped a red line and I don't want to be a part of it.

S: '.I think there's...there's a lot of smoke and mirrors, this is ALL fake.'

Translation: I am talking with my hands to make a point (and also to show off the damn rings - oh, Lord, let them talk about these to oblivion, on socials). I am also covering my face with a gesture evocative of a smoke curtain, because ultimately I feel the need to protect myself from the smiling entity on the other side of my screen and because, at the same time, I know exactly what I did here. Oops, I just unleashed another half-in-jest zeppelin, that people could pretzel exactly how they see fit. However, it's true: my public persona is a carefully curated lie. Peekaboo, underneath I know very well what my committed truth is.

S: ' I am the double'.

Translation: I am opening my arms and I am puffing out my chest. There, I've said it. Ha! I am in full defiant mode, now. I meant every single word I just said and damn the consequences.

I wish I'd had the patience to watch it all. But I think I've managed to analyze the most interesting part of it. Overall, there was quite a bit of stress involved on S's side (lots of chin grabbing, etc), the only one I was interested in. She was simply not worth my attention and I doubt she, unlike many other people in the media, 'knows stuff'. If anything, that only served to validate my first impressions.

And yes, always look for the presence of the teeny-tiny abnormal detail. Sometimes (not always) it can prove rewarding.

[turbulentscrawl]

Identity(V) Headcanons: Luca Balsa

Next up!

Again, I am new to the IDV fandom, and I have never played the game, so these headcanons are informed by my ongoing lore dives sourcing the wiki, japanese twitter responses, comics, stageplay, and more! Some of these may relate to or even contradict character backstory, and some of them are just pure vibes for me. If you like it, consider shooting a request ;)

-So to start, I personally headcanon that Luca initiated the fight that led to the electrical accident. He’s always been hot-headed and impulsive, especially in regard to the source of his pride. I don’t think he intended for the confrontation with Alva to end anywhere near the way it did, but I do think he felt a good shove or two were well-warranted when he found out "his" ideas were being stolen. It’s when Alva fought back a little too viciously that the accident happened—and it well and truly was an accident. Not that it matters much when the only survivor doesn’t remember the event at all.

-He has headaches regularly, and terrible migraines at least once a week. He’s yet to find a way to relieve the migraines and, even worse, they are typically followed by an episode of more intense amnesia. Under normal circumstances, Luca’s memory problems are manageable. He doesn’t remember the accident, and there are massive blackouts in the memories beyond it, but on the average day he only struggles with small details of more recent events. During these post-migraine episodes, though, he completely loses all context for where he is, what he is doing, and who the people around him are. Most of the time, the important bits come back…but not always.

-Forgotten memories are also sometimes sporadically triggered by something mundane. A word, a texture, a sound, and suddenly he’s frozen stock-still in the face of a one-person cinematic viewing. By the time he turns to tell someone about it, though, the memory is gone again.

-To try to combat these issues, Luca keeps notebooks stashed everywhere. He writes down anything that might be important, as well as anything sentimental. The obvious issue with this, however, is that he doesn’t always remember where he keeps these notebooks.

-Despite his memory problems, his personality is largely in-tact. He maintains a lot of gentlemanly mannerisms and is cordial, if not outright friendly, to just about everyone he meets. Generally, he’s only “rude” in the sense that his attention tends to shift very abruptly.

-He’s the sort of person who appreciates variety. In people, food, scenery, just about everything. Part of why he gets along with so many people is because he can genuinely appreciate all manner of skillsets and hobbies. Likewise, to be a friend to him you only need to show appreciation for his work; understanding is not a requirement.

-It’s canon that he dislikes noise, but enjoys music. These might seem like clashing sentiments, but what it really comes down to is expected noise. Music can be relaxing, inspiring, rush-inducing! It holds your mind’s hand and hurries it along its thoughtful way. JUST noise is…chaotic, distracting, and sometimes startling. Plus, Luca likes being able to hum along while he works.

-It’s common to be static-zapped if you touch him. Long-term contact can even cause your hair to start standing on end. Unfortunately, it isn’t something he can control, so just be prepared to deal with it.

-The best Love Language to give Luca is Quality Time. He can honestly work with pretty much all of them, but Quality Time checks multiple boxes—especially if you’re good with parallel play. For one, he gets so busy with his work that it sometimes makes him feel guilty for neglecting the people he cares about. If you’re comfortable just hanging around his space, doing your own thing while he does his, it’s easier for him to check in with you between the erratic come-and-go of his thoughts. Those small bits of time add up, and he feels much better about his workaholic nature. Second, the more you permeate his memory, the less likely he feels he is to forget you. One of the few things he doesn’t struggle to remember is himself, his own name, and if you’re always there maybe it’ll be the same for you.

-He has trouble balancing his priorities. He often foregoes food, sleep, hygiene, and even his loved ones in favor of working on his invention. Sometimes he’s so absorbed in it that he doesn’t even understand the weight of hurtful decisions, but even when he does, he’d find it difficult to change.

-It’s also never impossible for the emotions that caused the accident to rear their head again. If someone were ever to intentionally sabotage Luca’s work or unapologetically steal his ideas, he may very well lash out with violence. Even if it were an accident, there’s no guarantee he wouldn’t be enraged.

-Luca has no idea what he’d do with himself if he ever did finish his invention. The guilt he feels for what may-have-happened is confused and warped, and he keeps it buried beneath his weighty obsession with the one thing he’s never forgotten…but if it were ever to be out of the way, Luca might be consumed by darkness.

[ospreyeamon]

revan as the ghost

I had the odd experience of playing KOTOR 1 and having my Revan, then playing KOTOR 2 and discovering that I liked its Revan more than mine. Revan as Narrative Ghost/Controversial Historical Figure is far more interesting to me than Revan as main character.

Part of it is that 2 fleshes out Dark-Side pre-amnesia Revan into a more compelling character. All of the juicy hints about the deeper plan and purpose behind the Jedi Civil War, the past relationship with Kreia who is as preoccupied with her former student’s legacy as with her own, the probable betrayal of Revan’s own forces led by the Exile at Malachor V.

The motivation of preparing for the future great war against the True Sith is great because it doesn’t preclude the other motivations of vengeance, power-lust, and the love of warfare. Revan might have despised the atrocities of the Jedi Civil Wars as evils necessary to save the galaxy. Revan might have subconsciously latched onto the True Sith as an excuse to solve the problems with the Republic and Jedi Order using outright warfare because everything looked like a nail after the Mandalorian Wars. Revan might have just been acting with an eye to the long-term logistics of forcibly holding power in the Republic post-conquest and was never planning on fighting the True Sith Empire because Revan thought it was a real threat, but because another war would be politically convenient. Revan might have slid from one to another over time.

Maybe Revan always considered himself to be loyal to the Republic, even if the Republic didn’t always appreciate the form that loyalty took. Maybe Revan decided that democracy doesn’t work and the Republic would be better off under a competent autocrat. Maybe Revan decided that the structure of the Republic’s constituent governments – mostly monarchies, aristocracies, and corporate plutocracy – meant that it wasn’t a real democracy and believed a benevolent dictatorship could be used to build a foundation of true democracy. Maybe the future long-term structure of the Republic’s government wasn’t a major consideration, with Revan taking the pragmatic view that the best government for the Republic would be the one that enabled it to survive.

Supplying that backstory as a jigsaw of character dialogue was an excellent choice, especially since it also works well for the events of the first game. Brianna the Handmaiden believes Revan showed the desire of his heart when he killed Malak during the Battle of Rakata Prime; Kreia thinks she’s completely wrong about that.

All the characters have at least heard of Revan; the Exile, Kreia, T4-M4, Mandalore, HK-47, and the Jedi Masters knew Revan personally. And, beyond being a mere person, Revan represents things to people.

Kreia is invested in the idea that Revan was always driven by some vision of a greater good, that she never became primarily ruled by hatred or power-lust. Kreia has a low opinion of those she views as dominated by emotion and is unwilling to believe her prize student ever fell into that trap. She really wants every choice her old Padawan made to have been well-informed and well-considered, always feeding towards Revan’s larger goals rather than undermining them. (Yet, there are a couple of Revan’s actions, like killing Malak, that I feel Kreia would have preferred to blame on the Force, on the unfairness of the universe, rather than on Revan.)

It’s a major blind-spot in Kreia’s assessment of Revan. Cutting Malak’s jaw off but keeping him as her second-in-command – seemingly not expecting any negative effect on Malak’s loyalty – is unlikely to have been anything but a short-sighted emotional outburst on Revan’s part.

In contrast to Kreia’s narrative, I think that Revan’s disappearance in unknown space between the games was unplanned and unwilling. Revan apparently spent years attempting to build a massive logistical staging ground for a war with the True Sith; locating the Star Forge, invading to capture Republic infrastructure, brutally converting captured Jedi. Why, after previously engaging in such large-scale preparation, would Revan leave to fight the True Sith alone, without telling anyone but T3-M4? Why would Revan leave without warning Admiral Carth of the Republic Navy and battle-meditation master Bastila Shan about the threat?

More likely, I think, that Revan’s memories were returning in tatters and scraps. Revan became increasingly sure that there was something important she couldn’t remember; some vital secret that would explain so much, and spell disaster if not uncovered. Revan’s journey to unknown space began as a temporary trip retracing a past journey, searching for prompts to resurface those memories. Something went wrong.

Or maybe I’m wrong. Maybe Revan despaired of the state the Jedi, Revanchist Sith, and Galactic Republic were in after the Battle of Rakata Prime and the “end” of the Jedi Civil War; despaired of the mess she had apparently made trying to manipulate the Republic and Jedi into forms capable of standing up to the True Sith. Maybe Revan came to doubt his previous assessment that the True Sith Empire were planning to invade the Galactic Republic, since it had been more than a decade since the beginning of the Mandalorian Wars with still no sign of them, and left to do some quiet scouting without raising what might be a false alarm that triggered an avoidable conflict.

Another judicious choice of character trait with KOTOR 2’s Revan was – and even post-amnesia still continued to be – secretive. Revan kept the grand strategy for the Mandalorian Wars close to her chest; good for operation security, but also good for hiding your plan to purge your own forces. Even HK-47 and Kreia, who were close to the Revanchist Sith’s upper command structure, aren’t certain what Revan was trying to achieve because Revan didn’t tell them. When Revan vanishes between the games, it is seemingly without having told any of her companions save T3-M4 where or that it was to investigate the True Sith Empire. That repeated failure to share information provides another justification for the ambiguity.

That bled through when I replayed 1 and imagined a new Revan, a stranger even to himself.

How did you change so much? Could you change again?

You remember your mother’s face, remember her voice as she read to you from the histories she loved so much, but the records in the Jedi archives imply that’s impossible, that you were given to the Order too young. You remember racing your swoop bike across the fields of Dantooine as a teenager; as a teenager you were a Padawan studying in the Enclave there. How many of your memories are real? How much of you is real?

Is there a monster slumbering under your skin that might awake, unravelling the person you are now to take your place? Did the young Revan have all the Jedi Masters fooled, rotten from the very beginning? Might you eventually live your life haunted by nightmares of committing another person’s atrocities?

More frightening than the idea that you and the Revan lost to amnesia are different is the idea that you are the same; that your past choices won’t be beyond comprehension or justification. If you remember, will you understand why you started the war? If you remember, will you understand why you bombed Telos? If you remember, will you discover that you have been the person who could make those choices all along?

[metalmewtwo-kxb]

Pokemon story/art/ask-blog for Benta the Mewtwo

Set in an apocalyptic future where most humans have disappeared and only pokemon remain. And the world is not as it had once been.

Benta, a pokemon who has existed for a long time now, has wandered the crumbling cities and empty roads looking for others who might share his ideals of rebuilding what is left of the world. Perhaps even track down the humans, if there are any left. However, the pokemon all seem to be at odds, more focused on hoarding land and food for survival. Many more are feral and vicious.

As others may find out, he is no ordinary mewtwo, and he might very well be the only one of his kind in a world full of ghosts. But is he the only wanderer? Or are there others?

And is it possible to save this future?

⚠️ Under Construction ⚠️

⚠️ Comic Pages 9-12 In Progress ⚠️

⛔️ NO NSFW ⛔️

General Itinerary (in no particular order) :

🧩 rp reply (if/when I have any)

- Thinking I'm gonna limit myself to one a day with these (or as often as I can manage) since I'm a very tired goose with limited internal motivation lol. I love role-playing! It just takes some thinking and energy. If I ever have more than one thread at a time, I'll make a weekly schedule 📅

✏️🖍 asks and/or art responses

- the art side of these can take anywhere from a day to a few days, depending on what I do exactly style/complexity-wise. Obviously can't do art replies all the time, but sometimes I could get inspired to do something other than text replies! 💕

🎨 comic art

- For the main story! The style for this is different and more uniform than what I'll be using for asks, so it definitely takes longer. I don't typically post until I'm done with a illustration/page set, so it can take a long heckin time. If one part one is 8 pages, I'd say it would clock in at two or three months before it's posted (as long as I'm not sick or somethn). I'm okay with posting peridoic snippet updates from my favorite panels though!

Temp. Edit: I've lowered the number of pages in each part to 4 since I need an easier goal to reach at a time. There's still 24 total! I just need simpler intervals. :T 🖼

Beyond this I have work and need me time, but always thank you, and I appreciate the interest! Benta is one of my comfort OCs so I'm treating this blog about the same. I want it to be a fun and cozy space while I build the apocalypse story lol.

#️⃣ tags

This is a list of tags to search on my blog for my art (which will update as they come up):

- ;mun - my general babble, updates, and so on

- ;poké art - all posts involving pokemon sketches and drawings

- ;pokedex - posts pertaining to the story's pokemon and their lore. These pokemon are usually "new" species, not those that are already well known. However, sometimes special pokemon characters will make an appearance

- ;rp - written replies to roleplays. Kind of recommended since some lore will likely only appear in these, and they can be a fun read for those that like to do so (the rp partner's name will also be included in the post's tags) 👍

- ;response - ask responses! Chances are they contain art and scribbles. And maybe not, depends on how I feel

- Benta - self-explanatory, posts containing content of my mewtwo OC Benta (this does/should include roleplay threads and asks, so it's more generalized and not very concise)

- ;UntilTheEnd - the comic and main story for Benta and other characters that we'll meet along the way! (Set in an alternate universe, so don't expect very much anime/game continuity lol)

- ;drabbles and chapters - more written content that can either have something to do with an established AU or with context of the main story. Typically smaller snippets, but potentially a longer chapter set. I'm a faster writer than a drawer, but I enjoy both- so this is just another means of keeping up fun content 🫶

💬 About the mun:

Age: 28

Pronouns: she/her/they/them

Occupation: A menace to modern society :V *cough* artist/writer/author *cough*

Hobby: Literally just bothering my sister and siblings like a sneaky little gremlin.

Pokémun-sona: Zoromun. Info post -> here

More is tba!

Thank you for the visit, and have a wonderful day!

(main -> @ draconic-hydra )

[vellichorom]

I can’t stop thinking of that post where you talk about how the office BLEEDS because of the amount of death Rosemary and Thierry have been through and

“it's hard to have people over. for other reasons, but also that.”

what oTHER REASONS could compare to the office floor being stained and bloody LMAO

...................WELL.

the carpets ARE actually pretty stained; this is both due TO the same reason that the office bleeds, as well as already-there backrooms ugly carpet dinge™️. not to mention, there's just a bunch of coffee stains, which is canon to the base game. most newer stains can be removed with a reset, but the red & grimy looking ones in particular are there to stay.

OVERALL the office is dingy; the walls are about as worn & as relatively uncleaned as the carpet, the lighting is a bit... off- literally, as though half of the lights don't work - thus the office looks perpetually half-closed / like you're there at night, --v

& liminal space aspect of the office is all the more DEEPLY ingrained- even having certain areas lead you down a maze of liminal rooms that don't seem to fit with the layout of the office, rooms & phenomenons thierry has no hand in, nor can explain beyond ' it just happens, ' & environmental shifting that could get one lost, cause errors, or simply frighten unknowing visitors.

it smells. just a bit,

( ^ thierry can't control or reverse any of the above by this point; might be due to mental state(?) )

the bucket might be cause for concern(?)

this is thierry & rosemary you're talking about; as casual as they can portray themselves on the surface, they're FREAKS- & beyond that, freaks who don't often / have never socialized with others before.

they haven't dealt with any other people in a LONG time ( beyond the hypothetical multiverse, & even then, really only fellow stanleys & narrators ); god knows how they'd behave around another human being.................................... a new one, anyway.

& it's been overall difficult to shift what's SUPPOSED to be just a game into something more habitable for a human being ( rosemary ), given an office setting might not be the most COMFORTABLE place in the world -- now thierry's expected to extend such to new people? --those who might not be used to an office THEMSELVES? god,

edit; makes me VERY happy you're still thinking about it because SO AM I.

[bracketsoffear]

Reapers (Mass Effect) "Spoilers for the entire original Mass Effect trilogy.

At their core, the Reapers represent the insignificance of humanity (and other sapient creatures) in the face of an ancient and unfathomably wide universe.

The Reapers have some superficial similarities with the Extinction: namely, that their driving goal is to "Harvest" (i.e. commit complete genocide against) space-faring species. That said, their role in the text fits better fits the Vast.

First, the Reaper's plans play out on an incomprehensibly Vast time scale. In the Mass Effect universe, humanity experienced First Contact less than 30 years before the start of the first game. Contrast the Asari, who were the first species in the current cycle to reach the Citadel, reached the Citadel in approximately 580 B.C.E.. Operating on a still larger timescale, Protheans, the ancient species credited with leaving behind the mass effect technology, "disappeared" (spoiler alert: it was the Reapers) c. 48,000 B.C.E.. The Reapers' cycle makes even that timescale look like grains of sand. They show up every 50,000 years or so to carry out their "Harvest" and vanish into the darkness beyond the galaxy to bide their time. The Mass Effect wiki puts the years where their creators killed one of them (and therefore the approximate beginning of the Cycles) as c. 1,000,000,000 B.C.E..

Next, they're really, really big. Freaking ginormous. A helpful Redditor posted an illustration comparing one to skyscrapers in modern LA: https://www.reddit.com/r/masseffect/comments/2e3qui/a_reaper_to_scale_with_modern_day_downton_los/. The only ways Shepard manages to take one down on foot: (1) pulling a Mothra v. Godzilla thing with the terrifyingly large and aggressive Kalros, Mother of Thresher Maws, (this was a small one, BTW) and; (2) using a targeting laser and letting an actual fleet of spaceships do the firing. Sovereign, the Reaper vanguard, is several times larger than the largest ships galactic society has to offer.

(MAJOR SPOILERS FOR MASS EFFECT 2) You know Simon Fairchild's gargantuan person made out of people? The Reapers did that but even more gruesomely. Well, Shepard manages to put a stop to it for humans specifically, but each Reaper is a superstructure built around a giant representation of a species the Reapers Harvested, made out of matter collected from that species. It's their way of "preserving" the species. (Also, remember the part about cycles being every 50 thousand years and the cycles starting 1 billion years BCE? They've done The Great Beast thing around 20 thousand times by the time Mass Effect takes place.)

Then, there's the entire first conversation Sovereign has with Shepard. I'll be happy to send a video of it on YouTube via ask if the Reapers make it in, but highlights include: --Sovereign claiming to be beyond sapient comprehension. --Sovereign calling organic life "nothing but a genetic mutation." --This part: "The pattern has repeated itself more times than you can fathom. Organic civilizations rise, evolve, advance, and at the apex of their glory they are extinguished. The Protheans were not the first. They did not create the Citadel." --And this: "We are each a nation - independent, free of all weakness." --And this: " We are legion. The time of our return is coming. Our numbers will darken the sky of every world. You cannot escape your doom."

Holy existential crisis, Batman!

Anyway, in the text of Mass Effect, Reapers serve as a literalization of the existential fear borne of recognizing that in the vast scale of the universe, humans aren't likely to be the first or only intelligent species--that we're young and tiny and only just beginning to understand the natural world. In the face of that enormity, are we capable of being meaningful? Or are we doomed to be void of meaning and impact?

The One Who Wanders And Waits/The Wanderer (Space Boy) "The Magnificent Bastard behind an Ancient Conspiracy to ensure humanity someday reaches the Monolith. It's intentions are unknown due to its Blue-and-Orange Morality, but it has used it's emotion-manipulating powers to slowly brainwash the entire staff of the FCP so they'll be easy to manipulate so it can achieve it's goals. When he was a child, Oliver encountered The Wanderer, who drove Oliver to a five-year-long existential crisis over the vastness and emptiness of space. He made Oliver see the world in terms of “The Nothing in between the stars […] a vast Nothing. An emptiness.” Oliver thinks that most people willingly ignore the “Nothing” because they’re frightened by it, but he can no longer ignore that “The universe is almost entirely made up of Nothing. Even the atoms in our bodies consist primarily of empty space. We are all just bits of matter, floating in the void.” This post explains it better."

[werdlewrites]

Fix This (Sam Winchester x Reader)

Sam Winchester x Reader

Warnings: Early spoilers, death, big sad. A re-write of an 8 year old post I did.

Word count: 816 v small dabble

She never seemed to have trouble with distance. Traveling for days, and completely content in simply watching the world fly past the windows as she was more or less forced to relocate for the umpteenth time with her companions. Always eager to learn something new about wherever she was staying, even if it was only for a short while.

There was acceptance in being days upon weeks away from her family and that old ranch home she was raised in. No matter how greatly she missed their familiar voices and the silly games they all would play on the Holidays, it was all a tolerable ache.

She could handle a lot of things, but not this.

Standing at the opposite end of the dark, eerily empty hotel room, her gaze lingers on the tense muscles of his back as he sat slouched forward just at the edge of the bed. His eyes dark and heavy-lidded from sorrow, pain, and a clouded mind that refused to acknowledge anything beyond his hurt.

Despite their closeness within the same room, the two couldn’t have been further apart. That little space between them seemed to stretch on for miles, a hallucination - as if you could chase after him and never manage to close the gap. And she wanted to chase.

She wants to reach out, break this painful silence they’ve been encased within for what seemed like an eternity. She wanted to fix him - to fix this. Take the pieces of the entire mess and put it all back together somehow. Make it so he had never agreed to follow his brother down this path all those years ago, though it had been for a good cause. But how was anyone to know that this would happen? That a good cause could end with such heartache?

How were they to know that this young man would be forced to watch his father give up his life for his oldest son, who in turn, gave up his own for this disheveled mess in front of her.

Save John and go back to your normal life. That was the deal, yet here the duo were. There was hardly any sleep to be had with a rare stop for a bite to eat as they searched in desperation for any way to bring his brother back, and the lack of answers only made him worse. Sam was falling apart before the girls eyes, day by day and there was no stopping it. The man she loved was becoming a mere shadow of himself.

She takes a sharp breath, bracing herself for the wave of emotions to soon come crashing into her, pulling herself away from the faded and peeling wall only to walk right past the empty and neatly kept bed that he would have slept in, ignoring the chill that danced through her spine at the thought of seeing his 6’3” form tangled up in the sheets. Completely lost in his much happier dreams.

“Sam,” his name falls from her lips, vanishing into the darkness and going unnoticed. Not even the skin to skin contact was acknowledged, as if they had become ghosts to one another.

It was with a squeeze on his shoulder that had finally caused his body to relax and slowly he had turned to her, the sight of tears threatening to spill over with a rosy tipped nose had her breath halted within her chest, the crushing tsunami of hopelessness settling deep into her bones.

His lip begins to quiver as he tries to speak, though he hadn’t been given the chance as she moves around the bed, standing just between his parted knees to hold him close. Her fingers roam through unwashed hair, cradling him as he leans in against her - surrendering, letting emotions and fatigue weigh him down to the point where his arms are unable to reach out in return. They stay in the moment, basking in the silence until there is a sudden tremble as her hand runs along his back, a small sob breaks through just after and she swears her heart is being held in an iron grip, tightening with every gasp of air.

He held her then. Strong arms wrapped around her thighs, pulling the girl impossibly close as he now began to imagine a life where he had to do this all on his own. He was grateful she hadn’t left him through all of this torment - grateful he didn’t have to be alone. And yet, he did feel alone without his brother at his side.“It’ll be okay,” she says, body folding forward to place gentle kisses along his mess of hair, swaying him softly from side to side as he continues to dampen her sweatshirt with fallen tears

“We’ll find a way to fix this, Sam. We always do.”

[fathomlesscrazy]

Fic Masterlist

bc I haven’t used this platform in ages and I promise my personality has broadened beyond hunter x hunter in my time away. All of these are rated T or under except the hunger games & twissy one which are rated M.

⭐️ = one of my favorites

DOCTOR WHO:

twelve talks about jamie

twissy: we’re sick!! Sick and twissy (users only)

clara confronts twelve about missy

Brian & Anthony Williams

tenjackrose goodbye

journey’s end tenrose

DOCTOR STONE:

senku struggles with sleep fth gift

probably the worst thing I’ve written but one shots I don’t claim the person I was when these were posted.

ATTACK ON TITAN:

reiner & porco fth gift

⭐️ ymir & historia make me sob fun one to write

discontinued eremin trash they were in the pandemic. I had some detailed plot building for this but I got bored of aot 😍

INUYASHA:

largely abandoned (???) summer school au where Kagome & company failed 10th grade and fight off their evil math teacher (Naraku) and I promise the premise is very entertaining I just fell out of love with the show

HUNTER X HUNTER:

(We gonna be here for a while thanks to my greed island ficlets; will sort by characters/relations as well) ⚡️= (potential) manga spoilers

Long fics:

abandoned atla crossover

⭐️ (hiatus) hunger games crossover

Alluka:

alluka & nanika study

time spent locked up

Killua and/or Gon:

scars

promises (ca arc bs)

more ca arc bs - Gon keeps reliving the fight

Killua & Gon r besties

Killua & Gon fix their friendship after 10k of being bitter one of my worse ones it’s very back and forth

⭐️ rain

Abandoned/rotting 5-parter about Gon facing his lack of Nen as told through the 5 stages of grief

11:11 after nen & election arc. Ignores manga.

⭐️ Probably my favorite KG fic ever that I’ve written: Gon wants to go to space; Killua plays the cello, unnecessary angst

Freecs Family:

⚡️they get bored - very fun to write

mito through the years

Daedalus & Icarus: Ging & Gon

Miscellaneous

morel & knov & learning Nen

killua takes care of a sick leorio

au: nurse leorio observes patients melody & kurapika

melody & kurapika & nightmares

9k zepile/leorio art theft trash

canon divergence: netero tells meruem his name

⭐️ au: gungi tournament merukomu

⚡️pre Hisoka v Chrollo

tonpa straight trash

⭐️ zushi-centric magic au one shot which may get its own series if I get back into hxh

Pokkle (ca arc bs)

main 4, Rick and morty if you squint

kalluto study

projecting by writing bisky - yay

ging & razor

[aokozaki]

Best final dungeon theme off the top of your head?

Oooh, excellent question!

This isn't even the game's final dungeon, but the story sure tries to make you think it is: Persona 5's Ark is an all-timer. It's a bit too short, and unlike the game's other dungeons, there's only one theme, rather than two, but...

Shido's Palace takes place during a perpetual sunset - you can tell it's a sunset because after the boss fight, the ensuing cutscene goes to night - and, importantly, is a darker arrangement of Tokyo Daylight, one of the overworld themes.

Despite this, his "daylight" is a sunset. Despite Shido's rampant nationalism, his ideals are going to end badly for a certain land of the rising sun... Persona 5 really is at its best when it abandons all subtlety.

(Because when it reaches for subtlety and nuance, it has shit-takes).

Anyway, for another more final dungeon example... even though it's also not the final dungeon, comes from Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth. (Give it about two minutes for the main groove to have time to kick in).

There's a post-game Stratum beyond this, but in clearing the Primeval Forest Ring, you'll hit credits. It's a very low-key area theme for being so late, and in fact, the theme of the area is intentionally close to a starting area.

It's a basic Forest of Beginnings. The only catch is that you're far above the planet, in space, on one of those gravity generating rings. Y'know, the ones that spin to make artificial gravity?

And it's a greenhouse of sorts. A "seed" to sow a new beginning. And it's been corrupted by a big bad boss dragon, that you'll be tasked with clearing out. The fact that all this happens in a space station is also because the game is starting to tip its hand as to its overarching plot points.

It's an incredible dungeon, and I haven't even mentioned that it has one of the coolest map gimmicks I've ever seen in an EO game. And I won't dare spoil it.

[calebwittebane]

disco elysium is a pretty great game if you're a mentally ill gay communist from a post-ussr country, so long as you do not participate much in fan spaces. holy shit the amount of bad takes and ppl assuming their analysis is the most Correct and just generally being... . personally it did also sow some seeds for catharsis, but if i hadnt played the game before it blew up i probably wouldnt play it now. anyway do you have any "slower" game recommendations? ideally something that could be run on older computers?

the myst series!!! 100%! its one of my favorites! in case you're not familiar beyond "oh, theyre that steampunk-ish series of 90s-00s games where you solve puzzles and get things to work", let me ramble about them a bit. II (Riven) and III (Exile) are the best ones, but i am Known as the weirdo with an obsession with Uru (the complete chronicles version includes both expansions so it is the one youll want), which takes place long after the main series' events and was supposed to be a multi-player but that didnt work out (and the studio was driven to bankruptcy) and the resulting single-player game feels so lonely and serene--in a good way, in my opinion. the games are ridiculously pretty, like, visually they aged extremely well. im extremely fond of this particulr way of combining of live actors with pre-rendered environments and other animations. Myst V and Uru are a bit of a different story, as in you move around freely and (most of) the environments are rendered in real time, but man, this particular (relatively) low-poly beauty of them, theyre so aesthetically sophisticated to me. gameplay-wise, theyre based on exploration, and require you to pay close attention to your surroundings and solve puzzles, such as getting various mechanisms to work, and often times they create something akin to an escape room experience, and sometimes following clues and trails left by other characters. and while obviously The way to play them is to try and figure things out yourself, and it does get challenging, even if it gives you enough trouble that you end up consulting a guide, or already know the solutions (i know many of them by heart at this point), its still a lovely experience. looking at the environments and objects and architecture, taking in the ambiance, learning the lore behind things. most of the characters you interact with (especially the one you interact with the most, atrus) are also Extremely Flawed People and it is reflected both in their actions and in the ages they write (if you don't know what that means, youll see), in their ideas of "prison" and "idyllic paradise" and the implications thereof and so on. it is engaging stuff.

also peter gabriel was involved in the series at some point (songs and voice acting) and for 7 year old me who already loved myst And was a fan of and had a sort of parasocial relationship with peter gabriel it was a mind-blowing crossover

[voicesofchaos]

Zexal Month - The Magician

So today we are supposed to talk about our favorite Duel Monster or Number specifically. I feel like I always share that clip of Beyond The Hope’s Summoning so going to do something a little bit different this time. A lot of different Numbers get used in both the anime and manga. But the Numbers that always fascinated me are the ones released in the card game after both had ended. For a fanfic I have wanted to write for a long time would be a rewrite from a different point of view and a genre shift. One of the goals of that fanfic would be to all Numbers 1 through 100 get used in some way so I have spent a long time thinking about these 30 unused Numbers and how they would be used in the series. So this post is going to go through all 30 cards and I will explain who I think should use each one. Some are very obvious and self-explanatory but some others are very weird and out there. So hopefully this post is amusing and maybe educational. Be warned it will be very long! @zexalmonth

Tron. Making it his 3rd Number and being tied with IV for Numbers used.

This is a bit of a weird one because the “Wyrm” monster type didn’t come out until Arc-V so it literally couldn’t have existed in Zexal. Despite that though I assign this card to Mizael. I feel like all the Barians would have at least 1 backup Number 1-100 that isn’t their Legendary (Mythyrian) Number. Mizael is a dragon tamer and this is close to a dragon but also a huge edgelord.

Space-themed monster. This is totally V’s number. Psychic type monsters are even used by his dad and his brother, III. Sadly only raising V’s number count to 2 and behind the rest of his family as we will see. Alternatively, in the manga this would belong to Eviluder who used Number 42: Galaxy Tomahawk (which I would also assign to V to being his Number count to 3).

Anna of course! She even summons it in Duel Links! Making this card the only card in this list to appear in a semi-canon Zexal story!

Cathy. And honestly it seems so perfect for her style.

III. Giving him a 3rd Number (Not counter Number 32) and getting him to keep up with IV.

This is definitely the single hardest card to assign on this list. I am simply going to give it to Rokujuro because the card has old man vibes. 

Durbe. That might seem weird but what is this monster holding and what meme is Durbe most famous for? BOOKS! Durbe very much seems like the “prophet” character archetype.

Kotori! Her name means little bird and I feel like the colors would even match her style. 

Gilag. Another kind of weird one but his archetype is Hands after-all. They even have a similar body type.  

So you are probably thinking yet another Number for Yuma. But actually one other character in the series has played Gogogo Golem. Yup! The man who Yuma got his deck from! Tsukumo Kazuma! Yuma’s dad totally deserves his own number!

Cool 3-headed FIRE dragon. I feel like either Mizael or Kaito could have this one but I am going to give this one to Kaito. This was definitely one of those initial 10 Numbers Kaito had already hunted before the series started.

Alit. Okay hear me out because I know this is a stretch. This is a FIRE monster and only Alit plays those. Few characters across all Yugioh series play FIRE monster. But also I headcanon that Alit would totally be obsessed with reality/celebrity cooking TV shows or just a huge fan of Food Wars! I know we don’t see that side of him in the show but the same energy is there.

Going real obscure here with Jin (Fortuno in the dub). The guy that worshipped Kaito for no real reason and had both Number 11 and 16. Yeah, let’s give him a 3rd Number as if he needed another but come one this card has his style.

Only one character uses dice and luck. Charlie McCoy! I don’t blame you if you don’t remember him either. Sadly not the last time he will be on this list.

I take it back. This is the hardest. Being a sky prison I feel like Eliphas would vibe with this, maybe after being corrupted and made evil by its influence. Alternatively for the manga, I really want to give Luna a Number and sure this makes enough sense if you stretch it.

Obviously Shark but more specifically Nasch. If you want to be spicey you could say this belonged to past-life Nasch.

Okay I don’t have a lot of reasoning for this but I strongly feel like this card belongs to Droite. She uses Butterfly Assassins and this guy is totally an assassin. 

So you could easilly say Number 96: Dark Mist for this one. But for a more creative option I am going to Tsukumo Akari gets corrupted by this Number as she is chasing a story. Alternatively in the manga, Shadow would use this as his Number 48: Shadow Lich is on of the 3 monsters in the background and it also fits him.

I’m breaking the rules here. This Number belongs to Hiragi Yuzu from Arc-V who ended up in Zexal while dimension-hopping. 

This just has to be Astral of course.

Alit’s true Number!

Anna! She even has a voice line for it in Duel Links apparently!

Charlie McCoy yet again!

Gauche’s number!

I get both Rio and Droite vibes from this one. But sadly reaching into the obscure makes the most sense here with Aika Hanazoe (Lotus Hanazoe) who was Rio’s first on-screen duel and used Battlecruiser Dianthus. 

I really wish I could tell what was going in this artwork but every version it just looks weird. I feel like it would be a Cyberse monster now a days. I feel like you could this off as belonging to Vector. But more so on the manga side I could totally see this as Kyoji Yagumo card, a fitting 8th Number for him.

So obviously a Kaito card but what if instead this was used by Haruto to backup and support his brother’s battles? Haruto does use a Number (28) so why not give him a cool supportive Number as well.

A DARK version of Mizael’s Legendary Number (46) so I can’t in good consciousness give this to Mizael and it doesn’t fit Kaito either. So I am actually going to give this to Don Thousands as a means to corrupt Mizael and others.

On the anime side this belongs exclusively to Dark Zexal. But for the manga, this clearly belongs to E’Rah whose ace monster was Anti-Hope God Of Despair. Yeah this totally the Numbers version of that card.

[corvus-heliantheae]

Romance in Night City

Welcome to Night City

In December 2020 CD Project Red, who I knew from Witcher III, released Cyberpunk 2077 and had the worst release ever, with a game full of glitches and bugs, but that's not the thing I want to focus on here. I want to talk about a specific feature in the game, the romancing, and why I think all four options (well two options per run, because those characters have preferences) are really not good.

But first, a little summary of what the game is. I try to keep it low spoiler, but be warned please! The game is set in the North American city Night City, the biggest nightmare to live in, controlled by mega cooperations where crime and violence are daily occurrences. We are playing as V, a person who, depending on the background you choose, starts their career in Night City, working different jobs for different people. One lovely day V and their crew get the opportunity of a lifetime, a heist to steal an important item from one of the biggest cooperations in the world, Arasaka, but we wouldn't have a plot if this heist wouldn't go completely wrong. V has to put the data shard, the stolen relic, into a slot in their own head to keep it safe, and that's where all the problems start. On this shard is the complete consciousness of Johnny Silverhand, a rock star and political activist, who died in 2023 after he blew up the Arasaka tower with his team and was captured. Let's say, neither V nor Johnny are happy about sharing a mind and a body, which will die in the next weeks, so they try to find a solution to the problem.

So because this would become the longest post in existence, I will talk about the four love interests separately, to give them some space and will publish them one after the other.

River Ward

Judy Alvarez

Panam Palmer

Kerry Eurodyne

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Actually I don't only think that all four romance options have each their own problems which makes anything beyond some casual fling a problem, but let's talk about V's situation a bit more, shall we? First, V is dying. Literally. V already had dies via a headshot and the relic revived them, but it's very clear that we are on borrowed time here. Silverhand starts to overtake the body while the body is actively dying. There is no cure, V has weeks before everything ends, and despite the hope of surviving, that is not a secret to us, we know that. But we never tell anyone, really. Weird base for making connections, right?

Second, the personalities of V and Johnny start to blend more and more throughout the game, in very significant ways. The question of who is who gets harder to answer, so is the V from the first hours of the game still the same V from the end? No, they aren't.

I love the feature of making connections with characters this way, but I can't ignore the inherent tragedy of it. There won't be a happily ever after, it was never intended, and it breaks my heart. To be honest, the whole game breaks my damn heart with every play-through, but that's a topic for another time.

[dharshareddy189]

DIGITAL MEDIA: SOURCES AND SIGNIFICANCE

BLOG POST 3

AR and VR Redefining the Gaming Landscape

Just picture yourself fully immersed in a fantastical setting as you play a game that transports you to that realm. Just think of how much fun it would be to play these games and discover fascinating new worlds! Modern technology has made augmented and virtual reality a reality, rather than a pipe dream.

What is Virtual Reality? Virtual reality (VR) is a computer-generated simulation that allows users to explore and interact with an interactive 3D environment. VR allows humans to be fully immersed in a digital environment, which can either be completely fictional or a simulation of the actual world. The main objective of virtual reality is to generate a compelling and immersive sensory encounter for the user.

What is Augmented Reality? Augmented reality (AR) is a cutting-edge technology that superimposes digital information, such as photographs, text, or 3D models, onto the physical environment in real-time. Virtual reality fully immerses users in a simulated environment, whereas augmented reality enhances the user's experience of the actual world by incorporating digital aspects into it. Augmented reality (AR) is specifically engineered to seamlessly integrate the actual and digital realms, providing users with an engaging and enhanced encounter.

Leveling Up Engagement:

Immersive Worlds: Imagine stepping into your favorite fantasy RPG, feeling the wind against your skin as you explore vibrant landscapes and battling mythical creatures. VR's ability to transport players into fully realized virtual worlds offers unparalleled levels of immersion, as evidenced by titles like "Half-Life: Alyx" and "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim VR."

Physical Interactions, Virtual Consequences: AR overlays physical environments with interactive elements, blurring the boundaries between the real and digital. Games like "Pokemon GO" and "Harry Potter: Wizards Unite" encourage players to explore their surroundings, transforming daily walks into fantastical adventures.

Redefining Genres: Genres traditionally confined to flat screens are finding new life through VR and AR. Puzzlers like "Moss" and "I Expect You to Die" utilize VR's unique perspective to create mind-bending challenges, while AR titles like "Minecraft Earth" and "ARKit" games transform familiar locales into canvases for creative expression.

Beyond the Screen, Building Connections:

Social Play in Virtual Spaces: VR doesn't have to be a solitary experience. Titles like "VRChat" and "Rec Room" offer virtual spaces for users to socialize, play games, and even attend concerts together, fostering connections that transcend physical limitations.

Multiplayer Mayhem with Spatial Awareness: VR's positional tracking allows for unprecedented teamwork and tactical gameplay. Games like "Pavlov VR" and "Onward" immerse players in realistic military simulations, requiring coordinated maneuvers and spatial awareness for success.

Rethinking Competitive Gaming: eSports is embracing VR with titles like "Blaston" and "Echo VR," offering competitive experiences that require physical skill and strategic thinking alongside traditional game-play mechanics.

Challenges and Ethical Considerations:

Accessibility and Affordability: VR and AR headsets remain expensive, potentially creating a digital divide and limiting access to these immersive experiences.

Health and Safety Concerns: VR can induce motion sickness and discomfort, particularly for new users. Additionally, ethical considerations like data privacy and potential addiction to virtual worlds require careful attention.

Real World, Pixelated Consequences: Blurring the lines between reality and gaming can have unintended consequences. AR games have raised concerns about distracted walking and safety, while VR's immersive nature necessitates responsible design and user guidelines.

CONCLUSION- AR and VR could be very useful in the world of games. As the web moves to the decentralized Web 3.0 platform, both of these technologies will make games even better by combining new ideas with perfect execution.

REFERENCE -

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/how-ar-vr-impacting-gaming-industry/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_ios&utm_campaign=share_via ( Accessed on 5th December 2023)

https://screenrant.com/immersive-vr-games-experiences/( Accessed on 5th December 2023)

[chimkennuggit]

introduction

hi! i'm dot, and welcome to my page! my page is peridot themed, but my posts don't have a solid theme. i mostly repost things i find interesting, or post my disorganized thoughts and poetry with the occasional scenic picture (i.e. trees, sunsets, fields, etc.)

as i said before, my interests are what can be expected to be shared on my page, including but not limited to these topics/images below:

shows i enjoy - memes and discussion about shows i'm interested in or enjoy watching, examples include but not limited to steven universe, adventure time, bee and puppycat, orange is the new black, stranger things, helluva boss, rwby, fruits basket, the chilling adventures of sabrina, friends, hazbin hotel, the boondocks, aqua teen hunger force, and sometimes bluey.

elder scrolls series - mostly about elder scrolls v: skyrim and the developments of elder scrolls vi, the beyond skyrim mods, skyblivion, and skywind, however there are a few oblivion posts sprinkled into the category.

retro video games - mostly original playstation and playstation two games since i grew up playing those as a kid. examples include but not limited to spyro: year of the dragon, pac-man world, pac-man world two, darkstone, pokmeon crystal, and others.

pokemon - mostly a fan of the johto region, but have played many of the other games. top two favorite games are most definitely pokemon soulsilver and pokemon crystal.

2000's nostalgia - anything that 2000's babies grew up with or experienced as a whole.

music - i like most kinds of music with a few exceptions, such a screamo. i don't know every genre of music, but a decent bit of them, so this list may expand. my favorites are probably classic rock, grunge, alternative, indie, rap, and metal.

parenting - i have a 3-year-old so there will be some funny moments i post about on here and sometimes the struggles of my journey as a parent. no, i will not be posting pictures of my child.

pets - i have a dog (husky & pit mix), a black cat, and 2 birds, so they might pop up every now and then.

liminal spaces/the backrooms - anything that falls in the category of feeling like the backrooms or a liminal space, places that give off a sense of unease but also calm, i suppose.

analog horror - my favorite type of horror genre, i may talk about upcoming games of this type or games that i've found of it.

poetry and literature - i tend to repost quotes or poems i find to be interesting or endearing. i'm also working on a book series from the point of view of an altmer-bosmer woman in the elder scrolls universe named willow titled "lost faith", so i may ask questions relating to it or post about it's developments.

pride - as a member of the lgbtq+ community who identifies as genderfluid, pansexual, and demisexual, i sometimes post the struggles about accepting and finding my own identity.

the struggles of adult adhd - i was diagnosed as a child, and still struggle with it today so some jokes and/or genuine posts about it.

nature - rarely, i post nice pictures i take of plants or scenic views and i find more rural areas to be a lot more comforting, so i talk about that sometimes.

i don't have many rules on this page other than to not be prejudice towards other people.

possible triggers when browsing this blog can be found below

note: if i missed any, please let me know. i'm very new to this and not very good at it.

TW:

swearing, a lot of it

talks of mental health struggles

talks of violence in video games

posts and reposts with literature that can be disheartening or sad

resposts of surreal and liminal photography

[bracketsoffear]

Galactus (Marvel) "Formerly a mortal man, he is a cosmic entity who consumes planets to sustain his life force, and serves a functional role in the upkeep of the Marvel continuity. Canonically gave the Human Torch an existential crisis."

Reapers (Mass Effect) "Spoilers for the entire original Mass Effect trilogy.

At their core, the Reapers represent the insignificance of humanity (and other sapient creatures) in the face of an ancient and unfathomably wide universe.

The Reapers have some superficial similarities with the Extinction: namely, that their driving goal is to "Harvest" (i.e. commit complete genocide against) space-faring species. That said, their role in the text fits better fits the Vast.

First, the Reaper's plans play out on an incomprehensibly Vast time scale. In the Mass Effect universe, humanity experienced First Contact less than 30 years before the start of the first game. Contrast the Asari, who were the first species in the current cycle to reach the Citadel, reached the Citadel in approximately 580 B.C.E.. Operating on a still larger timescale, Protheans, the ancient species credited with leaving behind the mass effect technology, "disappeared" (spoiler alert: it was the Reapers) c. 48,000 B.C.E.. The Reapers' cycle makes even that timescale look like grains of sand. They show up every 50,000 years or so to carry out their "Harvest" and vanish into the darkness beyond the galaxy to bide their time. The Mass Effect wiki puts the years where their creators killed one of them (and therefore the approximate beginning of the Cycles) as c. 1,000,000,000 B.C.E..

Next, they're really, really big. Freaking ginormous. A helpful Redditor posted an illustration comparing one to skyscrapers in modern LA: https://www.reddit.com/r/masseffect/comments/2e3qui/a_reaper_to_scale_with_modern_day_downton_los/. The only ways Shepard manages to take one down on foot: (1) pulling a Mothra v. Godzilla thing with the terrifyingly large and aggressive Kalros, Mother of Thresher Maws, (this was a small one, BTW) and; (2) using a targeting laser and letting an actual fleet of spaceships do the firing. Sovereign, the Reaper vanguard, is several times larger than the largest ships galactic society has to offer.

(MAJOR SPOILERS FOR MASS EFFECT 2) You know Simon Fairchild's gargantuan person made out of people? The Reapers did that but even more gruesomely. Well, Shepard manages to put a stop to it for humans specifically, but each Reaper is a superstructure built around a giant representation of a species the Reapers Harvested, made out of matter collected from that species. It's their way of "preserving" the species. (Also, remember the part about cycles being every 50 thousand years and the cycles starting 1 billion years BCE? They've done The Great Beast thing around 20 thousand times by the time Mass Effect takes place.)

Then, there's the entire first conversation Sovereign has with Shepard. I'll be happy to send a video of it on YouTube via ask if the Reapers make it in, but highlights include: --Sovereign claiming to be beyond sapient comprehension. --Sovereign calling organic life "nothing but a genetic mutation." --This part: "The pattern has repeated itself more times than you can fathom. Organic civilizations rise, evolve, advance, and at the apex of their glory they are extinguished. The Protheans were not the first. They did not create the Citadel." --And this: "We are each a nation - independent, free of all weakness." --And this: " We are legion. The time of our return is coming. Our numbers will darken the sky of every world. You cannot escape your doom."

Holy existential crisis, Batman!

Anyway, in the text of Mass Effect, Reapers serve as a literalization of the existential fear borne of recognizing that in the vast scale of the universe, humans aren't likely to be the first or only intelligent species--that we're young and tiny and only just beginning to understand the natural world. In the face of that enormity, are we capable of being meaningful? Or are we doomed to be void of meaning and impact?