#when isn't she mad anyway. that's her default emotion

[rpvlix]

//Kym gets mad if you call the labyrinth a maze

[bravewolfvesperia]

GETTING TO KNOW YOU.

respond to the following prompts out of character. then, tag others that you'd like to get to know a little bit better!

tagged by: @altosk tagging: @mistralxsoul, @ourvoids, @ervaurem if you haven't done this, @pclitesse if you do these!

ROLEPLAYER NAME: Shi (ShiShi is fine but I tend to go with Shi. if you're thinking Shinon from a ninth and tenth entry in a particular franchise, your brain is in the right place. namesakes and beloveds, friends)

ROLEPLAYER PRONOUNS: she/her

MUSE NAME: Yuri Lowell (and assorted others on my Tales multimuse)

PREFERRED COMMUNICATION: depends how often we talk. Tumblr DMs is easiest if we have brief conversation/plotting. Discord is preferred if we're starting to have regular conversations/lengthy conversations. I'm open to talking to people more though if they're interested, so if you do want to talk or gush about our muses or games, feel free to ask for my Discord! we don't have to already be talking a whole lot if you do want to move to Discord.

EXPERIENCE: I've been RPing for like, idk, as long as I can remember, but I started on Tumblr specifically around 2012. Before that it was things like ye wee old forums, messengers, etc. Tales experience is the same thing because I used to RP Tales on forums LOL.

PREFERRED ROLEPLAY TYPE: a mix of everything more or less. I like fluff and happy things mixed into angst, and if there's no room for happiness in a specific thread/situation, I like to have gentle/soft/emotional aspects littered around. I also try to just follow my muse's whims, so if anything suddenly spikes his rage meter, that's what we're goin' with folks.

PET PEEVES & DEALBREAKERS:

(this isn't as scary as it looks I'm sorry LOL)

ignoring my rules and asking to ship with me when your character's name is not in my ship list (yes, this includes OCs. if OCs aren't mentioned it's very likely because my muse has a very specific romantic inclination and chemistry won't trump that the muse is already leaning toward someone/other people by default. should be obvious but I literally recently on another blog had someone completely ignore that muse's ship list and still send me an anon to ask to ship with me (and the whole thing was indicative that they only wanted to write with me to ship and didn't really see my muse as their own muse but just as another tool in the shed). my ship list tends to be very tiny for any muse and I prefer it that way anyway because it wards off the idea that people are only writing with me to ship. I love shipping with certain pairs, but I don't write explicitly for that and am much more comfortable with the idea that people aren't following me to ship with me/going into things assuming they will be able to convince me into it when they would have presumably read my rules and know their character is not on that list. again, as in my rules, one-sided your-muse-likes-mine is totally fine - just don't get mad when it remains one-sided because you were warned. if your muse is on the list (for any of my muses), yes, it means I'm open to discussing it/writing it./being receptive of it.

disrespecting other writers plain for everyone to see on their dashboards. this includes saying vague shit like "there are no good (character name) muses out there". that is very much not the same as "there are no writers for this character/I can't find any of this character". that's a very intentional dig at certain character writers and implies they're not good enough for you because nobody writes that character the way you want them to (versus simply expressing a desire to write with a certain character but not finding anyone who writes them).

using my muse as a blank slate who is just a base directly off the game you probably played if you're here. if any of you have paid attention to my threads with a specific Flynn (hi Natty!), you are probably aware my muse is heavily influenced by canon side material. that stuff is a core part of my muse. my muse is not just a rip taken right out of game-only canon. the more I write, the more formed he becomes as his own individual muse. if you cannot respect that and will consider it "ooc" for my muse not to be a blank slate direct rip from canon every time I write with a new muse, that's a hard dealbreaker. (on that above note, for any Flynn writers who are unfamiliar with the canon side material that Flynn is a primary part of (i.e. very directly relative to things that affect my muse), I do not hold that against you and am completely willing to work things out with you! that shit is hard to find and is JP media only. there's a slew of side content for Vesperia that the west never got so I know many if not most people won't even know a lot of it exists)

PLOTS OR MEMES: I do both, but I'm more likely to be able to work out plots with characters either in my muse's canon(s) or muses from other Tales games ("canons" is things such as canon side material, Tales gachas Yuri is in, etc). if I don't know your character well (canon or OC), memes tend to work better. I find it difficult to plot specific things out when I don't know a particular series well or at all. that said, I'll write with people who know my character and are okay with using one of his verses even if I don't know your character/series. I love memes for writing, but I will definitely struggle to actually plot if I don't know the franchise. I also love randomly sent memes just for the sake of writing things!

LONG REPLIES OR SHORT REPLIES: long. short for me is like three paragraphs and I just physically can't find myself doing less. things like one-liners might pop up in dash commentary and such, but for actual threads, I write long replies because that's what comes to me. sometimes motivation really hits me with muses my muse feels close to and you might end up with a ten+ paragraph reply, so uhhh... sorry about that in advance (and my paragraphs can get bulky so doubly sorry in advance!). typically this stuff happens in more emotion-driven threads though.

BEST TIME TO WRITE: NIGHT! NIGHT! NIGHT! I'm a night owl in general, but my writing energy tends to go yeehaw on me at night.

ARE YOU LIKE YOUR MUSES: uhhhh uh uh for legal reasons i probably should not answer that. :)

[heiterbroward]

Irrelevant key party

This ep? The worst in a while check! Gotta say...Archie, Kevin, and Cheryl were totally kinning Wilbur tonight. The key party was an epic waste, but who's surprised? Can someone explain to me how the fwb trope works for Barchie? Bc he got mad that she was attempting to be more emotionally intimate w him, but they're already best friends allegedly...so shouldn't they already have a pretty high level of intimacy w each other? I guess not.

Plus when did he start liking Veronica again all of a sudden? I get it, he's been jealous of his crush Chadwick and stuff, but what I mean is...how isn't he even the least bit conflicted? He has no feelings for Betty at all and is positive they're just friends? Then why did he write "Carry the Torch?" Why did he cheat on Veronica not once but twice and not tell her right away? Why did he and Betty consider dumping Veronica and Jughead to be together? Why did they sing "Wicked Little Town Reprise" and seem like they were pining for each other? Why did he visit Fred's grave and say he needed to "follow his heart" which resulted in him singing his song he wrote for Betty to her in the bunker? Or what about that one episode where he imagined Betty in her pink dress and it was framed as the "night it all went wrong" or something? Why did he look at Betty in the window and the voiceover said "feelings that had long been buried were shook loose?"

I just wish, for once, that this program would pick a narrative and stick to it. Archie goes from saying he's never felt "whatever it is he's supposed to feel" w Betty then keeps cheating on Veronica w her. He goes from saying "a little part of me always thought" to Betty to saying "you were it for me; I saw our whole future" referring to the first time he saw Veronica. So...which is it?

Also annoying how he always lets whoever he's talking to set the boundaries for their relationship. For example, if he thought of Betty as just a friend and considered their casual hook ups to be just that, why didn't he say "just so you know, this is casual for me" instead of trying to be coy and ask Betty "Betty...what just happened? 🤪" Like was Betty really the best choice for a casual hook up partner? There were clearly emotional implications to getting involved w that particular person that he didn't seem to want to deal with. Even if Betty insisted she was okay w it being casual, did it ever cross his mind that she might just be saying that bc she has a deep-rooted insecurity about deepening things w him due to him rejecting her in the pilot? And sure, maybe Betty did just want a casual thing, but the fact that he didn't even bring any of this up or dig below the surface level...how are they best friends? Like it did seem that despite insisting she didn't want to deepen things w Archie, it was still her gut reaction to call him for comfort after her nightmare. And his response was to get upset by this...why? Bc his "best friend" wanted to talk about things instead of just hook up? Like bc ya'll starting banging, you can't open up to each other at all anymore? At least not until you go back to being just friends...ok.

Meanwhile, when Bughead and Varchie were together, it seemed like Barchie was only able to open up to each other sometimes like during the Black Hood or in Season 4. Like does intimacy always have to be separate from passion and commitment in their relationships? Bc it seems like they have this weird intimacy issue where they can't seem to confide in and have sex w the same person at the same time. Like ok...Archie's hooking up w Betty so he'll start confiding in V again despite getting the ick from her at the end of Season 4. And when he gets back w her, will he ice her out from his problems again and go confide in Betty? Weird.

Anyway, why did Varchie get back together so fast? Oh yeah, bc they gave Veronica a crap hubby so that she would run back to Archie as the better option by default. Why not give Veronica a good husband and see if she still had stronger feelings for Archie despite nothing being wrong w her spouse? Or at least make her single and hesitant to get back w him bc of how he betrayed her trust? Archie never has to work to get her back at all. And can ppl plz stop putting words in his mouth? V always says "oh so you and Betty was nothing?" and he says "yeah something like that ig"...um no! Just ask "what are you and Betty?" open-ended and see what answer he gives. Bc he seriously needs to explain himself.

Also nice to know that Betty basically doesn't want to be w Archie not bc she for sure doesn't like him but bc she doesn't want to corrupt him w her "darkness." Since when did he become this incorruptible, can-do-no-wrong individual? Bc he was way more compassionate and considerate in Season 1 as compared to now imo but is somehow viewed as a hero and mature just because the show tells us he is. So now both of Beronica see Archie as this beacon of light and goodness in their lives and will therefore let him get away w anything? Cool!

About Kevin...what was that? You want an open relationship and a kid then try to back out when it should already be too late? Plus instead of being upfront, he tried to be a weasel and make it Fangs' fault by trying to get him to be sneaky w the trucker guy just so he could use that as a way to make Fangs the bad guy and have an out to not have to come clean about his own commitment issues. And his response to Fangs calling him out was "yeah, we're supposed to get married and have a kid? I know it was my idea, but oh well! Don't want it anymore, so good luck w that! Sorry I suck!" Like way to take accountability, fart brain! It already seemed like he settled for Fangs based on how they got together out of the blue when Moose left, but how is anyone supposed to believe he respects him now?

Speaking of which, Cheryl was kind of serving sociopathic realness tonight! Like Toni comes to you and says that she has a condition that made her want to have a baby now, and you cry crocodile tears and say that you're happy for her, meanwhile, you're plotting to wreck her happiness w the ambiguously evil art lady. Toni tries to talk to her as reasonably as possible, but it seems like these days, she's incapable of doing anything except twisting people's words to fuel her extreme victim complex. Thought she may have been self-reflecting after the 7 years, but these past couple eps have been a major switcheroo back to her past self, so nvm! Also, she went on about the key party being consensual then wanted Jughead to take a key even though he was drunk af? Like anyways...and Toni wanted to get back together in that one ep when she painted her, but she rejected her, only to change her mind after Toni has decided to raise a baby w someone else? Why would Toni be okay w screwing over her friends so that she could raise the baby w Cheryl? Especially when it seems like another control tactic to keep Toni trapped in her goth abode. It's like she doesn't listen to a word Toni says smh. Major lack of respect and empathy on her part. Fix it! Or don't. She can always just date the Evil Art Lady ig...even though who even is that? And she hooked up w Archie's army friend, Humpty Dumpty? Werk.

One last thing...why was Reggie invited? Doesn't he work for Hiram? Or does that only make someone a pariah deserving of judgment when Veronica does it?

And another thing...glad to know Betty will start investigating w Jughead soon now that her thing w Archie is over. Guess that's what she always does after ending things w Bald. If I was Jugface, I would have major insecurities about this. Veronica, too. Isn't she worried Barchie will cheat again for some reason? It prob won't be addressed tho!

P. S. Can Alice start reassuring Betty ever instead of vice versa? She parentifies Elizabeth so much smh. Also can Polly hit up Cheryl Bombshell? Reunion! Can Chic and Dark Charles not be in it? Idk whether to fall asleep from that or the Hiram flashback ep! Also where did Beronica's friendship go?

I <3 aliens!!!

[differenttriumphdragon]

My Best Cookie Votes and Why: Round 1, Part 1

Mint Choco: While Orange is nice and all, she's ultimately a pretty flat character...and not just in the literal sense either. Minty, on the other hand, has an actual backstory, for starters, plus he's not an absolute dick to his closest friend like his opponent is. Plus, Mint's implied romance with Cocoa is infinitely more satisfying than the Citrus Love Triangle that they do absolutely nothing with. (As a side note, I find it hilarious that the very first matchup is literally just Orange Juice vs. Toothpaste.)

Sea Fairy: I like Tiger Lily and all, but literally her only purpose in canon seems to be to never get told what anything is, which is extremely frustrating on the part of the other Cookies and honestly hits way too close to home. That, and her major character arc with Princess is NEVER touched upon, while Sea Fairy presumably actually managed to reunite with Moonlight.

Pilot: This matchup was essentially Good, Loving (probably surrogate) Grandparent versus Awful, Neglectful, Irresponsible Grandparent who is confirmed to have attempted to alter her granddaughter's DNA in order to change her personality. So yeah.

Pink Choco: Neither of these Cookies really stand out at all. I am a fan of Pink's Magical Girl theming, though, and honestly I'd rather see her on stage than Carol. Also, Pink's design is leagues better.

Walnut: I'll admit, she's just more endearing to me for some reason. Her power is more interesting (and I actually understand how exactly it's supposed to work), and honestly the idea of a little detective with a teddy bear assistant is just adorable. I'm still mad about Angel, but that's not exactly HER fault, now is it?

Dark Choco: DC is a compelling fallen hero character who drives the entire story of Ovenbreak with his disappearance. White Choco Cookie is French, and that's about it. Also:

How can you not vote for him when he promises you such important lore? (Granted, he calls you out for being vain if you pick him. Hey, any lore is good lore, pal! Also, I have long hair I need to worry about too!)

Purple Yam: Honestly, the fact that he actually questions the bad writing sold me on voting for him. He's also a genuinely good character despite his only emotion being anger.

Firecracker: I absolutely love her 80s arcade aesthetic, even in spite of her being way too young to have ever been to an arcade in the 80s. She genuinely wants everyone to have fun, too. Also, Marshmallow got Flame Bat and Celestial Star locked up for her Trial.

Squid Ink: To be honest, this was one of the tougher choices. In the end, I decided that Inky needed more love after what they've been through, so they got the vote. Sorry, Fig.

Roguefort: Devsis has a really bad habit this list of putting far more interesting recent characters against old characters with nothing really to them. I mean, yeah, Ninja's mysterious and all, but you've done absolutely nothing with him since not even LINE, but the defunct game Ovenbreak 2! Other than maybe change his name from Ninjabread, anyway. Hell, Tiny Ghost is more interesting than him, but even then newer players wouldn't even know that, since the one throwaway line hinting at something more was in a Cookie Quest, which were removed from the game entirely over a year ago. Roguefort is more interesting by default.

Vampire: Can I be honest for a sec here? I hate Pancake with a passion. He deliberately makes himself seem cuter to get his way. Based on his interactions with Cream Puff, he's just as cruel as his big bro, if not as outwardly aggressive. No, Pancake relies on psychological manipulation to get everything he wants, and the worst part is IT'S FUCKING WORKING. As we speak, he's stealing a Magic Candy from Devil, from Kiwi...hell, he's even stealing it from Vampire! And now he's dominating the polls, adding insult to debilitating injury. He's not even fucking cute. Yeah, I said it.

Pistachio: Soda has absolutely no personality other than surfboard. Do I even need to say more?

Peppermint: DE could be SUCH a good villain if Devsis could decide what kind of villain she even is. Also if they remembered she was a major villain at all.

Lemon: I'll admit, I see a lot of myself in Lemon. Mostly in feeling artificial and having basically no friends, ever. I honestly think I'd be in a much worse place if I didn't have a brother. Whip could be great if they did anything with the White Swan/Black Swan dynamic he has with Skating Queen.

Pitaya: I've always had problems with the "You can only eat if you work for it" mentality. First of all, you need food to get energy to work, and if you aren't fed, then how are you going to work hard for food!? Second, what if you're disabled or otherwise can't work? Do you just starve to death, then? It just sounds awful!

Cream Puff: She's trying her best.

Kumiho: ...I honestly don't remember.

Pomegranate: A genuinely good villain who stole the show with her introduction. She could've easily been a Knight of Cerebus if the writers cared enough.

Cyborg: Blackberry abandoned a child relying on her protection to chase after a man who didn't remotely need her help. Also, she hates Devil. Also also, Cyborg is cool.

Hero: If you've read Hellfyre Speaks, you can probably guess why I personally picked Hero. I'm just surprised at the popular vote; it seemed to me like Herb was way more popular! But I guess not? Or at least not with early voters.

Werewolf: He's far more fleshed out than Gumball by far.

Devil: Have I ever actually explained why Devil is my favorite? Like, sure, he's an asshole, but he's the fun, ineffectual kind of asshole you actually wanna root for that you see in cartoons; like, in shows focused on a 'villain' character's scheming, usually with a naive idiot going along with it and a very-much-ignored voice of reason. Like in Ed, Edd, n' Eddy, or Evil Con Carne. Devil also has a flair for the dramatic, a knack for 'evil' schemes, and even the perfect foil to play off of! He'd be an absolute goldmine when it comes to the more lighthearted antics between acts, but Devsis is apparently content to just haul up gravel.

Knight: I'll be honest, I saw Alchemist and immediately clicked the other Cookie without looking who it was. But this isn't a post about her, so let's talk about Knight. First off, he'd be the perfect antagonist to Devil; Devil goes full ham when acting out an 'evil' plan, while Knight takes everything WAY too seriously. He adores Princess Cookie but doesn't know jack shit about her, which juxtaposed with Princess's nonchalant rebuttals of everything he claims about her makes it hilarious in a kind of pathetic way. (Ex. Knight claiming that Princess would probably never eat Jam again, then Princess replying she could totally go for some right now to the exact same question.) He's delusional in a way that you'd feel bad for him if he wasn't so over-the-top about it, and yet at the same time he does have skills that match up with his headcanon of how things work, just not the reputation.

Matcha: Seems like the person who'd play both sides for her amusement. I'd keep an eye on her.