#you may be doing a disservice to your dialogue!

[rkmoon]

PSA: SAID IS NOT DEAD. Said is not an overused word you need to cull out of your drafts. Said is not the devil. Said is a dialogue tag that your reader's eyes glaze over, barely noticed, allowing your dialogue to shine. Allowing your characters to speak without the narration overshadowing them. Said is doing a wonderful, thankless job! Said is not dead, you take that back—

[aggro-my-beloved]

《 ♡ Soulmate September Schedule ♡ 》

hello lovely fandom, @aggro-my-beloved here! i’m over the moon to announce that for the entire month of september i will be posting soulmate au centered fics featuring your favorite redacted pairings! some are canon, some are not…but all the works listed below are ones i’m proud to share. the plots and pairings will be listed below the cut. please interact by replying or reblogging this post, and let me know if you’d like to be tagged in any of the following fics once they are

posted <3 (p.s. pls don’t let this flop)

all the following prompts are based on this post from my main blog, @buck-nialled

⑨.②.②④ ⇒ “Long In The Tooth” (LaskoxDear)

[lasko’s been eighteen for six years now, and frankly, he’s becoming sick of playing a juvenile. what makes his endeavor for a soulmate even more bewildering? they’re one of his students.]

❾.❹.❷❹ ⇒ “Trash Polka” (AsherxBabe)

[babe is tired of wearing hoodies in summer, and leggings in the spring. but their soulmate seems too caught up in his career to mind leaving little notes and drawings on their skin, rather than meeting up for a legitimate conversation. babe takes matters into their own hands, which soon won’t be covered by a mod-podge of their soulmate’s scribbles. at least, one can hope.]

⑨.⑥.②④ ⇒ “The Grey Area” (GuyxHoney)

[what’s more depressing than witnessing an amusement park in black and white? realizing it may be the last time you visit one, is probably what guy would answer, as he dangles upside down on Wonderworld’s “Surge” coaster. the pretty stranger next to him isn’t the worst company, though.]

❾.❽.❷❹ ⇒ “A Great Disservice” (DavidxAngel)

[david serves a dangerous line of work. and angel? they cat sit. still, both come home with cuts and scratches for the same reason.]

⑨.①⓪.②④ ⇒ “Rumination” (DamienxHuxley)

[a re-imagined dialogue to the elemental bois confessing their feelings.]

❾.❶❷.❷❹ ⇒ “Resigned/Sullen” (DavidxAsher)

[neither david nor asher have spoken post-inversion about the turmoil they experienced in the arena. not the scars that wouldn’t heal, not what caused them, and certainly not who kept asher from bleeding out on the ground.]

⑨.①④.②④ ⇒ “Pulsation” (Foolsverse!MiloxSweetheart)

[milo enjoys feeling his soulmate’s heart thump faster when he’s present. but only when he’s present.]

❾.❶❻.❷❹ ⇒ “Like and Unlike” (Davidxfem!Angel)

[angel thinks she’s finally found a cure for her crippling social anxiety at Dahlia’s local gym. but she cannot tell if david, the ill-tempered coach, will be the one to make or break her progress.]

⑨.①⑧.②④ ⇒ “Parting Song” (QuinnxDarlin’)

[when you’re standing next to who you think is your soulmate, as you watch the real one whither away in a shitty steel department chair—how do you respond?]

❾.❷⓪.❷❹ ⇒ “Battered and Bruised” (Samx Darlin’)

[so long as he doesn’t tell them, sam can keep up his act of healing darlin’ without suspicion. it’s magic, after all…]

⑨.②②.②④ ⇒ “Twin, Where Have You Been?” (MiloxSweetheart)

[“well, sweetheart. one of us is gonna have to change.” in which milo and his soulmate will forever be that couple.]

❾.❷❹.❷❹ ⇒ “Midnight Oil” (AaronxSmartass)

[the matchmaker test is the one exam nobody can study for. only fate will tell a person who they truly belong with. still, aaron attempts to pull an all nighter with his overly-charming classmate in an attempt to cheat the system.]

⑨.②⑥.②④ ⇒ “All Roads Lead To…” (DavidxDarlin’)

[david’s twelve years young and still leashed in red, wondering when he’ll meet the one on the other side of it, or if he even wants to. darlin’ is eleven years in, a hopeless romantic, and crossing the California state line when they notice their red string now has a little slack.]

❾.❷❽.❷❹ ⇒ “Change Your Tune” (GeordixCutie)

[cutie’s soulmate is the number one target on their shit list. because who on god’s green earth gets the tetris theme stuck in their head on a daily basis? well, they’re about to meet him...]

⑨.③⓪.②④ ⇒ “As If You’ll Live Forever” (ElliotxSunshine)

[the one thing more ironic than sunshine’s soulmate being a dreamwalker is how tired they’ve become of sleeping.]

[hellfirecvnt]

A Few Ways to Improve Your Writing (on Tumblr) from Somebody Who Has No Business Writing

*Specifically for writing fanfiction, though some of the tips are universal.

- Indenting. I usually only indent on mobile bc for some reason, it just throws them the fuck away on my laptop. To indent, I usually just do five "spaces." It just looks nicer (imo) and can help with readability.

Example:

This is a paragraph. In this specific paragraph, I'm showing you what an indention is. It's those five empty spaces at the beginning.

- Dialogue changes. When a character speaks, that's a new paragraph. When a different character speaks next, that's a new paragraph no matter how short the speech is. It's always a great storytelling device. You don't even have to label who is speaking every time if you properly use context clues in the rest of your story!

Example:

"I am speaking," said the man. He is a guy and he's totally speaking.

"Fuck you, Todd."

"Whoa." Todd was not expecting that.

- POV. It's easier said than done, but try to keep your story in the same point of view the whole time, or at least clarify when the POV is changing.

Example: Wrong

You smile at Dee. She's your best friend and has been since elementary school. You ask Dee to borrow a pencil and she happily obliges, passing her the pencil. She says thanks to Dee and the two best friends continue writing. (Confusing, especially for someone who isn't a native English speaker.)

Example: Right

You smile at Dee. She's your best friend and has been since elementary school. You ask Dee to borrow a pencil and she happily obliges, passing you the pencil. You say thanks to Dee and the two best friends continue writing. (Coherent and Cambria, baby.)

Additionally, to show an intentional change in POV, just announce it!

Example:

Dee's POV-

This bitch will not stop asking me for pencils.

Your POV-

Oh, fuck. I forgot my pencil again...

- Complete words. This may be a personal thing, but around the time that Stranger Things 4 came out, I noticed a TON of people just not using the first few letters of the first word of their sentences?? It's another one of those things that's unintentionally inaccessible for people who don't speak English as a first language.

Example: Wrong

"'m not tired yet," she said.

Example: Right

"I'm not tired yet," she said.

- If it's a reader insert, please do not describe Y/N. Pls don't mention hair texture, but a vague style is usually fine. Pls don't mention body size unless it's specified. Don't mention skin tone. Pleaseeee, don't take away from someone else's ability to see themselves in your work that's specifically meant for the reader to see themselves in. Lots of communities don't ever get to see themselves in media, don't take fanfiction from them too.

- Use bold/italics. Both of these things can breathe a whole new life into what emotion you're trying to convey.

Example: No bold/italics

"I told you not to go there. Now we're both screwed."

Example: with bold/italics

"I told you not to go there. Now we're both screwed."

- Reread periodically. When writing a story for a few days, take a moment to go back and reread everything you've put down so far. You'd be surprised by how many little details and storytelling devices you'd forgotten about between writing sessions.

- Hit "Save Draft" literally every 15 minutes or any time you set your phone down if you write on mobile. Speaks for itself.

- AI will fuck you over. Don't be a fuckin' loser.

- Your ideas are NOT bad. Don't water down your vision in hopes that more people will read it. There really is something for everybody. You're doing yourself and your audience a disservice by changing your storyline to be more "mellow" or "relatable." It can be big, it can be dramatic, it can be weird, it can be angst or fluff or smut or literally anything bc YOU made it! No matter what, there will be people who love it with all their flesh and bones and people who scroll past after the first few sentences. It's all about chemistry or something idfk.

(Drop more tips in the comments/tags/reblogs for the new writers of Tumblr ((and me)) to learn and grow!)

[hotcocoabombb]

So, I just finished Astro Bot.

I'm gonna get this out of the way immediately: this game is a fucking masterpiece in my eyes. A genuinely flawless game. If you don't wanna read this whole long ass yapfest I wanna just say this upfront. If you own a PS5 and don't own this game, you are doing yourself a disservice. With that out of the way, allow me to glaze the fuck out of this game.

Before I start with the game itself I wanna talk about Production Value because holy shit it is off the fucking charts here. Every inch of this game is fucking gorgeous. Water is so good Mario WiiU would be brought to tears. Particles and physics objects are everywhere, to the point where it feels like Team Asobi was just showing off with what the PS5 was capable of. I have no issues calling it the best looking PS5 game. Sure, God of War or The Last of Us Part 1 may look better technically but Astro Bot's artstyle combined with a locked 60fps that I didn't notice dip once despite the amount of stuff on screen at once pushes it over the edge for me. On top of that, the music is incredible. Every level has a new tune that you'll sometimes just sit down and listen to for a moment before starting a level. Slo-Mo Casino, Crash Site, and Sky Garden are highlights for me but the whole soundtrack is incredibly good.

But that doesn't really mean much if the game kinda sucks, so I am glad to report that Astro Bot might be the best controlling 3D platformer I have ever played. Everything just feels like it has the just right amount of fine tuning. Astro's jump is just right between floaty and weighty, and his hover helps mitigate platforming mistakes without being essentially a get out of jail free card. His attack is basic but you can also damage enemies by hovering, and the game switches it up often enough for it to not feel repetitive. The levels compliment the control perfectly. While Astro Bot is generally a pretty easy game, I don't think that's a bad thing because of how comfortable it feels to play. Everything just feels good. Every time you mess up a jump, it feels like your fault instead of the game's. This rings true even in the face button challenges (which is what im calling them for lack of a better term lol). These little challenges, themed around the Sony face buttons, can be a lot more challenging than the regular game, but they remain fair. Even the final challenge of the game to get the last bot is a fair challenge. The game never resorts to cheap deaths which makes it way more fun than some other "difficult" games. The boss fights are also really good. The wait times between attacks always remained interesting to me because the pace of everything just felt snappy. They never last more than a few minutes and by the time you're done with them they don't overstay their welcome. They're always a nice change of pace from the main game. Also, going for completion never felt like a slog. I got all 301 bots (missing 4 because my playroom file got deleted on accident :/), all puzzle pieces, and all achievements and I was never bored. Just goes to show how incredible the gameplay is.

The story is nothing super complex but I like it for what it is. Basically an Alien just decided to be a jerk and stole the pieces from the PS5 and scattered all the bots and it's up to Astro to fix everything up. Not the most inspired story ever but that's not really an issue imo. The main alien is constantly bullying the CPU of the PS5 and it's honestly really funny to watch the scenes. For a game without any dialogue they really put their all into the story and I personally think they did an amazing job with the story.

Overall, like I said at the beginning of this, Astro Bot is a masterpiece. Everything this game sets out to do, it not only succeeds, but excel's at. This game doesn't have a single bad level or dull moment. I am not kidding when I say I don't even have any dumb nitpicks to muster up. Astro Bot is a perfect game in my eyes and Team Asobi should be goddamn proud of themselves for releasing a game this fucking good.

Astro Bot gets a 10/10 from me. Please go buy and play this game. It's wonderful.

[theabyssqueen]

Chara is our partner, not our victim (rant)

Warning: may sound like Chara hate to some, but Chara is actually one of my favorite characters in Undertale since childhood. I love them. Please keep this in mind while reading this.

Undertale fandom (especially on Youtube and ESPECIALLY Tiktok) try to use critical thought and realise after 8 years that Chara is just as responsible for the Genocide route and is a willing participant in it challenge (impossible)

Like how can you think that Chara is punishing you for your sins at the end of Genocide or is disgusted with you if they helped you throughout it all?

We do not corrupt them.

We do not manipulate them.

Chara is your partner on equal grounds. They make it very clear right at the end of Genocide that you were never in control.

I repeat: we are NEVER in control of Chara.

Treating them as a lost and confused baby without any freedom of choice or thought is a disservice to the character.

Proof under the cut.

The Genocide Run has strict requirements for it to be started. For red text to appear, you need to kill 20 monsters in the Ruins, fully clearing them out. Yet, if you kill the first Froggit you meet, AND 19 monsters, Genocide does not begin. Why is that? I thought Chara was corrupted by all the LV and EXP we are gaining!

It's because Chara doesn't care if the first Froggit is killed or not. Only the monsters after it count.

Additionally, the last chance that Genocide can be aborted is right before Mettaton NEO, at which point, you should be at LV 15. Thing is, this LV can be reached even during a Neutral Run, by grinding 39 Knight Knights in the CORE. Yet, red text still doesn't appear.

Sparing monsters in Genocide is possible and doesn't deter Chara from the Run (but only if it's a common encounter).

Chara berates you if Snowdrake gets away and Genocide is aborted immediately.

Chara keeps count of the monsters needed to be killed and will stop you from advancing further in some sections if there are still monsters left.

They could easily just not do all of that.

Frisk's independent actions out of the Player's control during Genocide are actually not theirs, but Chara's. Chara kills Flowey, Asgore, and Sans. And while an argument could be made for us influencing Chara into killing Sans, the same cannot be made for Asgore's and Flowey's deaths. There isn't even any FIGHT button for us to press. The only thing we are doing at this point is advancing dialogue.

And this is considering that Flowey and Asgore were/are both Chara's family, or at least akin to one.

Listen, I get it. I also hate when people put all the blame on Chara. I also dislike when people just stamp "evil" onto them and erase all possible nuance. But that doesn't mean that we should go right into the opposite direction and act as if they're innocent or righteous.

At the end of Genocide, no matter your input on the matter, Chara ends the world. Not just you, not just the monsters still left alive in the Underground, but the whole universe. That indescribably outweighs all the misdeeds we have done during the Run.

Just think about it. Is really killing EVERYONE in the world justifiable, if you do it to punish someone? Even a murderer? To make them "see the consequences of their actions"?

How does that make sense?

How does that elevate them from you in any capacity?

Is it because they talk of "perverted sentimentality", which evades even them? Chara only talks about it if you try to return to the world you had a part in destroying. Chara only talks about if on the 2nd+ Genocide Run you do not comply with erasing everything.

In fact, if you play along, they compliment you. And they don't say anything about your feelings on the matter.

Killing and erasing is encouraged. If you do so, in Chara's eyes, you are a beneficial and trustworthy partner.

And the photo. The photo that appears at the end of Soulless Pacifist if you leave Toriel. Instead of Frisk, Chara is shown, and everyone else's faces are crossed out, implying that they are dead.

Some argue that this is just Chara trying to scare you, or remind you of all the murder you've committed, keeping you responsible.

Alphys is scribbled out.

It is impossible to kill Alphys in Genocide.

It's possible she kills herself during some pretty bad Neutral Runs. Not to mention that, in general, a lot of Neutral Runs are just as, if not worse than Genocide.

Why won't Chara guilt trip you for having done them, then?

And I just can't wrap my mind around someone thinking that Chara is literally pulling a "just a prank bro" here. Especially considering that this is never shown or hinted at to be the case.

And as the icing on the cake, look at the text that appears after the end of Genocide in the Undertale Demo:

To me, at this point, thinking that Chara is innocent is just denial.

Yes, Chara offers trying out a different route next time. Yet they sure as hell won't stop encouraging it if it is started all over again. No matter if it's the 1st, 2nd, or 100th time you decide to kill everyone to wipe out the world, Chara will play along. This is considering the fact that their dialogue changes on the 2nd Genocide, and thus, proof that Chara's memory is unaffected by RESETs or ERASEs.

Yes, Chara says that YOU were the one who lead this world to ruin. But in my opinion, considering their offer for you to try out a different path, and their actions in Soulless Pacifist (which are, again, out of their own volition and unprompted), Chara's ultimate goal is to take over your/Frisk's soul. Which is why the point fingers and erase their contribution in all the murder, to try and make you feel guilty for it, seeing how you clearly do not wish to part with this world so easily.

Evidently, they've succeeded.

Chara would never get what they want at the end, if not for your help. And you wouldn't get what you want, if not for Chara's help.

The Player and Chara are partners. Let's never forget that.

Credit to the Undertale Text Project for the screenshots and to the nochocolate blog for opening my eyes all those years ago. I love you nochoco.

[sapphim]

Welcome to Does Varric Know Their Name? Part 3: Anders, Fenris, and Sebastian edition.

Or, all the dialogue in DA2 in which Varric refers to Hawke’s companions; by name, nickname, or otherwise. For reasons. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Part 1: Aveline, Bethany, and Carver Part 2: Isabela, Merrill, and Tallis

Anders

Combat barks

Varric: They got Whatshisname, the mage? Dammit!

Act 1 (Banter)

Varric: We dwarves are drawn to shiny objects. Sort of like magpies, but with business sense. Anders: You're kidding. Varric: Of course I am. We come to the surface with the skills our ancestors had, Blondie. Varric: So a human, an elf, and a dwarf walk into a bar… Anders: The human says, "You're lucky you're so short. That hurt like mad!" Varric: You could've just stopped me, Blondie.

Act 2 (Plans for the Future)

Varric: Just tell me if you hear more rumblings from the Coterie about protection. Blondie's got enough trouble…

Act 2 (Family Matter)

Varric: I almost wish Blondie hadn't wiggled his fingers and cleared Bartrand's head. I liked it better when I just wanted to kill the bastard.

Act 2 (A Rumour Making the Rounds)

Varric: I’m not spreading rumors. I’m just telling you which way the wind is blowing. Hawke: It fills my heart with joy to know you're not telling people I'm sleeping with an ogre. Varric: Blondie is hardly an ogre! He's too puny.

Act 2 (Friendly Concern)

Varric: Actually, I’ve been meaning to talk to you. Varric: You and Whatshisname, that mage, seem to be getting pretty close. Anders: [CUT] You'd think after three years the dwarf would learn my name. And I'm standing right here! Varric: [CUT] Right, I see you there, Blondie. Don't worry. Varric: Listen, as your friend, I feel like I'd be doing you a disservice if I didn't say something. Varric: Maybe, just maybe, getting involved with the possessed mage might be dangerous. There: I've said my piece.

Act 2 (Banter)

Varric: Blondie, I don't mean to sound critical, but have you considered a new line of work? Anders: Such as? Varric: Pretty much anything? I don't think "renegade mage" has a bright future. Or any retirement plan. Varric: Oh, cheer up, Blondie. You're making me cry just looking at you. Anders: Don't. Varric: You made a mistake. It happens. Anders: I almost killed a girl.

Act 3 (The Storm and What Came Before It)

Anders: If you think that was bad, I should tell you about the Blackmarsh. Varric: See, when you say things like that, Blondie, it just makes me glad I didn't know you sooner. Varric: Who goes to a place named Blackmarsh on purpose? Now, if they called it Beermarsh… no, still doesn't work. Hawke: What was Anders here for? Varric: Blondie didn't tell you? He comes down here now and then. He loses at cards to Isabela, and I buy him drinks. Varric: This is the best tavern in Kirkwall, Hawke! As a favor to you, I put Blondie on my tab. Varric: Only place in Kirkwall he can get a decent drink. Blondie comes by here, and I put him on my tab. Varric: He's got some stories about his days in Ferelden that sound implausible even to me.

Act 3 (Haunted)

Hawke: I can't believe I'm saying this: If it means that much to you, keep the shard of craziness. Anders: No! This thing is cursed. It can bring nothing but madness! Varric: It's not your call, Blondie. Anders: Varric, I beg you, destroy this thing. Varric: I can't. I'm sorry.

Act 3 (Faith)

Leliana: The Divine has long suspected that Kirkwall's problems were spurred by an outside group. Anders: Like any mage with a brain can't come up with "Let's rebel"? Varric: To be fair, Blondie, a lot of those "rebellions" boil down to, "Lets feed ourselves to demons!"

Act 3 (Questioning Beliefs)

Varric: What's that, a… pillow? Anders: Hand-embroidered by my mother. The only thing of hers they let me keep when I went to the Circle. Varric: Why in the name of Andraste would you give that to me? Anders: You've been a good friend, Varric. Varric: Uh-uh. You keep your pillow, Blondie. And may you have many more dreams of killing templars on it.

Act 3 (Dog)

Hawke: Is it brilliant or horrible that you play diamondback with my dog? Varric: All I'm saying is, he'd be up more than two sovereigns if he watched his tells. Varric: My Uncle Emmet has a whole pack of rat terriers who play every week. Varric: They're a cutthroat bunch. You've got a long way to go to be their quality. Dog: (Growls.) Varric: Now don't take it bad—you're still better than Anders.

Act 3 (Finding Nathaniel)

Varric: [CUT] If we're going to the Deep Roads, it may be good to bring Anders along. He has that whole "Warden sense" thing going for him.

Act 3 (Banter)

Varric: So, three templars walk into a tavern. Anders: Not right now, Varric. Varric: You feeling all right, Blondie? You're always in the mood for templar jokes. Varric: You've been glowering for days. Your face is going to get stuck that way. Anders: My face is the least of my concerns right now. Varric: That's because you don't have to look at it. Varric: If you could see it from this angle, Blondie, it'd be at least a close second on your priority list. Varric: So, the knight-commander��� Boiling in oil? That one never gets old. Anders: This is past time for joking. Varric: I'm helping you indulge in elaborate revenge fantasies. I think it's good for you. Anders: Meredith will die. Do not doubt that. Varric: Go away, Justice. Can Anders come out and play? Anders: Stop. Varric: You are no fun anymore. Merrill: Have I ever mentioned that I like your coat? Anders: You do? Merrill: It's very lively! Like a crow in the middle of anting! Anders: That's… that's great. Thanks, Merrill. Varric: I tried to warn you, Blondie. Anders: You're not helping.

Act 3 Climax (Banter)

Merrill: How do you do it, living in this city without picking a side? Doesn’t it matter to you? Varric: Of course it does. That’s why I don’t take sides. Merrill: That doesn’t make any sense. Varric: I’ve got you and Aveline, Fenris and Anders. Hawke. Isabela.

Legacy DLC (Banter)

Anders: More Deep Roads. Why did we agree to do this again? Varric: This isn't so bad, Blondie. You could be losing more coin to the elf in a game of Wicked Grace. Anders: (Groans.) At this rate, I'll still be paying him back when I'm dead. Anders: More Deep Roads. Why did we agree to do this again? Varric: Because I love trouble, and you think Hawke is cute. That wasn't a serious question, was it, Blondie? Anders: S/he is pretty cute. Hawke: Varric. I've heard… stories of a personal nature being spread around town. Varric: You're the Champion of Kirkwall. People pay attention to everything you do. And everyone. Varric: As it happens, I haven't said a word about you and Blondie. I'd look at that uncle of yours for this particular rumor. Anders: I'm right here, you know. Shall I stick my fingers in my ears until you're done? Anders: The darkspawn taint, the call of the Archdemon… it's inside me, as much a part of me as Justice. Hawke: Never bothered me before. Anders: You should find someone else, love. You don't want all the ugliness I'm going to bring into your life. Hawke: Not a chance. Varric: I've got to hand it to you, Blondie. You make that work every time…

Legacy DLC (Party barks)

Anders: How's this going to fit into your grand tale, Varric? Anders: "Hawke and friends walked for a really long time in nasty tunnels that smelled like nugshit." Varric: Well, I'd probably say something like… Varric: "Then, around the corner, we caught the sound of an entirely new type of darkspawn." Varric: You had to ask, Blondie! Anders: Stop! Just make him stop talking! Make him stop! Varric: Hang in there, Blondie. We're going to get you out of this. Anders: No! Get out of my head! Varric: Come on, Blondie. You're strong enough to overcome this.

Mark of the Assassin DLC (Banter)

Anders: Orlesian. Varric: Fop. Um… Party. Anders: Crash. Varric: Seriously, Blondie? No one ever invites you anywhere? Anders: Would you? Varric: Good point. Anders: So… templar. Varric: Argh! Anders is talking about templars again! Does that count as one word?

Mark of the Assassin DLC (Rescue)

Varric: Blondie, I hate to say this, but I’m pretty sure we’ve been here before. Anders: Blast it! But we went left this time! We shouldn’t have come full-circle again! Varric: I wish I hadn’t given that ball of twine to Daisy.

Narration / Interrogation

Varric: So that's it. That's the whole story. Cassandra: Then Meredith provoked the Circle. She was to blame. Varric: Or that damned idol was. Or Anders. Take your pick. Varric: As for the rest of us? Eventually we all left the Champion's side for one reason or another. Varric: Well… all of us except for Anders.

Fenris

Combat barks

Varric: The tame elf is down!

Act 1 (Banter)

Varric: So, elf. That thing you do with your hand… Fenris: I can already tell this isn't going anywhere pleasant. Varric: I bet that makes pickpocketing easier. Fenris: I'll try it some time and find out. Varric: Oh-ho! The broody elf tells a joke! Fenris: I don't brood. Varric: Friend, if your brooding were any more impressive, women would swoon as you passed. They'd have broody babies in your honor. Fenris: You're a very odd dwarf. Varric: So where's your beard, elf? Fenris: Elves don't grow beards. Varric: Huh. I thought maybe you'd shaved it off in a fit of broody pique. Fenris: So you're a funny dwarf.

Act 2 (A Bitter Pill)

Hawke: So much for not killing her. Fenris: (Spits.) That's what her bloody deal was worth! Varric: Hawke? Maybe now isn't a good time to offer the elf constructive criticism.

Act 2 (A Rumour Making the Rounds)

Varric: I’m not spreading rumors. I’m just telling you which way the wind is blowing. Hawke: It fills my heart with joy to know you’re not telling people I’m sleeping with an ogre. Varric: Don't compare the Tevinter elf to an ogre, Hawke. Ogres have a sense of humor.

Act 2 (Friendly Concern)

Varric: Actually, I've been meaning to talk to you. Varric: People say you and that elf—you know, the angsty Tevinter one—are becoming quite the item. Fenris: [CUT] The "angsty" one? Varric: [CUT] Hey, I also got "Tevinter" in there. Don't leave that out. Varric: I know you don't listen to a damned thing I say, but you might want to be careful. Varric: You do know the elf is covered in spikes, like an angsty porcupine? He might have some… issues.

Act 2 (Banter)

Varric: You really ought to take that offer, elf. It'd keep the Coterie off your back pretty much permanently. Fenris: I don't need employment. Varric: But it wouldn't kill you to make some friends in this city. Three years, and you're practically a ghost.

Act 3 (Alone)

Danarius: And this is your new master, then? The Champion of Kirkwall? Impressive. Hawke: I'm sure we can come to some kind of arrangement. Fenris: No! He needs to die! Varric: Our elf is a hell of a negotiator! Fenris: What is she to me other than just one more tool of the magisters? Hawke: This is your family, Fenris. Varric: Elf… Fenris. I know how hard this is to believe, but this is the last thing you want to do. Varric: Elf… Fenris. Don't. It won't help. Trust me.

Banter (Act 3)

Varric: You know you still owe me five sovereigns, elf. Fenris: I’m good for it. Varric: So, you think you can win the coin from Isabela? Good luck with that. Varric: Did he sweep you off your feet? I'm assuming he did the sweeping. He's taller than you. Awkward, otherwise. Fenris: I'm not telling you anything but this: There was no actual sweeping involved. Varric: Every little bit helps, elf.

Banter (Act 3 Climax)

Merrill: How do you do it, living in this city without picking a side? Doesn’t it matter to you? Varric: Of course it does. That’s why I don’t take sides. Merrill: That doesn’t make any sense. Varric: I’ve got you and Aveline, Fenris and Anders. Hawke. Isabela.

Legacy DLC (Party barks)

Fenris: A dwarven prison? Varric: Dwarves don't do prisons, elf. This is a trash heap. They threw something away here and hoped it wouldn't come back.

Legacy DLC (Banter)

Varric: You, elf, are one lucky son-of-a-bitch. Fenris: Is this about the diamondback game? Again? Varric: I've never seen anyone bluff like that in my life! I was sure you had a hand full of nothing. Fenris: So was I. You're the one who pointed out I had four serpents. Anders: More Deep Roads. Why did we agree to do this again? Varric: This isn't so bad, Blondie. You could be losing more coin to the elf in a game of Wicked Grace. Anders: (Groans.) At this rate, I'll still be paying him back when I'm dead. Varric: So, elf, what’s this I’ve been hearing about you and the Rivaini? Fenris: None of your business, dwarf. Varric: Just be careful. I get the impression that Isabela’s breakups turn into bloodbaths. Hawke: Varric. I've heard… stories of a personal nature being spread around town. Varric: And you want me to set the record straight? I'm honored. Varric: I haven't told anyone about you and that angsty Tevinter elf. Try looking closer to home for that intelligence leak. Fenris: "Angsty Tevinter elf?" Varric: What can I say? I strive for accuracy.

Narration

Varric: As for the rest of us? Eventually we all left the Champion’s side for one reason or another. Varric: Well… all of us except for Fenris.

Sebastian

Repentance (Act 2)

Sebastian: I must speak with Lady Harimann and find out what drove her to this madness. Sebastian: But I am the last of my line. I should not go alone and make myself a target. Hawke: Why's everybody looking at me? Varric: I don't know why Choir Boy here didn't yell, "Hawke to the rescue!" That's clearly what he was going for.

Banter (Act 2)

Varric: So, Choir Boy, this usurper of yours is… twenty feet tall? Sebastian: Not even close, no. Varric: But he has claws for hands, right? Sebastian: Fingers. Perfectly normal ones. If a little fat, perhaps. Varric: He eats babies, though. And farts fire. Sebastian: You're not serious, I hope. Varric: Tell us about Starkhaven, Choir Boy. I'm sure we're all burning with curiosity about your far-away land. Sebastian: My far-away land? It's inland Free Marches, not on the moon. Varric: And here I was hoping…

Act 3 (Banter)

Varric: You know, Choir Boy, I wouldn't normally say this, but—the shiny white armor? It works for you. Sebastian: That's uncharacteristically kind of you, Varric. Varric: Makes you look like a lacquered pilot whale. Sebastian: Ah, now that was much more in-character.

Legacy DLC (Banter)

Varric: Choir Boy, what are you doing? Sebastian: Nothing! Nothing! Varric: Are you trying to peek at my notes? Sebastian: I've… heard some strange rumors about a "belt buckle of righteousness." Bethany: This wasn’t my choice. If there’s something good or beautiful in any of this, please, enlighten me. Sebastian: Well, there’s you. Bethany: I… oh my. Varric: Choirboy is butter. Isabela: He melted mine.

Mark of the Assassin DLC (Banter)

Sebastian: Your Merchants Guild reminds me of the court at Starkhaven. Intrigue and gossip wrapped in a layer of formality. Varric: If Starkhaven was a tenth as bad, I see why you took to the Chantry. Sebastian: Fashion was the worst part. In the Chantry, I never have to worry whether doublets are meant to be fitted or padded this year. Varric: In Starkhaven, do they bludgeon you to death for forgetting the name of a minor clerk's third daughter? Sebastian: Only if you're lucky. Varric: Choir Boy, suddenly your life makes much more sense to me.

Mark of the Assassin DLC (Rescue)

Sebastian: When you tell people about this part of our adventure, what are you going to say? Varric: That depends entirely on the audience, Choir Boy. Sebastian: You change the story to suit the listener? Varric: Of course. All the bullshit in the world won't convince Hawke we rescued him if he finds us first.

Narration

Varric: As for the rest of us? Eventually we all left the Champion’s side for one reason or another. Varric: [CUT] Well… all of us except for Sebastian. I never quite figured that one out.

[animebw]

Your review of ONK made me wonder: If a show tries to convey a message and the viewer fails to get it, how much blame can be placed on the author and how much on the people? A person may try to explain something as clearly as possible, but there will always be someone who won't understand, so who can be blamed?

I want to clarify that this is not an attempt at a last minute defense of Aka or the series, but a genuine question that has been on my mind since reading the review.

And I apologize if the question is unclear, I'm not a native English speaker.

Oh, it's a very valid question. And not one exclusive to anime; Fight Club is a perfect example of that question. So many of its fans see it as an aspirational tale of Manly Men Rejecting Modern Society And Embracing The Masculine Tradition Of Violence, but the movie's whole point is that its characters are a bunch of loser incels turning to violence and terrorism to cope with their emasculation complex and the whole masculine glorification of violence is Bad, Actually. Is it th4e audience's fault for missing the message so profoundly because it conflicted with their preconceptions and biases? Or did the movie just not do a good enough job communicating that message and accidentally made the concept of fight club itself seem way cooler than it meant to? Genuinely hard to say.

That said, one bit of analysis I've always found really handy comes from Lindsay Ellis' video series on the Transformers movies: "Framing and aesthetics supercede the rest of the text, always, always, always." When you're working with a visual medium, what's communicated visually will always register more strongly than what's simply part of the story and dialogue (hence why "show don't tell" is such a big rule). In the case of Fight Club, you could argue that the cinematography and editing do such a good job selling the illusion of fight club as something cool and fun and desirable that the intended subversion where the movie then goes "Psych! These people are all losers" in the final act doesn't register as strongly. In the case of anime, it's why your standard fanservice package does such a disservice to female characters; no matter how well written or interesting they might be, if they're constantly framed tits and ass first, that's how the audience will primarily remember them.

And don't get me started on Attack on Titan, which is basically Fight Club's issue stretched across almost a hundred episodes. You spend the first half of the series basically force-fed in-universe fascist propaganda that gives you a biased perspective on what's really going on, only for the curtain to pull back in the second half and force you to confront the grim reality the first half purposefully hid from you. It puts you in the same place as the characters, forced to re-evaluate everything you though you knew and realize just how easily you were taken in by lies and genocidal rhetoric spread by this world's version of the Nazis. But because the first half of the series was so effective at selling you on that rhetoric with its orgasmically violent action and rousing speeches set to epic music, a bunch of fans never grew out of it and continued beating the drums of fascism even as the series turned around and started ripping apart the very ideals it was once holding up. Which is how you end up with a bunch of unironic Eren Yeager stans cheering for him to literally destroy the world because they think he's some kind of based uberchad instead of a fundamentally broken shell of a man running on hate-fueled exhaust fumes until he burns himself down to nothing in his inability to escape the cycle of violence he's become ensnared in. Because that was the story they were trained to expect, and they refused to budge when the other shoes started dropping.

Now, that doesn't really apply to Oshi no Ko since its issues are all primarily text-based, not visual-based. But it's a useful bit of critical thinking that informs a lot of the way I look at media. In a visual medium, visuals always hit harder and leave a stronger impact than words alone, for better or worse.

[hologramcowboy]

While thinking about your posts on actors and the need to continually train and learn and demonstrate that to casting agents, I remembered a story from early supernatural. Jared had an acting coach to help him prepare for an emotional scene - and Jensen basically bullied him into getting rid of them. Jensen talked about this at an early con and seemed very proud of himself for it. I think this demonstrates Jensen's attitude towards learning and getting help from others to work on acting skills and craft.

Anon, do you have link for this? I'd love to read it to get more context.

Any actor peer that wants to see you grow and believes in you will always recommend private or class coaching and they will tell you which coaches are best for that. If Jensen did indeed discourage Jared then he did him an immense disservice out of spite for not being trained. Instead of choosing to grow, he chose to limit his actor peer in order to feel better about himself.

Then booking machines you see on screen all have coaches and not just for acting, they have diction,dialogue, script analysis, self tape, etc coaches as well. Depending on what they need at a certain point in their career or for a specific audition.

The number one thing that producers, agent, managers and acting coaches recommend is for an actor to always be in class or ,at least, in private coaching. This is because acting is always evolving and so is the tehnology they use to shoo t movies with so if you are not studying then you risk being an obsolotele production risk.

Jensen needs some humble pie, if only he would get a coach he would actually stand a chance to one day impress with his performances and gain the fame he feels so entilted to with no merit.

Just for the record, whether you are a green o ran advanced actor, if you are smart, you should always get coached prior to auditions and you should never, ever put work out there without first being coached on it and taking it to high level. Normal, trained actors always get coached before an audition, they may do so through in person or online session but they always do so.

I am astounded by Jensen's lack of knowledge and understanding about his own industry and how things work. Which makes me very worried for his career, arrogance will only take him so far and looks do fade.

No actor should be facing heavy scenes alone simply because they run the risk of traumatizing or retraumatizing themselves (depending on their substitutions in a scene) so Jared choosing a coach was a very smart move for his mental wellbeing and performance level. He will certainly be taken much more seriously than Jensen ever will because actors that don't do inner workand just wing their performances, as Jensen does, have way less credibility and aren't viewed very well.

.

[eilinelsghost]

If you’re still up for it could you talk about the WTF Christmas wine wip?

Yes, definitely still up for it! I love doing these asks - so if anyone has more, don't hesitate to send them over. (For this WIP titles game.)

WTF Christmas wine, at least salvage some of this

Lol oh this one. I may have talked about it in a previous ask game, but the short version of this is I had one too many glasses of wine last Christmas, which apparently takes my grasp of timelines right out of the equation. Consequently I wrote a scene I thought was *so* good and I could not wait to slot it into the outline....and then I woke up the next morning, glanced at the latest WIP, and realized I had written a scene featuring Bëor and Haleth having a conversation. Which um. Ah well.

But I did genuinely like some of the dialogue, so my goal is to somehow salvage at least a bit of that and hand it out to another character (or characters). I'm not sure whether I'll be able to or not, so I'll give you the main snippet here in case none of it ever makes it into Atandil:

“You need his aid in this at least: should you wish to hold this land with welcome and not be driven back between the fords and Dungortheb by those who could otherwise be your allies. Elu Thingol holds his borders against any of our kind and will not suffer the passage without persuasion.” “Which is why your minder dismissed you at the borders?” she said with a sardonic smile.  “I took my own leave or he’d not have gone a step further,” Balan drained the remaining broth from his cup. “You need an advocate too urgently to let him make a principle of my passage.” “I’ve need of naught.” “No? Your people do, then, if you’ll not own it.” “Own what? The need to bind ourselves to others’ powers and rule? To be gathered in as so many pups for the lordly ones to determine which might grow to be useful in the hunt?” She leaned back in the chair and watched him darkly. “Nay, we have not come hence through blood and trial to resign our peace to another’s tending, not to the cold pride of the seven brothers, nor yet to the honeyed hand that feeds you.” “You do him a disservice if you think him so mercenary. He made no demand for service, put forward no expectation or hope of anything but friendship between my people and his. It was I who asked him to take me on—asked him over and again until he granted it.” Balan was silent for a long moment, then added in a quiet voice, “My lord will not hold record of aid to leverage from you some later advantage, if that is what you fear. You have my word.” “I fear neither leverage nor demand. Nor frankly, Balan, do I trust your word to be impartial regarding the House of Finarfin.” Then her face softened as she watched him across the table. “I do thank you for your concern, truly. I know it is well meant, but I oppose any counsel that relinquishes the fate of my people to any judgment but our own.”

Thanks so much for the ask!

[miloscat]

[Review] Syberia (PS2)

A graphic adventure, emphasis on the graphics.

Another pick from my monthly retro game club, Syberia is a game I only knew by reputation. While it was developed by Microïds' Canadian division, it was creatively spearheaded by the Belgian comic artist Benoît Sokal who instilled some unique flavours into it. Exploring some similar territory to his earlier game Amerzone, this is a point and click adventure set in a slightly askew version of Europe.

To spare my wrist from pointing and clicking, I opted for the contemporary PS2 port, which has you directly controlling protagonist Kate Walker with the analogue stick, with interactable hotspots getting highlighted as you pass them. Unfortunately the lower resolution does a slight disservice to the visual design of this game, although not as drastically as the DS conversion (which bizarrely, the later ports were based on, I've been told).

The game makes heavy use of prerendered backdrops to depict the melancholic locales, with some clever FMV insets for motion, and 3D models layered on top only for the sparse few characters. It's all in service of building Sokal's imaginative world, a world of faded glory populated by eccentrics, all touched by Hans Voralberg, the object of Walker's quest. Her mundane task of finalising a contract for the sale of a factory transforming into an unexpected steampunk adventure is ripe for drama, although the game doesn't capitalise on it as well as it could have.

Kate's personal journey is supposed to be along the lines of a buttoned-up lawyer being challenged to embrace the passions of life, but this only vaguely bubbles along in the background so she just ends up coming off as rather bland. Occasional phone calls home are meant to flesh out her arc, but they only served to make me annoyed at her shouty boss, shallow friend, overbearing mother, and worst of all her nagging, whiny fiancé. On the other hand, Kate's companion on her trip is the clockwork automaton Oscar, a standout character who mechanically exhibits a soulful blend of fussy and sassy.

But the story really revolves around Hans, the savant syndrome genius inventor. His influence is felt at each of the stops in your journey, where you talk with those whose lives he has touched, and try to tinker with the mechanical marvels he left behind. His intricate clockwork creations have been integrated in the sleepy French village of Valadilene, the majestic Barrockstadt university, the ex-Soviet industrial wasteland of Komkolzgrad, and the Eastern European hotel at Aralbad. Truly the locations are the star of the game, each seemingly stuck in a bubble of the past, the rich detail making them feel real even through an aura of the surreal.

These places do get let down somewhat by often muted colour palettes, although arguably that ties into the theme of decline that permeates each. A bigger issue is the awkwardness of navigating them, with sometimes unclear traversal options, not to mention the pause between each flip screen as the next one loads. Sometimes the direction you're facing is completely inverted as you move between screens, such that your continued move input turns you around and may even move you straight back. I suppose this is a problem unique to joypad controls... Kate also gets around very slowly (even with the run button), and goes through laborious animations to line herself up with interactables, so the pace of gameplay can feel plodding.

Broader pacing issues are present to varying degrees. The first two chapters in particular have quite drawn-out and convoluted sequences of puzzles and fetch quests. It never gets as challenging as Myst or obtuse as Starship Titanic (two other adventure games I've played with a similar sense of style and prerendered graphics), so I never struggled too much but an occasional nudge from a guide was needed when I failed to see eye to eye with the designers. Dialogue scenes also slow things down with overly wordy prose that you have to comb relevant details out of.

So there's some flaws, but my biggest issue was with the scope of the game. It just doesn't tell a complete story, ending rather abruptly as Kate meets Hans in a location you've already been to. It feels like the decision to split the story up into two games left this one without a satisfying conclusion. Hans' (and the game's) mammoth fixation and the driving motivation to get to Syberia are utterly unpaid-off; Oscar doesn't even get to meet his creator before the game ends, despite that being brought up numerous times! It's simply half a game, and from what I've read the sequel has its own problems with failing to make Kate a compelling protagonist after completing what passes for her character arc, among other things.

But you know, no game is perfect. I still think there's a lot to love in Syberia. The atmosphere is thick and there's always striking visual design waiting around the next corner. Every location feels distinct and fascinating, and each has memorable characters and setpieces. It brings up some interesting ideas, even if it doesn't quite grapple with them as much as I wanted it to. If anything it makes me curious about Sokal's comics, although from a quick look I'm not sure any of them have been published in English! Sacre bleu!

[lennnypooh]

Multiracial Companionship: Bring It On (2000)

Bring It On is a film focusing on the new captain of the predominantly white Ranche Carne Toros cheer team, Torrance Shipman(Kirsten Dunst). The Toros have won the national championship five years in a row and Torrance, as captain, is determined to get the team to win for the sixth year however, unbeknownst to her the previous cheer captain ‘Big Red’ has been plagiarizing cheers from the predominantly Black and Latino cheer team, the East Compton High Clovers. The Clovers, led by their captain, Isis(Gabrielle Union) will be competing in Nationals for the first time so the Toros are forced to confront their unoriginal and illegitimate skills while coming up with their own cheers comparable to the very squad they relied on for the past five years.

There is a clear intention of this film, and that is to display the aspects of cultural appropriation, which is “the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society”-- in this case, it is the Toros appropriating the cheers of the Clovers. 

There is a clear intention of this film, and that is to display the aspects of cultural appropriation, which is “the unacknowledged or inappropriate adoption of the customs, practices, ideas, etc. of one people or society by members of another and typically more dominant people or society”-- in this case, it is the Toros appropriating the cheers of the Clovers. (20:40)

Isis's confrontation with Torrance forces her to face the fact that they have been cheating the past five years and their status of the ‘best’ has been based on complete lies. In this way, I sis as a black woman is acting as the vehicle for the white characters epiphany/character arc. Furthermore, Isis prevents Torrance from compensating for her guilt by declining the money Torrance got her father to sponsor the Clovers to go to Nationals with. 

The Toros do not win the national competition but are second to the Clovers. Rightfully so, however there were audiences that were disappointed in the outcome. Probably because they wanted the white group to win or because they love an underdog story; but the true underdogs of Bring It On are the Clovers–the ones who really got no spotlight and were in only a third of the film…

I think it is also worth it to mention that the only people who were against using the plagiarized cheers were all characters who have been ‘othered’ in a certain way. Torrance, the captain who has a sense of guilt and responsibility over the situation, Les, the only gay character in the film, and Missy, who was known as the ‘rebellious’ character through depictions of her crimped hair and fake tattoos. 

There is something that Gabrielle Union herself still regrets about this film. As the only Black person in the table reading, she was able to work with director, Peyton Reed, in modifying the dialogue of the Black characters, which were originally very stereotypical. However in doing so, Union felt as if she did a disservice to Isis’s character, as she restricted her from properly expressing her frustration and anger over the Toros constant theft of their cheers which brought them five national trophies. 

“We’ll call it even. I thought you had to give them grace in the face of the thievery. You had every right to ask them to come forward publicly about what they had done, seek forgiveness, and work toward justice. But I made you educate, yet again, people who absolutely know better and still refuse to do better.”

“I thought surrender was “class.” I didn’t know that I could give you “class” and dignity while also being very clear about holding people accountable. Beating them up may have been beneath you, but I wish I had even allowed you to be angry. To not muzzle any of that rage, including the justifiable anger of your teammates.”

Black people always have to take the high road to avoid stereotypes such as being “angry” or “aggressive.” The Clovers were not seen as villains but there are some Black viewers who felt they did not stand up for themselves well enough. 

Questions:

How would Bring It On be different if Isis had more openly expressed her anger?

Do you think Torrance would have had this urge of making things right if she did not have the role of cheer captain?

How do you see white fragility manifesting in this film?

[softlyapocalytpic]

Deacon

My interpretation of Deacon is very much in the camp of, “every good lie has a seed of truth”. Got no idea if that what makes a good lie, but I think it’s a fun story telling device so idc. I never want to take away from him being a liar because it feels like it’d be a disservice to his character, but from his dialogue it feels like there’s always that grain of truth. Rather than just flat out lies, he twists the truth. The only time it ever feels flat out is when you’re supposed to doubt him, (like that he’s been to Greenland or played cards with Mr. House). It’s wacky, outlandish, and he plays it straight because that’s apart of the joke.

Because at his heart he’s a goofball! I think that Deacon shows more of who he truly is than he realizes by the mere fact that he doesn’t really know who that is anymore. If you spend sometime time as the lie, when does it become the truth?

He’s so edgy in own head, but I think that his true colors show from his actions which are usually spent either a) protecting the people he loves, or b) keeping their spirits high. He may be cynical, but he doesn’t want to be. He admires optimism and hope and surrounds himself in it, and I think some of it rubs off on him when he isn’t looking.

How can he not? The way that I can hear his voice SPARKLE after you blow up the Institute… Like the whole world has just taken on a new brighter shade. But also the way that he fights, and he fights, and he fights even in the darkest hours of the Railroad. At times I think he feels beaten down and broken, like he couldn’t get up again, but then he looks at these beacons of hope like Dez, Glory, and everyone else and he can’t help it! While he definitely has the “man loses last bit hope he didn’t know he had” moment, he doesn’t stay in the darkness. He’s magnetized to the light. Something something a lantern in the dark hehe.

Piper

I’ve fallen in love a little bit with almost all of the Fallout 4 companions, and Piper is the latest 💞. I made a conscious effort to spend more time with her on my survival play through and she’s just so charming. Bethesda knew what they were doing and they got my pansexual ass hook, line, and sinker. She’s sweet, and awkward, and passionate, and quirky, and goofy, and driven. What’s there not love?

I think my Piper is definitely a reflection of what I’m feeling like in my early twenties, except a more fantasized “country girl in the big apple vibes” version. Life is an adventure, and oh fuck being an adult with responsibility is difficult. I care so much about my community yet feel so isolated for one reason or the other. She’s fighting for justice but doesn’t have it all together yet. She trips, stumbles, and is learning.

I think the biggest roadblock for loving her character had been the contradiction of being ostensibly pro-synth but also lambasting McDonough for being a synth publicly. However, when I took a look at that as a character arc I really began to appreciate her!

Piper’s point was never to promote synth hate, and I’m so compelled by her grappling and dealing with the fact that she did. That her constant strive to deliver the unabashed truth, along with her (rightful) disdain of McDonough as a person meant that she helped the paranoia. That she made synths the bad guys rather than the Institute at large. Her seeing the toll of a full out war with propaganda from all sides, and developing another layer to her belief system. An awareness of her words and how they effect people.

Cait

I know that for some character arcs it’s about learning to be okay in your own body, on your own, but it’s SO important to me that Cait ends her story with someone absolutely smitten for her. It doesn’t matter the gender (although I’m personally partial to a girlfriend for her), she needs someone to hold her. To be patient with her. To call her out on her shit when she’s being dumb, and stand by her through the roughest parts of her journey. I want her to feel warm, and safe, and held and to be surrounded by people who love and appreciate her.

Also want her to have a complicated relationship with drugs that isn’t easy, but that she feels like she has agency and choice over. That she doesn’t need to feel ashamed for her drug use! That sure she’s got baggage but she’s so worth carrying it. I want Cait to live an easy breezy life where she’s surrounded by laughter.

(Man I guess this was less meta and more me wanting to give Cait nice things lmao).

In such a bad mood after reading something that I won’t say more about because I don’t care for engaging in internet discourse! So instead I wanna post something positive! These are just some thoughts on a couple of the companions. Definitely not the full breadth of my thoughts, but I’m kinda just not in the mood to be critical right now. Just need something good to cheer me up. Hope it can do the same for you!

My interpretations generally tend towards the sweeter more optimistic end, and I’m aware of that. But I stand by them none-the-less. I want the wasteland to become a softer place, not a harder one, and I think that while characters start out in dark places they can be lifted out of that. Fallout already spends so much time really showing off the depths of the horrors of humanity and I think that it needs to foster hope. Hope and growth give meaning to the struggle. The violence may be pointless but then we can choose to be different. Idk y’all it’s nearly two in the morning and I just want some feel goods after being absolutely STEAMED.

If you wanna join in on the fun and add your own thoughts I’d love to hear them. About these guys or any others. I just picked a random three myself. It can be angsty! I just ask to keep things respectful and compassionate in how you talk about it.

[ellieellieoxenfree]

9, 26, 34

9. Thoughts on cliffhangers.

cliffhangers go in the box on the high shelf that not everyone can access. they need to be used sparingly, and they need to be used responsibly. they are VERY easy to make into a cheap gimmick that either a) relies entirely on the shock value or b) wears out its welcome immediately, but can be effective in the right hands.

i generally don't try to go TOO crazy with cliffhangers in my writing, mostly bc i'm slow as hell and nothing would irritate me more as a reader than to get a cliffhanger and then be sitting on my hands for six months waiting for a dipshit author to get around to writing the resolution. but i'm not opposed to them as a light sprinkling in one's writing. i just don't trust a lot of people to handle them well, and i usually include myself in that equation.

26. What would you describe as OOC?

like 95% of fic i have read lmao. that's mean as hell but i'm very very picky about what i like to read. i tend to get really salty about pet names -- i promise you most of the characters you write calling each other 'baby' Would Not Say That. i also think that people tend to let characterization go out the window when they write porn, and they let their own personal kinks speak first and characters speak a distant second.

dialogue is a big one. i think there's a way to deliberately stylize your writing so that it takes on a theatrical/outsized bent, and so it sidesteps the criticism of not sounding how people actually talk, which is one of my favorite things to both write and read. i love the heightened artificiality of certain exchanges -- a writer who can master that may not necessarily be hewing 100% to canon, but is playing with the characters and twisting them around in a way that is so incredibly satisfying to read.

on the other hand, there are a lot of instances that do the same thing -- writing Not How People Actually Talk -- but it's much more amateurish/clumsy. it doesn't flow or have a natural cadence that suggests the author is secure in their own voice. everyone can write, technically, in the sense that anyone is capable of opening up a notes app or google docs and putting words down, but not everyone knows their own voice. the dialogue becomes very utilitarian and often doesn't shift for different characters' personalities. things like vocabulary, including profanity or the lack thereof, sentence structure/length (eg, does the person ramble, or are they more succinct and to the point?), direct vs indirect communication styles, all contribute massively to a character's personality, and it really takes me out of a story when everyone uses the same interchangeable author-insert drone of a voice in their dialogue.

also, since i am a very trauma-heavy writer, people who ignore canonical traumas tend to irritate the ever-loving shit out of me. a character in a past fandom was shot, and many writers chose to ignore the entirety of their recovery or take any consideration into how this would affect their lives going forward. i understand not wanting to make that a central focus of the story -- writing it's hard work! -- but to just completely erase a major part of the narrative is SUCH a peeve of mine. if a character is broken, then for fuck's sake actually factor it in!! just because canon brushed it off doesn't mean that realistically, this wouldn't have consequences for the person, whether physically, mentally, emotionally, or all three. i love fluff, but i love broken characters more, and when i get the fluffy happy stories, i want weight to them. i want them to feel earned. and i KNOW that's probably unfair of me to people who just want to fuck around in the sandbox for a few hours, but it's such a disservice when i see my faves who are 95% trauma and 5% person be reduced to cheerful giddy stereotypes with no depth whatsoever.

34. Do you write to improve? Or is that not a concern for you?

i definitely do worry a lot about stagnating in my writing or doubling down on bad habits that hold me back. (i am horrible with telling rather than showing, for example, and my sentence structure tends to give me more gray hairs than i already have because it's so goddamn static.) i try to let go of some of that when i'm writing fic because it's a hobby and writing anything and finishing it generally is such a fucking win for me. with how shit-ass garbage for real the publishing world is, i've really lost so much of the drive to go pro, and the thing i feel like has the best chance of ever getting written wouldn't be fiction anyway -- that's a whole different ballgame.

but i do think about trying to sharpen my skills when i set out to write a new piece, yes. i always put a lot of thought, and often way too much thought, into how i want a story to turn out and what i'm trying to achieve with it. i have one i'm working on right now where i'm trying to ensure my parallels actually line up in a way that's going to be emotionally resonant. yeah, it's just a dumb hobby where i move little fictional dudes around and make them be sadder than what canon allowed them to be, but it's also a deeply rewarding and cathartic dumb little hobby. writing can be a purge of your own feelings -- which sometimes works, if you don't overpower a character with your own inner narrative, but sometimes definitely comes off as Oh, You're Going Through It, Huh? -- and a way to foster connection/understanding with people who are struggling to feel seen or understood. and telling stories does engage a certain part of the brain that likes to gnaw on new challenges and figure out ways to stretch itself and inhabit all these different characters who aren't necessarily a 1:1 projection of myself. i like to play around with voice or perspective and not get tied down to one way of telling stories (although i'm not egotistical enough to say i'm even close to succeeding at this; i'm honestly very pedestrian and uncreative when it comes down to the finished product). i'm always looking for a way to take the big, beautiful ideas in my head and actually turn them into stories that live up to the original idealized image i had. do i get there? almost never. but the fight continues.

[nikkiruncks]

The Promise Ring & Kids In America

My thing about the J/L and E/D breakups is that I see both sides.

J: We're gonna be apart for nine months. Long distance relationships are hard. I don't want to put us through that.

L: So that's it? We're not even gonna try?

Jay is understandably scared of long distance and knows there’s a chance they won’t make it so instead he just takes the easy way out. But in the end, thanks to Kitty, he realizes that he won’t know what’ll happen unless they try. That if he just gave up, he’ll just end up wondering what could’ve been. And honestly, that’s a really shitty feeling.

Leia, on the other hand, thinks it’ll work if they just gave it a try. That being in love is enough. Her dialogue with Nate just proves that belief:

L: Well, thanks for telling me all this, Nate. It's nice to know there's another hopeless romantic out there.

N (chuckles): Yeah. I mean, what's more powerful than love? Maybe lightning. But that's it.

L: Right. If two people are meant to be, then they can survive anything.

Neither pov is wrong. Jay and Leia both have different views on their relationship and that’s fine. Leia’s reaction when finding out about Jay wanting to break up is valid. Like just a few minutes ago, they were all happy and then the news just springs out.

Similar to Jay, Donna knows there’s a chance that Eric may not be in her future. And her doubts are understandable, because they’re only teenagers. They don’t know what’ll happen in the end. There might be a chance that they might not be together in the end. And she sees having that belief as a possible stepping stone to failure.

Donna: I don't know…not always…I mean, it's not like there's anyone else, but, sometimes I'm…by myself. I mean, all I mean is, I don't know! Neither of us does! And this ring is just a stupid high school promise. If we're meant to be together, then…we'll end up together!

And like Leia, Eric believes they’ll be able to make it in the end. That if they stay together and work hard at their relationship, they will stay together.

Eric: No! The way we end up together is by saying we'll be together and then…being together!

Donna: Eric, come on! We're together now! Isn't that enough?

Eric: No! I mean….I mean, Damn, Donna! If you can see a future for yourself without me, and that doesn't, like, break your heart, then, I, we're not doing what I thought we were doing here. And you know what? Maybe we shouldn't be together at all.

Eric’s hurt is completely understandable. Someone who he sees as the love of his life is saying that there might be a chance that he might not be in her future. But what he’s wrong about is that it won’t break Donna’s heart. To me, it seems like the thought of Eric not being there does break her heart. But at the same time, Donna knows there’s a chance they won’t be together forever. That if she only had that belief and things didn’t work, she’d be crushed. So she was just trying to prepare for all the outcomes.

Basically both these breakup scenes are nuanced and complex and to take Leia & Eric’s side over Donna & Jay’s or vice versa is a disservice and completely diminishing everyone’s experience.

[littlestartemis]

Super Lesbian Animal RPG Review (spoiler free)

(copied from my steam review)

While I'm tempted to just make a one sentence "sounds gay I'm in" review and call it a day, I genuinely feel like that would be a disservice to everything I experienced with it.

Point by point, starting with music, I loved everything about this game. The music has a retro FEEL to it, without being straight up chiptune. It's very relaxed and pleasant most times, which makes the off kilter and upsetting sounds of some of the more important dungeons all the more impactful. The battle themes hit hard, character themes hit all the right notes. Absolutely no complaints.

The writing is incredibly clever, and overall just entertaining. In my opinion, the best way to make a compelling original world is thus: no matter how ridiculous the world may seem to us on the outside, everyone inside of it should treat it seriously. Because for them, it IS their reality. While the dialogue is very cheeky, and genuinely funny on frequent occasions, it never feels like its shattering your immersion to look into the camera and go "would you get a load of THIS nonsense?" The characters are believable and grounded despite living in a world of magical multicolor furries, and their relationships and dynamics feel real enough to make you care about them. At no point did I go out of my way to speak with someone or investigate something and come out disappointed. Every additional dialogue path and optional conversation was a treat, and the lore and worldbuilding felt fantastically well thought through.

Mechanically, while it is a very Classic style turn based RPG at its core, it feels like it does just enough unique with its additional mechanics to add depth without becoming obtuse or hard to grasp. Everything is simple to execute, without being boring, and even at max level I found myself mostly engaged with even common endgame enemies. Not much more to say here, but I truly enjoyed the gameplay without getting bored of fighting enemies, and never felt the need to grind.

The art direction is additionally truly gorgeous. I played at fullscreen for the entire game, and while initially it might look a LITTLE bit fuzzy compared to playing on its native windowed resolution, I genuinely don't think it hurts the aesthetic much. Everything is cohesive, vibrant, and overall the entire game has a very cozy look and feel to it. I am a resident Desert World Hater and this one was a treat to explore and discover. If you have a problem with the character designs, then I recommend you reexamine your personal biases and yank the stick out of your rear. Same can be said for the "Lesbian" element of the game. It's in the title for a reason.

My only complaint, cliche as it sounds, is that there wasn't more of it. Ultimately a roughly 30 hour adventure for me, playing to 100% completion. But I don't think your dollar equates to your playtime, so this was hardly a concern. Would I have liked to have gotten another 10 hours out of it? 20? Double that? Obviously, I'm in love with this world and cast. But what I did get was a tightly packed, neatly made gift of an experience start to finish.

This is easily in my top 3 games of 2022, by a wide mile. It's criminally cheap. Do yourself a favor, get it, play it, enjoy it, let go and let the world take you. To simply say "it's worth it" would be an understatement, and I look forward to anything else this creator presents in the future.

[monsterkissed]

it's not very expensive even when it's full price, but 7 Days to End with You is on sale right now and if you like weird and delightful little things you might wanna check it out! at its core it is a puzzle game, but with a central mechanic I'd not really seen explored like this before. your character, like approximately 20% of all videogame characters, suffers from amnesia, but in your case it's a little more extreme than most. you cannot even understand the language of the world you find yourself in. you wake up in the house of a person who speaks in what to you is gibberish, unable to grasp a single word of it. In a sense it's a puzzle game with exactly one puzzle: figuring out what anyone is talking about.

how it goes about that is kind of fascinating. your companion will describe anything you click on and once you have seen any given word it will be entered into a sort of dictionary that you have the task of filling by hand, and the game will not tell you if you are right or wrong. there are some concessions to simplicity here, the grammar is very straightforward noun verb and adjective combos most of the time, think "red button use" rather than "you have to press the red button" which is probably a very sensible decision. your character also has a perfect memory; whenever a word appears you can select it to remember every single time you have heard or read it before, allowing you to make judgements based on contexts. one of the first places you will find is a kitchen with one large fire and another smaller one serving as a stove, a very simple setup that allows you to make an educated guess that if these two things share a word in their descriptions that word may well translate to "fire", and if the stove has one that the larger fire does not it might be related to the word "cooking".

this is how you piece things together in this game and if it sounds dry then i am doing it a disservice. there is something so compelling about finally cracking what the something means and realising that that one single word has made a dozen things fall into place. working your way up from simple nouns and adjectives gleaned from just pointing at anything you can see to intellectual concepts like "understand" or "failure" has this real sense of accomplishment and connection with your companion that feels very instinctive and human. i have played a lot of games with dialogue options, but when i finally had the vocab to be able to talk to this character i'd been bumbling around with for in-game days it felt far more genuine and sincere.

and there is a plot and it has twists and alternate endings and so on, it's very likely that by the end of your first seven days you will still have some questions to go back and find the words to ask. if you want a puzzle game that's a bit different, this one has a permanent spot on my rec list