#Enhancement Fodder

[magiamemoriareview]

Until Late Tonight...?

Obtainability: This is a limited memoria that can be purchased during the “2000 Days Since Release” Campaign.

MLB Effect: HP Restore [35%] (Self) & Defense Up [37.5%] (Self / 3 Turns)

Effect Definitions:

HP Restore will instantly restore health to the character upon activating the effect.

Defense Up increases the target’s base defense stats. Defense Up is generally worse than Damage Cut.

TLDR: This memoria is Enhancement Fodder for most players. It can see use in Magia Stall strategies but otherwise is outclassed by more offensive gameplay.

Review: “Until Late Tonight” has a few possible uses but is largely forgettable. It’s a defensive memoria in a game that doesn’t reward defensive strategies-- you are almost always better off going with more offense than defense in this game.

With that said, it gives a high amount of Defense up for three turns. This actually puts it in the same range as several limited and unlimited memoria:

(3*) “The Strongest, Even at Basketball” Defense Up [60%] & Status Ailment Resistance Up [50%] (Self / 1 Turn)

(Limited Gacha 4*) “Equal Destruction to All” Defense Up [52.5%] & Attack Up [35%] & Provoke [100%] (Self / 1 Turn)  

(Limited Gacha 4*) “Even Games Are Serious” Defense Up [52.5%] (Self / 1 Turn) & Attack Down [65%] (One / 1 Turn)

(3*) “She'll Definitely Be Happy” Defense Up [52.5%] & Attack Up [40%] (Self / 1 Turn)

(Limited Gacha 3*) “Unexpected Real Intentions” Defense Up [45%] (Self / 1 Turn) & Attack Up [30%]

(2*) “Closely Watched Heart” Defense Up [45%] (Self / 1 Turn)

(Limited Welfare 4*) “Until Late Tonight” Defense Up [37.5%] (Self / 3 Turns) & HP Restore [35%] (Self)

(Limited Gacha 4*) “The Wind Rising Before The Resolve” Defense Up [37.5%] & Attack Up [30%] & Critical Hit [30%] (Self / 3 Turns)

(4*) “I Won't Stray From This Path” Defense Up [37.5%] & Attack Up [30%] (Self / 3 Turns)

(4*) “Survival Date on a Deserted Island” Defense Up [37.5%] & Anti-Debuff [2 Debuffs] & Attack Up [30%] (Self / 3 Turns)

You’ll note that the only memoria that have higher Defense Up all last for one turn or have some features that make them less desirable to use outside of special circumstances. This makes this memoria useful at least for purely defensive purposes-- you don’t need to worry about lower stats like you would with the three-star options and the fact that it will last for three turns means your equipped unit can stay safer for longer.

When comparing effects, Defense Up isn’t generally as good as Damage Cut for a character’s protection, but still-- 37.% Defense Up can still help a character survive and it’s better than nothing.

The HP Restore on this memoria is useful, but note that it is different from something like Regenerate HP. The HP Restore will apply to your character right away, while Regenerate HP will apply after the enemy’s turn is over. This can be good or wasteful. It means that this is a good “oh-shit” memoria to press if a character is in danger of dying, but it also means that you’ll waste the HP Restore if you’re trying to take preventative measures.

Because of how defensive this memoria is, it’s best used on Tanks and in Magia Stall Teams. It’s cooldown is too long to be of use in areas like Mirrors or Ranking and it offers nothing helpful for places like Kimochi.

The last thing to note would be that there is another memoria in the game that is exactly the same as this one:

(Limited Welfare 4*) “Holding Hands to Tomorrow” Defense Up [37.5%] (Self / 3 Turns) & HP Restore [35%] (Self)

“Holding Hands to Tomorrow” is another welfare memoria given to the playerbase for Madoka’s Birthday October 2022, meaning players who have “Until Late Tonight” are also going to have that one as well. What this means for new players and some free-to-play players is that they now have two options for a defensive memoria to use, but for everyone else it means they have two next-to-worthless memoria that do the same thing.

If you already have a lot of really good memoria and don’t need to rely on defensive strategies such as Magia Stall, you can treat “Until Late Tonight” as Enhancement Fodder. However if you do struggle or if you’re just starting out, keep this memoria around.

#Magia Record #Yachiyo Nanami #Tsuruno Yui #Iroha Tamaki #Four Star Memoria #2000 Days Since Release Campaign #HP Restore #HP Restore Active #Defense Up #Defense Up Active #Welfare Memoria #Enhancement Fodder #Defensive Memoria #Magia Stall Team Memoria

[dnangelic]

guy who can be your angel

or your devil

#absolutely nothing stopping him from making ugly faces #the minute he started getting character depth and bonding w daisuke is the moment he stopped being pure ikemen fodder #enhanced his clown traits #*･ﾟ⊰ 𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐒. ⊱ ✦ › OUT.

[muffinrecord]

images that would inflict damage on a player's pysche a few years ago (mostly referring to the I Made Friends)

#Magia Record #memoria stuff #IMF is good btw #I just already have a bunch MLB #don't take this as me saying to treat IMF as enhancement fodder #don't do that

[getvalentined]

Friendly reminder that the only reason Genesis is the antagonist of Crisis Core is because Zack is with Shinra. Literally.

Once he's on the run, once Genesis knows that Zack can't help him, he literally brings Hollander to Gongaga for Zack to kill—he tells Zack what Hollander is planning under the guise of it being a joint effort, but once Hollander runs off, Genesis then tells Zack what he intends to do. He talks to him about Loveless and the Lifestream, he shoves a Banora White into his hands when Zack charges at him, and then he leaves. Hollander is left behind—in Zack's hometown, his own turf, so there's nowhere to run and nowhere to hide—allowing Zack to enact poetic justice at last by striking down Angeal's birth father with the very sword that the man who actually raised Angeal died to earn, the sword that honorless Gillian said represented all the honor the Hewleys had left.

And then, finally realizing what's actually going on, Zack sets out to to Banora to save Genesis from dying.

There's no point after Modeoheim that Genesis outright attacks Zack until he's cured at the Light of Doom; there, he calls Zack First Class SOLDIER even though he's not anymore, because Genesis isn't trying to strike down Zack, he's trying to reclaim the right to the only title he's ever had that felt worth anything, and he's trying to take the burden of that title from Zack.

If he wins, Genesis takes the guilt of killing both Angeal and Sephiroth—because he doesn't know Cloud's role, he doesn't know that Zack wasn't the one to strike Sephiroth down, he doesn't even know Cloud's name. Conversely, if he loses, then it's confirmation that Zack is the hero of the story, truly and completely, and that's all right too. If that's how the story ends, that's how it ends. (Minerva intervenes, pulls Genesis from the duel, and he never gets to see the ending. The final act, as in his beloved ancient poem, remains a mystery.)

Genesis is the main antagonist of Crisis Core, but he's never been the bad guy. The entirety of Final Fantasy VII has a single monolith of villainy, and that's always been—and will always be—Shinra. Shinra made the Reactors and dug up Jenova. Shinra made Genesis, Sephiroth, Angeal, and DeepGround. Shinra burned Kalm, Banora, and (partially) Nibelheim. Shinra used any corpse they found or made as research fodder. Shinra killed the last fullblooded Cetra and drove her only daughter to a place where the only way to save the people she loved was through her death. Shinra is the bad guy.

Zack is with Shinra for the majority of the game, and thus the story behaves accordingly. Shinra's enemies are Zack's enemies, because that's the side he's on. Shinra sees Avalanche as enemies, too, but no one ever refers to Barret or Elfe as "irredeemably evil" the way they do Genesis. Barret dresses up his quest for revenge in the guise of saving the planet, but all that matters to him is that anyone even remotely connected to the company suffers the way he's suffered. Elfe allowed Fuhito to experiment on people, to take the corpses of SOLDIER and make undead weapons out of them, violating the sanctity of their final rest and denying them entry to the Lifestream altogether.

"Genesis experimented on his men!" It was a desertion, not an abduction. People who become Copies when they aren't properly enhanced don't get the same enhanced abilities as a First and they degrade very quickly, we see that in Hollander and Lazard—meaning that every single Genesis Copy was one of those SOLDIER Seconds or Thirds that defected with Genesis of their own free will in Wutai after he grew a wing and the world turned upside-down. Genesis' men loved him and they went along willingly.

When Genesis locks himself up in the Light of Doom, his last hope for a cure, he has one last Copy in there with him. When Zack unlocks the gate, he's attacked by one last Copy, even though Genesis has been waiting for him, he's not antagonistic toward him anymore, he hasn't been for a long time.

Genesis took that last Copy, a man with a horrible disease who is definitely too far gone to save, and brought him along to the Light of Doom in the hopes that maybe, maybe things could be set right. When Zack unlocks the gate, that man throws himself at him to protect Genesis, because this is his last chance and Genesis' men love him.

When Zack fights Genesis' Weapon avatar and is attacked by incomplete and twisted ghosts of Genesis Copies, magical inhuman wisps that hold him back while Genesis heals—they're in the Lifestream then, the Light of Doom pulled them both in. Those Copies are literally the ghosts of Genesis' men, unable to diffuse into the Lifestream because of their Jenova infection, fighting to protect him from beyond the grave. Genesis' men love him. They want to save him. They went with him willingly.

"Genesis killed his parents!" The parents who lied to him his entire life in order to keep getting a paycheck from Shinra? The parents that funded his fanclub as a form of marketing for a company that literally wouldn't exist without Genesis' world-changing contribution to food processing as a teenager? Those parents?

Genesis has a little shrine in the Banora Underground where he keeps all his awards and achievements—a little desk with a lantern in an unfinished stone tunnel. They survived the bombing of Banora because they weren't in the house; the chalkboard has sketches of what would clearly become the Banora brand logo, which was presumably made about a decade prior to the Nibelheim Incident, not long after Genesis figured out how to make Banora White juice shelf stable, not long before he left for Midgar to enlist.

Having all the proof of every good thing Genesis has ever done shoved into a tunnel under his hometown, hidden from the public, while his family raked in huge amounts of wealth based on those achievements, indicates quite clearly that Genesis' parents were the exact opposite of good and loving.

But he buried them anyway, didn't he?

Genesis may not be a particularly good person, but he's never been evil, he's never been the bad guy. Genesis was right—more than that, he was justified. His methods were not. He did terrible things. He hurt and killed a lot of people.

But he was only ever the enemy because Shinra said he was. Genesis doesn't need a redemption arc because he already had one, and Minerva herself said he could serve the planet forever to prove it.

#long post #fandom ramble #genesis rhapsodos #crisis core #crisis core reunion #CCFF7R #final fantasy 7 #FF7 #fandom vent #I am so frustrated #characters fandom says are not beyond redemption: #sephiroth and angeal #and barret and elfe #and tseng and reno and rude and elena #and rufus and reeve and gast and lucrecia #characters fandom says are completely beyond redemption: #genesis specifically for some fucking reason

[ask-the-prose]

Building a Character Arc

Hi all! These past 8 months have been a busy time huh? I’m back and hoping to jumpstart this blog with a bit more organization. So let’s get started with our next guide!

We talk a lot about worldbuilding and plotting out stories, but there’s an important factor I haven’t seen much discussion around, and that is: character arcs.

We’ll be covering character building next week, as that will build off of this post. But building a character arc is just as important as knowing all the static facts about a character and how they react to the world you’ve built around them!

What is the character’s purpose?

We love to imagine our characters as people and real in our heads, but ultimately they are a tool to tell a story. So when building your character arc, you need to know what the purpose of this character is. How do they serve the story? How do they enhance the themes?

Characters can have tons of purposes, from the protagonist to the antagonist to cannon fodder. Characters can serve multiple purposes at one time, even. So what do you want your character to do for the story?

An example: in The Hunger Games, Gale Hawthorne serves a purpose far beyond just love interest #2. Gale helps propel the plotline in a number of ways. He spurs Katniss into action when he is whipped in the town square, he challenges Katniss’ worldviews both directly and indirectly by proposing ethical and complex questions that Katniss must later answer, and he’s symbolic of an answer to the main theme of the books. He isn’t relegated to just one of these purposes, but he does have to have one otherwise, he would be irrelevant words distracting from the actual story.

What changes within the character? What doesn’t?

Characters can be divided into two categories: static and dynamic. Static characters stay the same over the course of the story, whereas dynamic characters do not. So a good question to ask yourself when building a character arc is what, if anything, changes about the character over the course of the story?

One important factor to consider is the character’s attitude towards the world, the conflict, or the other characters. If that changes, how does it change? Why? What happens to cause that change? These questions can be applied to any number of factors you wish to include, like a character’s opinion of themselves or another concept, a character’s worldview, or a character’s feelings towards their circumstances.

If the character is a static character, why? Does it serve the story’s themes?

Is your character an active participant or reacting to plot events?

Naturally, a character reacts to events and responds to those reactions through action. But do those actions actually affect the plot? Does the plot happen to the character or does the character act and consequences follow?

These seem like plot building questions, and they are, but it’s critical to understanding your characters as well. Characters that always react to the plot and have little consequences for actual actions taken tend to be placed in the “reactive” category. While I can’t speak to every style and story structure, most traditional publishers and western audiences prefer active characters over reactive characters. They want the character to impact the plot, their actions have natural consequences that push the plot forward.

Reactive characters can absolutely be utilized to tell interesting and compelling stories, though, so don’t throw out the whole story if you find your character is more reactive than active.

Conclusion

So you’ve created the plot and the premise and you need to populate your world with characters! Remember these key points in building a character arc: purpose, change, and action. Hopefully this guide can help you get on the road towards creating a character arc that not only compels your reader, but enhances your themes and serves your story.

-- Indy

#writing advice #writing tips #writing help #writing characters #character arcs #writing character arcs #amwriting #writers on tumblr #writing guide #writing resources

[ozthedm]

Vampire Ascendant Ramblings!

I love Baldur’s Gate 3. I love the vampire genre. I am particularly fascinated with the concept of the Vampire Ascendant for a number of reasons that mainly boil down to “what does it mean to be the Vampire Ascendant and what is the true cost of this power?”

This post is essentially a collection of my observations, thoughts, and headcanons regarding the ascension ritual. Think of this as fanfic inspiration material. Get ready folks, because we’re about to dip a toe into 5e lore and get existential.

What does the Rite of Profane Ascension actually do?

Raphael explains the ritual as thus:

“If he completes the rite, he will become a new kind of being - the Vampire Ascendant. All the strengths of his vampiric form will be amplified, and alongside them he will enjoy the luxuries of the living. The arousals and appetites of man will return to him, and unlike Astarion, he will have no need of a parasite to protect him from the sun. But the ritual has a price, as all worthwhile things do. Lord Cazador will need to sacrifice a number of souls including all of his vampiric spawn if he is to ascend… Your soul will set off a very wave of death, bringing Cazador his twisted life.” 

TLDR: If Cazador offers up the souls of 7000 vampire spawn, then maybe he’ll feel less like shit.

Other specific perks include:

The hunger for blood that plagues all vampires will no longer affect him.

His heart will beat again (Could he even be considered undead at that point?)

He still gets to remain immortal in the sense that he will never age

He can choose to extend his protection from the sun to his spawn, but this protection can be revoked

He can be reflected in mirrors.

There are some details that remain unclear, so here’s where we step into headcanon territory:

Running water will no longer harm him

A normal wooden stake won’t be enough to paralyze him. You’d be better off with a magical weapon

Although he will still need an invitation to enter homes, His enhanced vampiric charm practically makes it a nonissue

And now a couple of notes on Mephistopheles and the contract itself:

“Devils bargain with mortals to upend the divine order. They stake claims on souls that would otherwise go to the gods or be cast adrift somewhere other than the Nine Hells. If you are already a creature of Law and Evil devoted to no other entity, your damned spirit is of meager value.”

  - Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

Mephistopheles is an arcane innovator. His realm, Cania, is essentially a giant laboratory where he conducts extensive experiments. 

When it comes to souls, Mephistopheles prefers quality over quantity. He mostly acquires the souls of highly accomplished wizards and sages to help him with his research. To demand the souls of 7000 vampire spawn seems uncharacteristically beneath him (especially for the power he’s offering) 

My thinking is that Mephistopheles is working on something that specifically requires vampiric energy and lots of it. The 7000 spawns are nothing more than fodder.

A devil’s deal never ends well. This is repeatedly stated throughout the game. Considering what we know of Mephistopheles and how little Cazador cares for his spawn, this whole contract sounds far too good to be true. So what’s the catch?

A few possible ideas as to the downsides:

Mephistopheles is always watching. After all, this is a completely new kind of being that warrants study. 

The Ascendant’s hunger for blood is replaced with a different hunger. A hunger that is indescribable and insatiable. He will always yearn for more. More power, more control, more anything. He may even return to Mephistopheles in an attempt to fill the void. 

The Ascendant’s own soul is included in the price, albeit differently. Where the other souls were simply consumed by the ritual, his will serve another purpose. (Not gonna lie, this one sent me on a whole existential journey trying to figure out what is means to have/lack a soul)

I might post more thoughts later, but this is enough for now

#baldurs gate 3 #bg3 fic #astarion #cazador szarr #fanfic ideas #headcanon #ascended astarion #vampire ascendant #vampires as existential horror #baldurs gate astarion #baldurs gate 3 spoilers #bg3 fanfiction #bg3 meta #dnd 5e #dungeons and dragons

[altocat]

Have you ever headcannoned the durability of Sephiroth and the other first classes? Or SOLDIERs in general? What do you think would be the maximum damage they could take without getting a scratch?

(Also what about their physical strength? I know that Sephiroth easily lifted Tifa and the Masamune one handed, but what do you think would be the limit to his strength? This also supposing it’s before he went crazy and became a God.)

Sephiroth's limits are yet to be determined. Sephiroth himself doesn't really know. The only times he's ever been truly defeated were not because of his own physical limitations but because of a distracting emotional factor. Add to that his seemingly limitless durability and invulnerability on the battlefield and it's really a mystery.

Angeal and Genesis are pretty strong, though they are significantly weaker than Sephiroth. This isn't to say that they're not formidable fighters. They are WAY above the average SOLDIER standard. And honestly some of the strongest warriors on the planet. But they have their limits. Genesis is very sickly and Angeal doesn't have the same drive or passion for fighting as Gen and Seph. They're very durable and skilled at what they do. But there's definitely an endpoint to their energies. Angeal is physically more durable than Genesis, but slower and less determined. Genesis is faster, more passionate, and at times much stronger than Angeal, but quicker to tire. They balance each other out, but remain Second Tier in the grand scope of things.

Zack would probably be below them, as he wasn't part of the Jenova Project and wasn't modified in the same manner. That said, Zack was a prodigy when it came to fighting, hence why Angeal selected him as his apprentice. Compared to other soldiers, Zack is one of the best natural talents Shinra's received. He's at the very least capable of keeping up with demigods like Seph, Angeal, and Genesis, often winning using his wits or seizing the opportunity. With that said, Zack is very much human and for all his strength and skill, that wasn't enough when going up against Shinra forces.

Beneath Zack is everyone else. You have your Second and Third class soldiers, which are grouped based on talent and personal skill. They are enhanced, but still vulnerable. How far they'll go really depends on the individual.

Beneath that, the infantry. These are mostly just average unmodified grunts who are more than often selected to be cannon fodder.

#asks #ffvii #ff7 #final fantasy 7 #sephcanons #sephiroth #crisis core #genesis rhapsodos #angeal hewley #zack fair

[celestial-specter]

Here I am again, for more in-depth analysis of The Bad Batch!!

Here you go, @skellymom :))

Aftermath’s battle simulation: How one scene reintroduces us to Clone Force 99, and possibly foreshadows later events in the series.

(Part 2)

As the simulation begins, Hunter orders Crosshair to ‘take the towers.’ Crosshair is thus the first to split off from the rest of the group, quickly climbing one of the towers. As I discussed in part 1, the higher levels in this scene represent the empire. To explain this idea further in reference to the towers themselves, in literature, towers have been used to represent strength, success, and power - all things which Crosshair personally craves. With all this in mind, this movement provides an early indication of Crosshair’s upcoming departure to climb the ranks of the empire. The climb itself is treacherous with no equipment, but Crosshair manages it with ease, quickly reaching the top level - just as he manages to rise to the level of Commander of his new imperial squad.

Once in position, Crosshair makes quick work of shooting and disabling the four towers. I have thought through several interpretations of what these four towers could represent, but my two personal favorites are:

The towers are a representation of Crosshair’s relationships with his four brothers; his disabling attack on each tower shows the severance of his ties to each brother.

The towers have a much more literal meaning, representing the four members of his own imperial squad that Crosshair later kills on this same training ground.

Meanwhile, at Hunter’s order, the rest of the squad push further into the training ground, leaving Crosshair behind on the tower.

When the battle seems to be taking ‘too long,’ Wrecker charges in alone to take down the droids, unconcerned about the danger to himself. Tech does briefly reach out to stop him, but then does not seem to be worried for his brother either, rolling his eyes as he watches from behind the barrier. While we do not see the reactions of the others during this moment, I assume they also were largely passive towards Wrecker’s antics. To me, this carefree attitude is similar in tone to the first few episodes of the series, in which the batch remain largely unaware of the danger they are in from the empire, and Wrecker begins exhibiting symptoms of his inhibitor chip activating. They remain unaware of this huge risk until the episode Battle Scars, in which Rex reveals the truth about the chips.

The composition of the shot in which Wrecker asks Tarkin for more droids to battle is also interesting - Wrecker is naturally larger than the rest of his squad due to his strength-based enhancements, and most shots we see of him are composed to enhance his size (e.g. placing him beside much smaller characters such as Omega). As far as I am aware, this is the only shot we have seen which purposely makes Wrecker look physically small - the height from which Tarkin is viewing him at does most of the work, but this is furthered by none of his brothers being beside him for comparison.

Tarkin himself is not a man of physically imposing stature - this is made obvious when the audience sees him beside the Kaminoans. So, the framing of this shot, with Tarkin appearing to be much bigger than Wrecker, makes the usually giant clone appear almost… doll like.

This shot, as seen below, could be interpreted simply as Tarkin looking down on all clones, viewing them as unworthy of service in the new empire. While I agree this is definitely relevant, I believe it is only a piece of a larger problem. Even in the time of the Republic, many nat-born officers viewed clones simply as cannon-fodder - as in, they were created and thus, expected, to die for their army. But, as we saw in The Clone Wars, many Jedi formed close bonds with their clone battalions, and were instrumental in the clones forming their own identities outside of their lives as soldiers.

Now, with the Jedi order destroyed, imperial officers such as Tarkin, and later Hemlock, are free to treat clones as they wish; simply as toys to be played with for their own entertainment, and to be discarded as soon as they are no longer useful.

When Tarkin then orders the use of live rounds, Wrecker encounters a force even stronger than himself, which the audience can see takes him by surprise. This definitively foreshadows the activation of Wrecker’s inhibitor chip - as the ‘muscle’ of the team, it is likely rare he ever encountered an opponent he couldn’t fight off before, and yet both here, and on Bracca, he was caught off guard and suffered as a result.

When Wrecker is shot by the droid in his right shoulder and flung to the ground, it is Tech who puts himself at risk to move from behind the barrier and drag Wrecker out of danger. This mirrors how he is the first member of the squad and the most at risk of physical harm when Wrecker’s chip first activates. Interestingly, Wrecker is shot in the exact same place that Crosshair later shoots him in during their standoff in the hangar. As Wrecker would be viewed by many as the heart of the squad, having him end up injured in both of these scenarios is a good way to highlight that these moments are strong emotional turning points for the batch and their story.

Seeing that his brothers are now in active danger, Crosshair begins to shoot the new droids firing live rounds, still in his position atop the tower. When the droids then turn their attention on him, the shots they fire damage the tower Crosshair is standing upon. He abandons his post, hanging precariously over the edge of the tower for a moment before sliding down to the ground level. These moments could reference Crosshair realization that the empire does not care about any of the clones, leading to his decision to shoot Lieutenant Nolan, thus abandoning his imperial service and falling back to the very same low societal level that he began with, and that his brothers still occupy.

Once back on the ground, Crosshair returns to Echo and Hunter, but they immediately must move behind a barrier to avoid being shot. Pinned down, Crosshair’s sarcastic commentary during this moment shows he is beginning to lose faith in their ability to complete the simulation successfully. Echo comments that their training blasters are useless against the new droids- each member of the team is already aware of this fact, yet Echo being the one to vocalize it shows he likely accepts new information faster than the rest of his brothers (a notable progression in Echo’s character development since his first appearance in The Clone Wars). As such, Echo is the first member of the team to recognize the breadth and power of the new empire, and the consequences it will have for the clones. He is also the first to begin actively fighting against it by joining Rex’s clone rebellion.

#star wars spoilers #the bad batch theories #the bad batch season 3 #the bad batch theory #the bad batch spoilers #the bad batch #star wars tbb #star wars analysis #star wars the bad batch #tbb hunter #tbb wrecker #tbb tech #tbb echo #tbb crosshair #clone force 99 #sw tbb #sw:tbb

[crimsonedquill]

How they act in front of their crush (Hogwarts Legacy)

Poppy Sweeting 🦡

It’s not out of character for her to freeze up in the presence of other people, but this is different. Sweaty palms, glowing cheeks, stumbling over her words; it’s like she’s coming down with a bout of the flu.

Beasts trivia is the only topic she can discuss without immediately getting tongue-tied, so she mostly sticks to that for conversation fodder. Will spend a suspicious amount of time talking about mating rituals.

“Did you know that Fwoopers seduce each other with particular mating calls?” *imitates bird noises*

She tries dropping a lot of hints in the form of beast metaphors, but gets increasingly depressed when they fail to notice them. How do they not understand what she meant by Hippogriff love dances?

Natsai Onai 🦁

She doesn’t really get flustered, but she will start acting excessively nice and helpful (one oddity is that the ground suddenly seems to be littered with lost things)

“I believe you dropped this” *smiles whilst pulling out a random quill they have never seen before*

Of course her mother catches on. She will make sure they sit apart during her classes and she’ll call them to attention the minute she sees them even looking at each other, but that doesn’t stop her daughter from trying.

She loves sketching them on random pieces of parchment during other classes. Capturing their features in ink is almost therapeutic to her, allowing her to carry them with her even when they’re not physically present.

Imelda Reyes 🐍

Crushes? Pft. She doesn’t have time for them. It’s absolutely not like she loves the challenge or anything.

She’ll make them sweat buckets just like anyone else during Quidditch training, but in a way that suggests some obvious sexual tension.

“You need a tighter grip on that bat, like this” *aggressively squeezes their club wishing it was her throat*

She likes it when they don’t give in right away. Flirty looks, suggestive comments; she’ll just push them far enough until they finally break and she can devour them whole.

Ominis Gaunt 🐍

He’s usually very skilled at navigating via wand, which makes it all the more odd that he’s constantly brushing up too close against them.

“Pardon, how foolish of me” *bumps into them despite practically having the entire room to himself*

You might call him a bit of an old-fashioned romantic, so he ends up spending a lot of time writing poetry to express his feelings. Finding the right words to describe the way their voice makes him feel is the best way to enhance his ‘experience’ of them.

Sometimes, he just likes to hang back and listen to their conversations with others; he loves the sound of their laughter. (The added benefit being that he might pick up on any hints of mutual interest.)

Sebastian Sallow 🐍

Will definitely try to impress them with reckless stunts or some ominous-sounding incantation he found in an obscure book in the Restricted Section.

“Hey, watch this” *accidentally summons a demon from hell*

He won’t waste any opportunity to show off in their presence, especially during duels. Leander Prewett should be happy he isn’t a stain on the wall of the Defence Against the Dark classroom by the time he’s done.

His urge to act all macho mostly stems from a place of insecurity. Even though he doesn’t admit to it openly, he’s constantly fretting if he’s good enough for them.

Amit Thakkar 🦅

Of course, our good Ravenclaw boy wouldn’t engage in any unbecoming behaviour that would jeopardise his studies.

That said, making an extra effort to help out a fellow classmate doesn’t really count, does it?

“Allow me to help you with that” *blushes heavily when their hands touch as he’s adjusting their telescope*

Is definitely the type to do extensive research on their likes and preferences. Keeps a notebook on the things they do after school and their favourite classes to have a topic of conversation in case he has a chance to talk to them.

#hogwarts legacy #harry potter #poppy sweeting #natsai onai #imelda reyes #ominis gaunt #sebastian sallow #amit thakkar #hogwarts legacy headcanons

[brujahinaskirt]

30 kcd2 trailer reveal little things / reactions:

Loving the increased Istvan / Henry parallelism

Loving the return of the red PTSD nightmares and so pleased WH isn't watering the game down, keeping up the trauma narrative realism, etc. I expected no less but still delighted by it. I love games that allow characters (esp male characters) to feel things, genuinely, and writing that treats the emotional invitation of its own storytelling with respect.

Good lord, the symbolism returns--as it must in a proper medieval game--but I shan't look too deep yet.

SKALITZ FLASHBACKS. HENRY'S PARENTS' WEDDING PREQUEL CONTENT? W H A T. I never thought we would get to go back; I am so thrilled to learn more about that time. I would have gladly gobbled up a Martin prequel. TELL ME HER FUCKING NAME, WARHORSE, YOU BASTARDS.

where is radzig

Mystery possible new love interest option? Or did Lady Stephanie visit the face sculptor?

And Theresa... where?

Mother of god, the forests and animals look incredible. I'm going insane. Let me pet things please.

How many times can Hans eat royal shit and live in one livestream? Let's find out. One, two, three...

The crime and punishment mechanics are definitely more complex at a glance. This is a good thing but I wonder how much was cutscene flavor and how much will really have an affect on the gameplay/reputation/etc.

I'm extremely afraid for Hans's survival. Not because of his constant trailer beefing (and he really took every opportunity to wipe out) but because of that shot with him doing the big dramatic eagle wing spread on horseback. You can't just do that and not expect to be punished by the narrative, bro.

MUTT IS BACK MUTT IS BACK MUTT IS BACK

is that pebbles? MUTT IS BACK please be pebbles

Henry's new hair is awful and I will be changing it two seconds in.

In general, Henry looks way more mature/stressed. Hard to say if there was a timeskip and Henry is now actually more mature or if the increased graphics allow him to look more like his voice actor, who is older than Henry. Either way I will be content. Will not catch me changing my son's precious face!!!

CROSSBOWS, HAND CANNONS

Istvan is pure fire, holy shit, cannot wait for this performance. Erik looks like a soggy newspaper. What happened king?

radzig? hello? anyone hear from this guy? typical for him to ghost

FIVE HOURS OF CUTSCENES???? YOU KNOW YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE. IT IS ME. I LOVE TO WATCH THINGS

Theresa's gonna be in it though, right? They wouldn't do us like that right?

Really excited to see them taking a page from RDR2 and incorporating a temperament-based reply system for non-dialogue initiating NPCs. I really look forward to all the added sandbox immersion enhancements from the first game, and I hope women are incorporated in a broader work spectrum for better historical accuracy.

WAS THAT GODWIN?

Is Hans going to teach Henry how to swim for real, as in a gameplay-altering swim mechanic, or is the topless on the riverbank scene just throwing a meaty bone to the hansry shippers (i am gnawing, i am growling when you try to take it away before i choke myself with it)

I love hearing devs and actors talk intelligently about the writing and character development arcs. Obviously they thought about it deeply in KCD1, but it's nice to see devs of an "action" game treating its narrative seriously, as artwork. Regardless of how the fandom idiots interact with it.

Hans singing a facetious little ballad for Henry (presuming it makes it into the game and isn't just trailer fodder) regenerated my cells. He DID promise in KCD1 (if you lose the tourney after agreeing to be his champion) that one day people would sing ballads in Henry's honor. Probably he did not intend for them to include the word "fuck" at the time.

This is going to be the grown up bromance we deserved in kcd1. Honestly it's so validating to see the second game recentering on that relationship and deliberately using it as the primary storytelling vehicle. KCD1 was pretty imbalanced in favor of Hans content, but it would have been better served by the game storyline fully leaning into the importance of that relationship, rather than trying to juggle it as a side-arc with several other arcs (and thereby creating an imbalance). KCD2 looks like it's built around the backbone of Henry and Hans's friendship and how it has profoundly changed them both/propelled their arcs in somewhat different directions.

On that point, Henry seems to have completely adopted Rattay colors now, but it's possible that's due to him operating as Hans's page (squire?) where we left them in KCD1. WHERE IS RADZIG

Calling Henry an orphan is a LITTLE generous given he was a whole ass adult man when his parents were killed, don't you think.

Calling Henry a lover is VERY VERY GENEROUS

I'm hyped.

#kingdom come deliverance #kcd #henry of skalitz #kingdom come deliverance 2

[laismoura-art]

I wish to talk about a moment! This dialogue:

Everybody I see talking about this moment only goes as far as saying, "Oh, Bi-Han is sexist >:O"

Which... he is. But more than that, he is:

Tradicional.

He is not saying this because he has a problem with women being warriors per se. He is saying this because, unlike Kuai, Bi-Han still thinks the old Lin Kuei traditions are right and should be followed.

So if the old Lin Kuei says Female Lin Kuei are not allowed, then by all means, Female Lin Kuei are not allowed!

And do you know who else thinks the old traditions are right and should be followed?

Frost.

She thinks the Lin Kuei should be led with iron fists.

She thinks the Lin Kuei should be merciless.

She thinks the Shirai Ryu and the Lin Kuei should remain enemies (and also thinks genocide is justified)

She thinks power should be pursued no matter the cost (even if the cost is your free will or the lives of your fellow clansmen)

But like a child who claims their country was better under a dictatorship, Frost is forgetting one little detail:

She has NO IDEA what that time was actually like!

I mean, she wasn't there! She has no idea what the old Lin Kuei was like!

And by all means, she never WOULD!

Cause as Bi-Han nicely reminds her: The old Lin Kuei, the one he follows and she sooo would rather have, DOESN’T ALLOW FEMALE LIN KUEI!

For as much as she complains about Kuai and how much he disregards tradition, she forgets his disregard is PRECISELY what made her Lin Kuei to begin with!

I mean, if she would rather have him be traditional, he could just have told her to fuck off his temple when she came to him, right?

After all. She wants the traditions to be followed.

He could have beaten her up for being mouthy and questioning his decisions. After all, the Lin Kuei must obey without question.

He could have sent her to face Hanzo (and be killed in the process). After all, the Shirai Ryu must be enemies (heck, he could've even allowed Hanzo to kill her on that one meeting. She started the fight, so she finishes it. Isn't that tradition?)

Also, it's funny that she praises the Cyber Initiative, when it means she gets some cyber enhancers and gets to command an army. But I wonder if she would have liked the ACTUAL Cyber Initiative, the one in which she would be just like the mindless robots she controls.

I wonder if someone like Frost, someone so strongminded, would ACTUALLY stand what the old Lin Kuei was like.

Be silenced? Forced to submission? Used as bait? Cannon fodder? As a Puppet??

Do you think she would stand be through what KUAI has??

I don't think so!

And I think people spend so much time being angry at Kuai for being angry at her that they forget just how much he did for her till he decided he had enough!

Can you imagine how many times Frost called him weak for his decisions?

Heck! He was accepting of her. He was kind and caring of her. He encouraged her to value her humanity and free will. He put an end to a war so she and his other students wouldn't have to fight and possibly DIE in it!

And all that for what? To hear that he's WEAK???

Can you imagine how much that must've sting?? How much that must've crushed his heart??

His heart is not frozen as he claims. It's BROKEN!

And all that because some stupid teenager can't be bothered to learn some history or by all means LISTEN to what the man who gave her everything has to say!

#mk11 frost is an spoiled brat who doesn't know how privileged she is #i hate her #and i hate even more to see kuai being hated on for being mad at her #maybe bi han was sexist here but by gods frost totally deserved and NEEDED to hear that! #frost #<- i like you in my AUs ONLY #bi han #<- you're an ass but i still like you better #kuai liang #<- baby i'm so sorry you had to go through that #hanzo hasashi #<- he's here... that's all #sub zero #noob saibot #rant post #i had to get this off my chest

[magiamemoriareview]

To Admire Large Purchases

Obtainability: Limited to the “Nagisa’s HOT Summer Break” event gacha.

Single Effect: Regenerate HP [3%] & Damage Up [10%]

MLB Effect: Regenerate HP [4%] & Damage Up [15%]

Effect Definitions:

Regenerate HP will cause the equipped character to regenerate a percentage of their HP for the number of listed turns. The Regen will occur at the end of the turn (note: the end of the enemy’s turn). Regenerate HP can stack.

Damage Up will increase the damage done by the equipped character’s attacks and its effect takes place after the buffs and debuffs are calculated. Damage Increase and Damage Up are essentially the same effect, however Damage Up has a 100% cap while Damage Increase doesn’t. Both collectively cap at 300%.

TLDR: This is Enhancement Fodder.

Review: A fairly boring memoria, “To Admire Large Purchases” is going to be Enhancement Fodder unless you are SUPER desperate-- and even if you are, I promise that there are a number of much better memoria in the game to choose from, even including free-to-play friendly ones.

In fact, fuck the review. C’mon look at that-- 15% Damage Up? On a three-star? With some worthless 4% Regenerate HP? You don’t need me here to say that this is garbage. 

Throw this away into the trashcan and make sure you empty it afterwards so that it doesn’t stick up your whole house.

#Magia Record #Nagisa’s HOT Summer Break #Three Star Memoria #Limited Gacha Memoria #Regenerate HP #Regenerate HP Passive #Nagisa Momoe #Felicia Mitsuki #Ayame Mikuri #Enhancement Fodder

[moonlarked]

yeah ok the passion’s slave speech and the final death scene are both great shipping fodder but have you considered that they’re both directly connected in ways that, while can be interpreted as romantic, also serve as looks into the themes of masculinity, power, isolation, and trust as well as establish important ideas for the arcs of both characters, how they change, and how the barriers between them both enhance and detract from their connection, bolstering the tragedy of said connection. In this essay I will

#im not joking btw i will write the essay #<- has already written part of the essay in multiple posts #hamlet #horatio #hamartia tag

[srbachchan]

DAY 5426

Jalsa, Mumbai              Dec 23/24,  2022             Fri/Sat  12:29 AM

Birthday - EF Irfan Nuyani  .. Anu Uttam .. Saturday, 24 December .. all our wishes and love for the birthday of our Ef and dear friends .. all luck, prayers and affection .. ❤️❤️❤️

the glory and the eminent exaltation of .. NO WORK .. ! 

the desperate feel of the timings of the morning hours and the freedom to be up and about if the desired be prepared , to remain in the absence of routine and regulation .. 

to not do anything .. to not think anything .. to not wonder what would be in expectancy .. to be not just to the curriculum of the daily .. 

and to spend the time in idle sleeper drome vestibules .. the bed the couch .. wherever .. to be on the graas of the early morn in the barest of feet .. taking the sun .. taking its limited ray per sec .. to shut the bright eye and consume the ‘praan’ as they would say among the yogis of the century .. and allow it to guide reflect and bring in the balance of life within ..

there has been reward and accomplishment in this direction and path .. 

idlewiese .. from edelweiss  ..  from the German edel = noble; wiess = white 

a white tribute to the noble gesture of recalcitrant stature and attitude .. of normalcy , in normal times  .. 

there is a learning in the times of silence .. be not afraid to express within ..without , shall be fodder to the impotency of the informant .. and each of which would be the viagraed much needed potent ..  

many amused by the verbal express of the expression .. and why .. ?

well figure .. !!

i can feed my hungry pet .. for he or she has the animal sincerity and dedication of assurance and trust .. the hemisphere may not .. it floats the ‘without’ .. and in time with the inventive wisdom of the enhanced .. it shall be the knowledge of all .. in word and deed .. !! 

INDEED .. !!!

Amitabh Bachchan

[muffinrecord]

Today's rolls were pretty good! I got some target memos I wanted and I got Mami's last slot.

It's actually obscene just how many Nayumemos I get. This doesn't count the ones that I've sacrificed for enhancement fodder (I normally keep 3x of a mlb memo, but I decided to keep all my nayuta ones just to see how many ill actually get)

meanwhile, my mami mirrors team is shaping up well! I'm hoping that I can get Kirika's last slot next, and after that, Yuuna's! Then I just need a slot or two on OG Holy Mami and I'll be all set!

#Magia Record #Anniversary 2023 #Mami Tomoe

[dailycharacteroption]

Familiar Master (Pathfinder Second Edition Archetype)

(art by David Lopez on Artstation)

 The familiar is a classic companion for not just magically-inclined characters, but also those that benefit from having a small critter that helps them out.

However, there are some who demonstrate a talent for raising, training, and/or bonding with familiars of exceptional skill and ability, which is the focus of today’s entry!

These so-called familiar masters can certainly be found among the various familiar-having classes in the game, but it also provides an opportunity for classes that normally do not have the option for familiars to have one!

In this way, this archetype is a reflection not just of the various spellcasting archetypes from First Edition that empowered their familiar, but also the archetypes that gave familiars to other classes, with a minor element in some of the archetypes that altered the familiar themselves.

Whether they are a druid, witch or wizard with an especially impressive familiar or a charming swashbuckler with a clever pet, these figures are defined by their connection to another being, which offers a lot of opportunity for both flavorful interaction and in-game utility, which we’ll see below.

 The dedication feat for this archetype is fairly simple, either granting a familiar if you do not have one, or enhancing a pre-existing familiar if your class, ancestry, or some other source grants one!

Those that do not automatically get an enhanced familiar can gain one later, of course.

Familiar Masters that are also spellcasters learn to use their link with their familiar as a conduit for their magic, letting their familiar be the source of magic, such as blasting foes with a cone or line from the familiar, the familiar throwing a fireball, and so on.

Oftentimes, a familiar can end up being the team’s mascot, and some masters tap into that shared bond to let the familiar have abilities that synergize with other members of the party.

While many familiar owners have access to powerful otherworldly or magical familiars (what 2e calls specific familiars but 1e calls improved familiars), but those masters that seek them out tend to find they cost less power to bond with one.

By way of shapechanging magic, quickly switching out familiars, or some other ability, these mystics can learn to alter their familiar’s abilities more often with a time-consuming ritual.

At the upper echelon of this archetype, the familiars of these are simply better and more able than other familiars.

A fairly simple archetype, this one has a nice mix of must-have abilities and optional abilities for the familiar enthusiast in you. Whether you’re a spellcaster seeking greater power from your bond-mate or a non-caster that wants to make use of having a tiny buddy of some kind, this archetype promises something nice to characters of any class.

 It goes without saying that familiars should be seen as an opportunity for additional roleplay rather than something for the character to forget about most of the time until it’s useful. Now, admittedly, there are limits to that. Sometimes the familiar has to take a backseat to other NPCs or to the character themselves, but if you are playing with an archetype that specializes in familiars, you likely have an interest in playing with their interaction and character at least some of the time.

  Truly pampered, Cobb the cat is supremely lazy. However, his lackadaisical behavior belies surprising power and skill when his master can convince him to help. He complains the whole time, though, making him a bit grating.

 Slain and reanimated as mere fodder by a necromancer, This would have been the end for Kovus had it not been for his raven familiar, who successfully reminded him of his past and called him back to his now skeletal body. Now free, the two of them share an even greater bond than before.

 It is said that in ancient times, powerful mages were able to bind dragon wyrmlings as familiars. Most consider this art now lost, with only the most ancient wyrms remembering those days, and their opinions of it vary. However, a dark cabal of mystics seeks to rediscover this power, and apply it in greater force, binding older dragons to their service. This conspiracy is what has driven Oblyxa, a young umbral dragon, to swallow her pride and approach the party for aid.

#pathfinder 2nd edition #archetype #familiar master #skeleton #dragon #umbral dragon #advanced player's guide