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pathetic-gamer · 1 year

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Fashion in Fódlan: a very long, non-comprehensive, and entirely unsolicited analysis

The fe3h writers did a pretty solid job of creating three nations with clear social, economic, and political differences. The fashion stands out to me as doing exceptionally well at expressing those differences, and, just like in the real world, it works as a sort of socioeconomic barometer that helps tell Fódlan's story.

In this post, I'll break down the key clothing trends in the three regions and provide some light interpretations, largely related to $$

Please note that I'm NOT using this post to discuss historical inspirations. Also, not everyone from every region is included. In particular, anyone whose outfit is too much of just a riff on a class uniform (like the Ashen Wolves or the various minsters in the empire) is left out.

There's a part 2 now lol (church of seiros time); part 3 as well!

1. Holy Kingdom of Faerghus: function IS fashion, baby!!

Fearghus, beloved land of ice and snow and spooky folktales about watering your fields with blood and ghosts living under the ground - you did not come to fuck around. You're here to protect the commoners and go back home to a stew that may, if you're lucky, actually have some meat in it. In this kingdom, you're going to dress warm and you're going to like it. Oh, you have some extra money? Gonna spend it on something for yourself? Better be using it for something useful, like keeping your plate armor in good condition. (Please note: Catherine, though being Faeghan, is excluded because she wears the uniform of the Knights of Seiros, not her own clothes.)

Trends:

High collars, long skirts - generally as little exposed skin as possible. (There is exactly one pair of bare hands in the entire kingdom. Mercie is getting a little bold 👀)

Fur cloaks/capes/gloves, or just fur around the cuffs and collars if they don't have a full fur cloak.

Armor - every single man is dressed in armor, as is Ingrid. Most of the men have full suits of plate armor, but Felix, Rodrigue, and Ashe are wearing only gambesons (note the quilting in Felix's sleeve - that's what gives it away, imo). The folks in plate armor would have gambesons on as well (you can see Ingrid's underneath her breastplate), acting as padding for the plate armor. I think Gilbert is wearing plate armor with a tunic over it (a realistic historical practice).

Fastening is accomplished with clasps and lacing, and there are relatively few buttons or adornments to be seen on the main garments - Annette is an exception, which will be addressed later.

Brief analysis:

Notice the economical use of fabric - their clothing tends to lie flat, with fabric being layered for warmth rather than pleated, gathered, or puffed. The folks in plate armor may spice it up a little with a sash of some kind if they aren't already wearing a cloak or cape. I'm assuming Gilbert's ~stylish tunic~ is keeping him warm well enough to not need a cloak or larger scarf. (Mercedes has a ruffles and puffier sleeves, plus a fuller skirt, but it's worth noting that she is currently part of a merchant house, and merchants tend to be wealthier and actually occupy a unique social class between nobles and commoners.)

Note the colors, too. Greens, browns, and yellows are the cheapest and easiest dyes to make and use. That bright sort of tawny color that Gilbert, Annette, and Jeralt all have is easy and cheap. Gilbert's grey tunic could feasibly just be undyed wool. A true blue is difficult, but you'll note that the blue the people wear up here leans towards grey and green - could be that the dye is faded, or that it was never very blue to begin with. The only true blue is on Dimitri.

All of this reinforces the idea that Faerghus is not a rich nation, and the nobility don't live too far off from the common folk. The vast majority of the cost we see is actually their armor (worn by Dimitri, Dedue, Sylvain, Gilbert, Jeralt, Matthias, Ingrid, and also if we're getting all the way into it, Gwendal, Miklan, Lonato, and Baron Dominic as well), which is would have been pretty expensive. You'll notice they mostly wear grey armor with very little extra decoration, keeping the costs low. Ingrid, the poorest of the nobles in armor, also has the least actual plate. Felix and Rodrigue both have full cloaks, which most other people don't have (just Dimitri), but they also aren't wearing plate, so clearly that's a calculated choice.

That being said, even within these more economical fashions, we can still see clear differences between classes. Most noticeably, Felix (rich) and Ashe (not rich) have very similar outfits, but Felix's tunic/gambeson is lined with fur, while Ashe's is not.

BTW I'm of the opinion that the Fraldariuses are the richest people in the kingdom other than the royal family, and I believe that specifically of their fancy cloaks lol

so luxurious~

2. Adrestian Empire: look at my money bitch

Ah, the land of beauty and excess! I love to live in the capital and visit the cultural icon that is the opera and pretend that I'm not in Wealth Inequality Central. (Please note: Petra is not included, since she dresses according to Brigid's fashions. Also note: I fuck w these styles so hard, dude.)

Trends:

Short skirts (above the knee - Dorothea has a draped over-skirt thing, but her main skirt is shorter, and Manuela has leg slits instead of a short hem), low or square necklines, open backs. In general, we're looking at a lot of exposed skin. Forgot to include Cornelia in the pics, but she has this too.

Tailored jackets with just SO many buttons. Hanneman fits into the tailored jacket category, but isn't included in the highlights by virtue of Not Enough Buttons. (Some concept art is included here to drive the point home.)

Finally, there's this specific very specific double-breasted neckline thing (baby edelgard is separate bc i forgot to include her when i made the first image shhhh)

Brief analysis:

Adrestian fashion is all about displaying status and wealth, in this case through ornamentation, rich colors, uniforms denoting class/role, and also a fair amount of excess fabric.

Historically, fabric itself was one of the major indicators of wealth - in fact, certain historical styles very explicitly showed off just who was rich enough to afford, for example, a whole gown made from the same length of fabric, or even just an entire skirt panel with no piecing. In the Adrestian Empire, We've got excess fabric galore, tucked away into all those beautiful ruffles and bell sleeves, layered skirts, unnecessary capes, double collars, and puffy pants - and it's all in much more luxurious colors, too. In fact, I'm pretty sure the largest single piece of fabric on anyone in the game is Edelgard's cape, which is then also adorned with dozens of buttons and extra bits of fabric. It's almost definitely fully silk, both the outer layer and the lining. (And it's badass.)

Look at all that fluff! Dimitri's cloak probably rivals hers in the size of the actual fabric itself, but his is likely a heavy wool (unlined, maybe?), plus has a lot of fur.

"Oh, but pg, there are capes in Faerghus, too!" yes, but in Faerghus, they live in the arctic /hj. Note the vast expanses of exposed skin down here in the empire - clearly, cold is not an issue. You'll also note that the cloaks in Faerghus were heavy and lined with fur; that's not the case here. Given the prevalence of tailored jackets and the dual colors on Ferdinand's cape, I'm guessing they're either a comparatively lightweight wool with a silk lining (typical for tailored suit jackets, nothing particularly noteworthy about that), or just fully silk. (Bernie's shawl is just cotton though, prove me wrong...) Hanneman and Manuela are exceptions, since they both have fur, but they live at Garreg Mach, not in Enbarr.

The jackets themselves, by the way, could be silk OR wool. Ferdinand's in particular (especially thropes) reminds me of early 18th c. waistcoats, which would have been full silk.

We also have much richer colors down here in the land of art and song. Red, purple, and black were all very difficult colors to maintain, and very expensive. The most expensive colors, in fact. Not gonna lie, as far as price per yardage goes, I think Hubert's outfit might rival Edelgard’s in expense.

A notable exception to the excess fabric bit is Bernadetta. However, her dress is in what is arguably the most expensive color, and is heavily decorated, so that's a reasonable trade-off, and I don't blame her. I, too, would go for a smaller amount of pretty purple silk embroidered with bright, beautiful gold and yellow instead of a bigger, more impressive-looking option. It's about the little things.

I do want to take look at Caspar, in particular. He's unique in that he's dressed in a full suit of armor. But, given that he's the second son and not set to inherit anything, unlike all his waistcoat-wearing friends, he isn't being held to some particular uniform, and even if he were, it's the ministry of military affairs. Of course they wear real armor. What's interesting is that his armor is a sort of rosy grey/brass, rather than silver, and he has a lot more decoration and flair than the folks with full armor in Faerghus, in both his throuses and thropes outfits.

Worth noting, btw, that we have exactly zero examples of actual commoners in Adrestia, other than generic NPCs. Dorothea belongs to that peculiar niche that is opera and acting, so she is expected to dress and act like a noble, despite not having a title or property of any sort.

Adrestia - and Enbarr in particular - leads the slow march of fashion across Fódlan, given that it's a cultural hub and is so much wealthier, while Fearghus slowly picks things up over time. Thus, we have Annette, who lives closer to the empire and has disposable income, having some decorative buttons and tassels and a mock low neckline.

It's not nearly as much as the actual Adrestians, but she's picking it up!

3. Leicester Alliance: the beeeest of both worlds~

Oh, Alliance, you messy bitch. What we see here is a mix of everything, where some of them are influenced by Faerghus, and others by Adrestia (just like how some of them have kingdom-style names and some have empire-style names), and a few fit neither camp. There are clear reasons for similarities where they exist, though, so let's take a look! (Please note: Claude is not included, since his clothes are heavily influenced by Almyra.)

Hilda and Lysithea have the frills, puffy sleeves/skirt, short hems, low/square necklines, and expensive colors of the empire (plus, Lysithea gets a decorative veil in dark purple. How ~fancy~). This reinforces the idea that Adrestia sets the standards for fashion: Hilda cares about fashion and keeps up with the times. Lysithea lives on the border and was briefly under the control of the empire, and thus is influenced by it. Mostly, though, I think it's about how she tries to seem older and tends to see Hilda as a model of maturity (lol), so she's following that example.

Holst's armor is quite decorative, similar to Caspar's, but what stands out to me is the fringe in particular. We see the exact same fringe on Caspar, Hubert, and Edelgard, but not anywhere else.

Lorenz and Erwin are a bit of a border case, tbh! They both wear practical, full plate armor with little in the way of extra decor (other than Lorenz's rose and Erwin's little cape thing), but Jesus christ how much does it cost to keep it all so purple like that??? That's a blatant display of wealth that would impress any empire noble.

Marianne, on the other hand, would fit right in in Faerghus, with the old fashioned long skirt, high collar, capelet, and lack of extra decoration other than some pretty trim. Makes sense, since her territory is so close to the kingdom and she's clearly not interested in trying to stay fashionable.

Judith is dressed very practically, has some fun puffy sleeves and bright but inexpensive colors, has a short cape and gambeson (a short vest one, though). I want to say leans toward Faerghus, which makes sense since it's on the border and the house did at one point split off, with part going back to the kingdom.

Now we get to the only real, honest-to-god, never-owned-land-or-property, born-as-and-remain-now peasants/commoners: Leonie and Cyril. (Raphael was born into the merchant class and was able to support himself and Maya by selling his estate, so while we can consider him a real commoner at this point, it's not nearly to the same degree.)

Their economic status is obvious from their outfits: both have very practical clothes with no extra decoration, in cheap and easily accessible colors. Leonie's cloak wrapped around her waist is purely functional - she can use it when the weather calls for it, but it's out of the way of her arrows when she doesn't need it - and looks to be pretty soft, so likely is lightweight. She has a hint of some light protective wear (note the quilted sleeve) and the same front clasps as Felix and Ashe, so i think she's also meant to be wearing a gambeson, but it's shorter and less protective. Cyril doesn't seem to have any armor at all except for the shoulder protection - we can tell from the lack of center-front closures on his shirt and the shape of the cuffs of the sleeves that he's actually just wearing a tunic (or rather, two tunics on top of each other).

Raphael also has a very practical outfit, but notice that his is so much more protective, probably because he has a little more money than the other two. He has very limited, sparsely placed plate armor, but he is covered head-to-toe in quilted cloth armor. He's ready to get some punching done, baby!

Our real outlier, however, is Ignatz... But you bet your bottom dollar I've got an explanation for that one, too!!!!! Mans is an artist and he has rich(?) merchant parents, he can do whatever he wants.

Absurdly unnecessary lengths of (probably not very expensive) cloth? Sure. Fancy feathers that literally no one else gets? Why not! A billion buttons, half of which arent even keeping anything closed? Curly and intricate cloak fasteners probably made of some kind of cording? Sashes and tassels and a decorative sword??? Fuck it, we ball. I love this so much, it's easily my favorite outfit in the entire game and I would ABSOLUTELY wear it irl. I already have the right haircut and glasses and boots, I'm ready

4. In conclusion

These designs really are Fódlan in a nutshell. From the quiet wealth and functionality in Felix's fur-lined gambeson to the audacious luxury of Ferdinand's waistcoat to the unrepentant anarchism of Ignatz's entire vibe, we can see the history - and future - of the continent outlined right before our eyes:

Faerghus is cold, practical, focused on survival, and probably has the most even distribution of wealth. Leicester is a mix of remnants of the empire and kingdom, with clear wealth disparity but also a relatively high amount of social mobility and communal support systems. Adrestia has significantly wealth disparity, with nobles very disconnected from their people and instead busy politicking about.

Side note I know I said I wouldn't go into the historical inspirations, BUT I do think it's interesting that the men's clothing in Adrestia - particularly the tailoring - is similar to much later styles than the men's clothing in Faerghus, and the reverse is true of the women's sleeves and necklines.

Okay that's all, thanks for reading!

#fire emblem three houses #fe3h analysis #holy kingdom of faerghus #adrestian empire #leicester alliance #golden deer #black eagles #blue lions #fodlan's fashion icons #(not actually part of the series but it's topical ok)#this is why i cant do cosplay btw #i see an outfit i like and i immediately am like ok how do you make that irl? get me seven yards of cotton muslin we're doing a mockup #like why would i make Felix’s outfit if I'm not going all in on actual quilted armor yk?#i dont want Ignatz's pants if theyre going to just hang lazily and bunch at the ankle it needs BODY it needs STRUCTURE #yk?#anyway its super late im going to bed now bye #fashion in fodlan

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the-fluff-piece · 10 months

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Sanji - loving his s/o with self esteem issues

this is part of the request for a headcanon from @zephyrian-journ it turned into a whole story, whoops i hope it's okay!

Sanji x fem!reader who has problems with her body, I can only write from my perspective so keep that in mind!

Mention of stress response, insecurity with one's own body, mention of restricting

Here are my Masterlists

My Masterlist - Short and Multichapter stories

Headcanon Masterlist

Sanji expresses his love through food and service, he is just like that. So when you stop eating his creations and request only the plainest, low caloric options he is starting to feel really anxious. When you refuse to be touched and hide your body from the world he starts to panic. When you become absent minded and cautious, when you retreat and keep to yourself - he has a full breakdown.

He waits until you are alone and approaches you with an uncomfortable expression.

"So, what's wrong?" He asks, avoiding your gaze.

"What do you mean?" You ask back.

"You're kind of distant lately and...did I do something wrong?" The gaze of his blue eyes is locked on his shoes, his graceful fingers are fumbling nervously, he looks like a boy that has done something seriously wrong.

"No, not at all" you try to look into his eyes, but he turns away.

"I understand." He runs away. When you catch his arm and he turns around, tears are already flowing from his face. "I understand, I am not good enough for you anymore, I won't bother you anymore with my presence" the end of his sentence is hardly understandable, since he is sobbing loudly now, sinking to his knees. "You don't love me anymore, I am not good enough" he cries as he dramatically hugs your knees.

"Shh, don't cry babe, I love you more than anything, you know that" you tell him as you soothingly stroke his hair and kiss the tears away. "Why would you think that I don't love you anymore? You're the best thing that ever happened to me" you tell him as he looks up at you with puppy eyes, pressing his cheek against your chest.

"You're not eating my cakes anymore, you don't let me touch you, we're not bathing together anymore...it's like you don't want to be with me anymoooooooooooooore" the last word transitions into a long, whiny sob and he cries like a waterfall again.

"It's got nothing to do with you!" You explain to him. "You're perfect, you know that. It's me."

He blinks tears out of his eyes and looks at you. "THAN WHYYYYYYY" he helplessly gestures with his hands as he's crying out his question.

"...I gained weight. I don't fit into my jeans anymore. I just...I feel like a whale. I don't feel comfortable right now. I didn't want you to notice until I lost it again. Which doesn't seem to be working. And I was never thin to begin with..." your voice breaks as you struggle to express all you are feeling. "I just didn't want to disappoint you." Now you have tears in your eyes, avoiding his puzzled look.

"What?" He gets up and holds your shoulders. "How would you disappoint me?" He tries to catch your gaze but you are avoiding him.

"You like pretty women. I don't even know what you see in me, and now it's gotten worse. I just didn't want you to notice"

It is harder to say than you thought and now you're sobbing. Suddenly you're pressed against his chest, the soft fabric of Sanjis suit is catching your tears.

"I was so stupid and superficial I even manage to hurt you now with it! I'm so sorry! I didn't know what I even could expect from a relationship. I just know that you are unique and perfect and that I feel as safe with you as never before. I like your body because it is yours, and I want to see it grow old together with mine." he lifts your chin up and looks into your eyes. He looks dead serious now, despite his reddened and puffy eyes.

"Please forgive me!" He pleads. "I don't want you to feel unwanted! What can I do?"

"I don't know..." you say.

He nods, tears and snot running down his face.

"I'll find a way!" He promises.

For the next days, he's serious and quiet. Every time you talk, he tells you how much he loves you, but things between you seem tense. He also seems to do a lot more stuff for Nami than usual - carrying stuff for her, bringing her more treats, constantly asking what he could do. All in all, a strange situation. Tension builds and you are even more insecure about him than before, painfully aware that he was into Nami way before you two met.

So when you see them vanish in Nami's room, you cannot help but get a bad feeling. When they don't come out for quite a while, you decide to have a look. Nothing unusual to just knock and see what they're up to.

You knock - no answer. You try the handle, it's open. You enter and see them standing in the room, heads together. It's hard to see exactly what's happening there, but Sanji immediately jumps up, looking guilty.

"Y/n! What are you doing here? You weren't supposed to see this!" He shouts angrily. He has never used this kind of tone with you. After the last days, it's enough. You turn on your heel and try to get away before anyone is seeing you cry.

You're already halfway across the ship when you hear him behind you: "wait, It's not what it looks like!"

He quickly catches up and blocks your way.

"It wasn't supposed to go like this, don't cry" he says, but you're already crying.

"Leave me alone" you tell him.

"No, I'll never leave alone again" he says, his voice suddenly quiet and soft. Through the veil of your tears, you see him go down on one knee.

"I'll never leave you, because I want you to become my wife!" He's shouting, for everyone to hear, as he holds up a golden ring encrusted with diamonds.

"I got this ring from Nami's treasure, I hope you like it. If not I'll get another one!" He looks at you, awaiting your answer.

This was the last thing you expected. The two of you never talked about marriage.

"What?" You ask, overwhelmed by everything.

"I want to share everything with you for the rest of my life. I want to grow old with you! I want to become better for you all the time. I want you to become my family, because I love you so much! I told you I will find a way to show you how much you mean to me. This is it. Please marry me!"

For a painful second, you hesitate and his lower lip already begins to tremble. You hold out your hand and let him slip the ring on your finger. He kisses your hand and holds it against his cheek. You can feel a tear running down his face.

"You make me so happy" he cries. "Let's be a family!"

______________________________

Soooo....this one took me *checks date* forever, I am so sorry! I will be working through my drafts and requests as I have a bit more time now! Hope you liked it :D

#one piece fanfiction #one piece x you #one piece sanji #op sanji #sanji #sanji x y/n #vinsmoke sanji #sanji x reader #sanji x you #chubby reader #fat reader #black leg sanji #blackleg sanji #vinsmoke sanji x reader #op sanji fluff #sanji fluff #fluff #one piece #the fluff piece

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hurtspideyparker · 1 month

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Hi, if it’s not too much trouble could you please share some songs you think are Peter Parker coded? No pressure of course, thank you

HOW DID U KNOW I MADE A PETER PARKER PLAYLIST LITERALLY THIS WEEK?

I'll give out the link, it's based on MCU Peter and is vaguely chronological. Heavy on the angst soz. Also I don't have a super broad or unique music taste but I tried my best !

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0IeIl3Kj7L1hFoyyTIR21P?si=PkQ3NKseS0eL-sVyUFI5qA

Some specific thoughts on each song and how they relate to Peter if interested:

Boys Will Be Bugs by Cavetown - civil war Peter. just a crazy little guy, absolutely bonkers baby boy kicking super soldier ass.

all-american bitch by Olivia Rodrigo - homecoming Peter expected to be this tidy neighborhood hero for Tony but he's young and stupid and eager for action.

tolerate it by Taylor Swift - Homecoming Tony and Peter. Peter idolizing Tony and doing everything he can to prove himself and catch his mentor's attention, while Tony barely pays attention to him. "You're so much older and wiser and I, wait by the door like I'm just a kid" "I made you my temple, my mural my sky, now I'm begging for footnotes in the story of your life".

Reflections by The Neighborhood - same theme as tolerate it. "tried to put it out for you to get, could've should've but you never did" - Peter trying to warn Tony about what's going on but Tony not listening. Bonus "I see my reflection in your eyes" (I just wanted to be like you!).

Rose-Colored Boy by Paramore - Peter being this young optimistic hero, slowly losing that spark.

clementine by Halsey - general childish, stubborn Peter attitude. "I don't need anyone! I don't need anyone! I just need everyone and then some."

brutal by Olivia Rodrigo - Peter trying his best and losing so much of his normal teenage life to be the hero everyone demands, but he's never good enough.

All These Things That I've Done by The Killers - Peter coming to terms with the chaos and danger he causes others, begging for a mentor or a helping hand because he's in way over his head. "yeah you know you gotta help me out, oh don't you put me on the back burner" is so Tony coded in Homecoming. "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier" Peter has heart but he's only a hero by chance, he didn't ask for the fight.

this is me trying by Taylor Swift - Far From Home Peter reliving all his mistakes and thinking of the people he's nearly gotten killed, Fury berating him, telling Happy how he messed up. Him thinking about Tony a lot, and how he's failing to be the next Iron Man.

Gold Rush by Taylor Swift - this just makes me think about how enamouring and beautiful Peter is.

Social Cues by Cage The Elephant - Far From Home Peter. Literally that scene where Peter gets overwhelmed by the reporters, pressured and frazzled by the expectations of being the new biggest hero. Shy little guy in his Iron Spider suit.

Idle Worship by Paramore - Fury and so many others expecting the world of Peter when he's still just a kid who's expertise is stopping bike thiefs and helping elders cross the street. They set him so high on this pedestal that when he falls the impact will be so much harder.

The Kids Are All Dying by FINNEAS - Everyone turning against Peter because of Mysterio's lies. Peter frustrated they're so focused on him, just a kid who's trying to do good, that they're blind to the real problems. Everyone is so gullible and maybe Peter is second guessing being a hero considering how angry everyone is at him for it.

Figure 8 by Paramore - "all for your sake, became the very thing that I hate, I lost my way" this song is Peter's frustration at Mysterio and shield in general, how they took him and forced him to be someone he wasn't and how it backfired "I was only being kind but you mistook me for weak" Peter is far more trusting and forgiving than most, but once he's mad... his true strength shows.

Would've, Could've, Should've by Taylor Swift - Peter regretting trusting Beck. "If I was a child did it matter, if you got to wash your hands" Beck doesn't care that Peter is an innocent kid in this, only cares about his goal and hatred for Tony. "but lord you made me feel important, and then you tried to erase us" Beck made him feel seen and special in a time where no one else was (Peter had low self esteem and was easy to manipulate).

Why by Derivakat - another Beck and Peter angst theme (Mysterio is my fave villain sorry lol) "look at what you've done, is this what you call glory? do you still believe you're the hero of your story?" Beck has caused so much suffering just because of his grudge against a dead man. "you act like a judge enforcing your personal grudge. am I to pay for this war you've raised?" Beck admits that Peter is an innocent chest pawn in all this, and still Peter ends up losing the most.

Daylight by Taylor Swift - Peter and MJ anthem 🥺 finally seeing the great thing that has been right in front of him all along. Also- "I wounded the good and I trusted the wicked" hurting his friends because he trusted Mysterio. "Clearing the air I breathed in the smoke" Peter clearing his name from what Beck did to protect his friends, but he ended up poisoning himself (No Way Home ending).

because i liked a boy by Sabrina Carpenter - all because Peter trusted Beck he nearly destroyed the planet and then he lost everyone he loves. "now I'm a homewrecker I'm a slut, I got death threats filling up semi trucks. tell who I am, guess I don't have a choice. All because I liked a boy" change homewrecker and slut into menace and murderer and it's just like what the media is saying, sending Spider-Man constant hate and telling him who he is, and all is happening because Peter trusted Beck and gave him the power of EDITH.

What I'm Becoming by Cage The Elephant - Peter and May :(. "I'm so sorry honey, for what I'm becoming. Everything you wanted, seems so far from me. never meant to hurt you no, never meant to make you cry" May wanted Peter to be selfless and kind, to vouch for second chances even for criminals and villains. Now Peter is the one trying to take Green Goblin's life because he got May killed, and deep down he knows May would be disappointed.

my tears ricochet by Taylor Swift - No Way Home final battle and saying goodbyes. "you wear the same jewels that I gave you as you bury me... cause when I'd fight you used to tell me I was brave, and if I'm dead to you why are you at the wake. cursing my name, wishing I stayed, look at how my tears ricochet" MJ still wearing the necklace after forgetting. Desperate and making Peter promise he'll get her to remember, sharing tears. They're all haunted by someone they used to know. "I can go anywhere I want, anywhere I want just not home" is of course Peter being a free man but at the cost of losing everything he called home.

R.I.P. 2 My Youth by The Neighborhood - basically Peter losing all of his mentor's and support system, leaving school and getting a place of his own - the end to his youth. He steps fully into his role as Spider-Man and with it Peter Parker, the sweet naive kid he was, has died.

Making the Bed by Olivia Rodrigo - "push away all the people who know me the best, but it's me who's been making the bed". Even though it was Peter's decision to erase his name and protect the people he cared about, he hates going back to that dingey apartment all alone each day. "another thing I ruined, I used to do for fun" is about how bittersweet being Spidey is now.

Cigarette Daydreams by Cage The Elephant - "cigarette daydream, you were only seventeen. So sweet with a mean streak" this song's vibes are sweet boy beaten down, still trying to remain gentle in the face of violence :( Peter looking for reasons to remain good while everything crumbles around him.

Your Best American Girl by Mitski - "you have so much to do, but I have nothing head of me" Peter to his friends. He knew being Spider-Man he'd never have a normal life, so he decided to let them go instead of dragging them down with him. "you're the one, you're all I ever wanted I think I'll regret this" is Peter in that coffee shop making the final decision to leave them.

Happy Now? by FINNEAS - Peter's journey as Spider-Man, a post No Way Home Peter reminiscing about his career. I love the line "always such an anxious child, never wild, always worrying". Makes me think about homecoming Peter and how he was giving up all his clubs and time with his friends to be a superhero just because he felt a responsibility (civil war Peter telling Tony why he does this speech).

The Plan (Fuck Jobs) by The Front Bottoms - sardonic Peter, bitter and sarcastic post No Way Home. Him vs. the daily bugle, a broke and mentally unstable young adult. Comic Peter vibes.

Ya'burnee by Halsey - Peter thinking about MJ and how badly he wants to confess to her again who he is and why he loves her. They had so little time to be a couple together, immediately sweeped into a media circus and having their lives endangered time and time again. This song is just a Peter Parker open heart surgery.

I miss you, I'm sorry by Gracie Abrams - bittersweet anthem to Peter MJ and Ned ending their friendship. "nothing happened in the way I wanted... I don't want go think I'll make it worse, everything I know brings me back to us" :(

Matilda by Harry Styles - "you talk of the pain like it's all alright, but I know that you feel like a piece of you's dead inside" Peter is such an optimist. He left that coffee shop with a smile for his friends getting into MIT, but he doesn't allow himself to feel grief for that life he was supposed to have too. I think he deserves to feel his sadness and understand it wasn't his fault, that nothing is wrong with him. "you don't have to be sorry for leaving and growing up/for doing it on your own" I hope he doesn't regret his choices, and that things will get better for him.

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linka-from-captain-planet · 2 months

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Florrickology, Part 2: The most beautiful face in Faerûn

General simping under cut, plus:

Why I think her face model was changed so much from EA

How her face contributes to her characterization

Spitballing how old I think she is

I actually didn't even really notice Florrick's sexy dress until I saved her from Wyrm's Rock and saw her moving about in the light of day, so I spent 2 whole acts deeply in love with her simply because of her gorgeous face, husky voice, and dominant personality. I was gobsmacked by a total elven MILF come out of nowhere, and while I did recognize her as a beacon of drip in the swagless wasteland of Act 1, I didn't need to notice her thong to know immediately that this was the most beautiful person in the entire game and I must stan.

This was also before I noticed that most NPCs have the same like 6 faces, so I wasn't even yet aware that Florrick's face was especially beautiful and unique.

In addition to going through three outfit changes, she went through two earlier face models. Her original and second models are below.

Her hair and eyes remained essentially the same (minus the smoky makeup), but big changes were made in her face shape and other features between each version, even down to her ears. The second version is definitely a generic head (and not my favorite); I'm not sure about Original Florrick as I don't know what the base heads looked like then, but it is pretty bland, albeit very beautiful.

So, why change? As I said in Part 1, her exact appearance isn't really important, but it is very intentional because they made the effort to change it a few times.

The decision to give her a unique face sculpt makes perfect sense; she's more than significant enough for the effort, considering she shows up in all 3 acts, has lots of dialogue and emotes while talking, plays a fairly sizeable role in the overall story, and appears in the High Hall cut scene as a final battle ally. I figure that, for the most part, the intention behind giving her this unique face is pretty simple: it's gorgeous, increases the game's overall diversity, and enhances her characterization.

I love the type of beauty she was given in the end. She exudes femininity, yet her personality is very dominant ("masculine") and her face isn't traditionally "feminine". Her most prominent feature, her nose, is angular and long, and looks bumpy in certain lights. Her jaw stands out to me next, nice and sharp and strong, but she lacks the cheekbones to give a really chic look. Her chin is large and has a hint of a cleft in some lights. From the side profile (alas I don't have a screenshot even tho I think of it often), her nose, teeth/lips, and chin jut forward a bit from her cheeks and eyes, giving her a very determined, jaw-set look.

But she also has big, soft puppydog eyes, some of the juiciest and prettiest lips in the entire game, the most beautiful and distinctive skin tone, and the most nibbleable ears in Faerûn. Look at the little tippy tip poking out of her hair on her right!!

ps if anyone tries to tell me X is more beautiful or Y has more nibbleable ears I will simply block you, make your own insane simp post

Anyway, her face suits her perfectly. She looks like someone you'd describe as "steady as Tyr's heartbeat" or "upstanding as the Sword Mountains". She looks proud, confident, and maybe a little pushy. Her nose has that elegant slope, so when she stands straight up with her strong jaw set and her chin proudly raised in the air, she looks down it just so that you can tell this isn't a woman to be trifled with. She looks stern, but never mean or cruel. When she's grateful, she's gracious and charming. Her big brown eyes are imploring in her moments of vulnerability, and she can't hide when she's worried or concerned because her eyebrows move on their own. She might turn away so her hair covers part of her face in those moments, too.

In her absolute lowest moments, she doesn't even try to hide, and lets the player in on exactly how she's feeling, in her expressions and words.

You don't really get all that from her earlier two models, right? They're beautiful, but don't tell as much of a story.

I think to a lot of people, she may come across as one-note, but she has an emotional arc like any other significant NPC with a longitudinal storyline and you see that the most in her expressive face. I do think that's remarkable, since she is a female character who exists in this story to support the greater arcs of two men. There are strengths and weaknesses in Larian's writing when it comes to things like this, but I really do think they did a great job with Florrick, in balancing her autonomy and treating her as an individual, while holding her to the minimum-necessary screen time/resources (in this long, enormous game) to fulfill her role.

Not strictly related, but I'll always appreciate that it is essentially never implied that Florrick does what she does because she's in love with Ulder. It would make a great romance side story and I'd have loved it, but I love more that it's left up to interpretation. However she feels about him in private, the fact is that it doesn't make a difference in her behavior; lover, friend, or just a boss she respects, she will move mountains for him and her city because it's the right thing to do, and she'll always do what she thinks is right. Florrick being allowed to exist in this story as her own person, never commanded by the writers to be Ulder's wife or Wyll's mother, even if her storyline is really about Ulder and Wyll, is really special to me.

So on that note, I do have one theory as to why they gave her these very unique features:

To help prevent players from assuming that Florrick and the Ravengards are related.

It's important to Wyll's story that his father is his only living family; letting players assume Florrick is (secretly?) his mother or aunt because she's coded as a middle-aged black woman and closely-associated with him and his father interferes with that story, and introduces confusing questions that don't need to be asked like "is Wyll supposed to be a half-elf?" or "why doesn't she seem to give much of a fuck about her son/nephew?"

On this note, I really like that because not only does it shoot down the conventional demand that any woman in the vicinity of a child be their mother, it also highlights that Ulder was Wyll's entire world, making all of their stories more poignant.

Now the final question her face leads us to is, how old is Florrick? This is tough to answer due to Elf Aging, which means you have to triangulate her actual age by starting from how old she looks and how old she seems compared to others.

For my impressions, I think Florrick's voice is what MILFifies her moreso than her face. Her VA, Karen Bryson, was born in 1975, which tracks with the way she sounds, but her face comes off as a bit younger: she's essentially unwrinkled (minus her forehead when she emotes), bright and fresh-skinned with no other signs of aging, so I would place her at a maximum of mid-30s by appearance.

My impression of elf aging as a non-lore-expert is that, at least in BG3, they grow at the same rate as humans until reaching physical maturity around the early to mid twenties, then age visibly but at a very slow rate thereafter.

Fortunately, there are a few full elf characters whose ages we know. Disregarding Astarion who seems to have been fucked up due to stress/vampirism, we have Minthara (~250) and Halsin (~350) for comparison.

This is convenient, since Florrick looks tennish years younger than Minthara, and Minthara looks tennish years younger than Halsin. So, perhaps full elves, once having reached full physical maturity by approx 25 years old, age about ten years for every hundred give or take stress/genetics/etc. So if Florrick looks about 30-35, that'd work out to the neighborhood of 120-130 years old.

This tracks to me, as she definitely comes off as a fully-fledged elven adult, but still young enough to be a bit cavalier and have things to learn about herself--much like a human in her early-to-mid 30s.

Also, I notice she doesn't have anything to say about the previous Bhaalspawn crises (124-125 years ago), because it seems like the type of thing she'd comment on if she remembered it firsthand (either from growing up in Baldur's Gate, or hearing about as the news travelled.) So her being either not born yet or too busy learning to tie her shoes to engage with current events makes sense.

This concludes Florrickology part 2.

#florrickology #counsellor florrick #kisses her beautiful face #substantially shorter than part 1 #bg3 #bg3 spoilers #next installment will most likely be Wyll's Womancrush Wednesday (aka why Florrick is insane part 2)

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cheesy09 · 4 months

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[CN] Kiro's 6th Anniversary Event Story - Final Part (1)

🌸 Warning: This post contains detailed spoilers for content that hasn't been released on the EN server yet! 🌸

Originally, I hadn't planned on translating this event, but I'm making an exception for this part because it was just TOO CUTE!!! 😭💕

For context, this year's anniversary event is all about travelling to various spots in Loveland with your love and taking part in various couple activities. You can read the prologue here.

The following is the event's final plot for Kiro and MC.

Even though it is winter, due to the unique conditions of Clear-Spring Mountain, flowers still continue to bloom all over the mountains and plains.

Opening the convertible of the retro sports car, we drive towards the mountains, all the while enjoying the beautiful scenery.

I have made a reservation in advance at the Honey Farm located in a sea of flowers in the mountains. Many blogger couples have commented that the activities at this place are very sweet.

Kiro: The first step is to beat the eggs... separate the egg whites... then add the sugar... granulated sugar? lumps of sugar?

Seeing Kiro casually talk while driving, I smile and gently squeeze his shoulder.

MC: Pfft, if the baking teacher comes to know that there are students who have prepped in advance, they'll be very touched.

Kiro: Don't make fun of me. If the summer island kitchen bombing incident happens again, I really will go into a tree hole on the farm.

MC: Don't worry, with me here, our cake will only succeed, not fail.

MC: After all, we both want to draw a perfect end to our journey here~

Seems like my comfort is somewhat effective. Kiro smiles and squeezes my palm, then slightly speeds up the accelerator.

Kiro: Then I'll also study hard. So that when you want to eat cake in the future, I can make it for you with my own hands.

Teacher: Welcome both of you, to our sweet couple activities...

Teacher: ...We first need to beat the egg mixture with sugar into a thick, fluffy foam. Next...

After the teacher explains the steps to make the cake, it is our turn to practice them.

Kiro: Come, let me try it.

Kiro takes the egg beater from my hand and beats it carefully. Seeing the egg liquid beginning to turn white, I quickly speak in affirmation.

MC: That's right - stop!

Before I can finish speaking, I see him dig out a big spoonful of sugar and pouring it into the container. I quickly hold down his arm.

MC: Sugar was added before, no need to add more!

Kiro: Is it enough? But the amount that was added before seemed so small. Will it be sweet enough?

That extremely serious gaze makes me clearly realize at this moment why this person is known as a "kitchen killer".

Recipe books and instructional videos tell us the most accurate steps, sometimes even down to the grams.

But for a "feeler" like Kiro, instead of telling him what is right, it is better to let him adjust step by step based on his own feelings.

So, I gently let go of my hand.

MC: Hmm... Actually, I'm not sure if the previous proportion is the sweetness we prefer.

MC: So just follow your own ideas. If it's too sweet, we can just add less sugar next time~

Kiro: Mm, I think so too. We still gotta make a cake that suits us best.

He grows slightly excited and digs out two more spoons of sugar and adds them in. Seeing the sugar bag almost bottoming out, I can't help but "comfort" myself in my heart.

As long as Kiro is happy.

Then, he continues completing the honey cake embryos one after another under my "guidance" and then puts them in the oven.

Kiro: 160°, 40 minutes, done!

Once we are done, the staff takes us to a glass greenhouse to wait.

I look at the "sweet space" before me that is temporarily exclusive to us--

Lush branches, leaves and flowers sway in the wind, surrounding the entire area with spring, accompanied with bursts of fragrance.

There is a coffee table and sofa in the center of the greenhouse, and the bookshelf on the side lists various board games, providing a variety of entertainment options.

Kiro: "What do you and your significant other have in common?"

I follow the sound and turn around, finding Kiro standing in front of a wall, seemingly looking at something.

MC: What is that?

Kiro: Hmm... Two questions were asked above. It seems to be a small game to enhance feelings.

I walk over quickly and whisper another question.

MC: "What are the differences between you and your significant other?"

I pause and subconsciously look at Kiro, only to find him already gazing at me with a smile.

Kiro: Though the question seems to be simple... I'm still curious about Miss Chips' answer.

MC: That's quite the coincidence. I'm also curious about your answer.

We tacitly smile at each other, pick up the pen and paper on the table and sit down.

MC: So let's each write our own and then exchange them?

He responds with a smile and starts to write. I also unfold the white paper and think about the similarities between us.

The afternoon sun fills the table with warmth, and for a while, it becomes so quiet that I am only able to hear the scratching of the tips of our pens across the paper.

After a while, I stop writing, and the chair next to me makes a slight scraping sound.

MC: Seems like we've written everything. Let's start from the first question.

Kiro: Okay, I'll go first!

Kiro: You and I have a lot in common, the most similar thing being that we are each other's favorite people.

MC: --Pfft! Your answer is also the first common thing I wrote down~

Seeing me poking at my letter paper, Kiro's eyes show a satisfied smile.

Kiro: As expected of us.

Kiro: My next answer is that we are also the people who make each other the happiest.

MC: No matter how late the other person is working over time, we will always leave a light on in the living room.

Kiro: We both love small animals, but Cello and Apple Box are always first in our hearts.

MC: We always have a strong sense of curiosity, and any of our adventurous ideas can be achieved invariably.

The sun moves slowly, and those words spoken out finally turn into brighter smiles on our faces.

After answering the first question, I lower my eyes and look at my letter paper.

MC: Actually, we have a lot of differences, but they all seem to complement each other.

MC: Since you're a master gamer, no complex level is difficult enough to beat you.

MC: Without you there to teach me, I would have been forever stuck in one place, unable to enjoy the total fun.

I look at the person in front of me as if the past has arrived with its answer, embracing me like the bright sun.

Kiro: Then you are a master producer. No matter how complicated the set is, you can make it orderly.

MC: You always know what you want most and you never compromise.

Kiro: My Miss Chips is also very strong. Nothing can "defeat" you.

We look into each other's eyes and say those extremely sincere words.

Then, my eyes stop at the last line of the letter and I fold it with a smile.

MC: Although we have many similarities and differences, there is one thing that I'm very sure of.

MC: You have always been braver than me, and kinder than me.

MC: You always allow me to see the brightest and gentlest side of the world.

MC: Therefore, I can feel very clearly that every day, every minute and every second of these six years--

MC: Being with you has been such a fortunate and happy thing. I think the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life--

MC: Has been meeting you.

I quietly look at the person in front of me, the one who loves me the most, hoping that my sincerity can be conveyed to him a thousand times more through words.

Kiro: [inhaling a shaky breath and exhaling softly] .....

The sunlight outside the window seems to freeze in this moment, quietly falling into Kiro's blue eyes.

He stands up, walks over to me, squats down, encloses his palms on the back of my hands and smiles brightly.

Kiro: When you say that, I can't help but wonder how good I must seem in your eyes... to be worthy of your description.

MC: Then you can use all kinds of exaggerated imagination, because nothing can be as good as you are.

MC: The ordinary sunshine, and those flowers and sceneries all shine after you appear.

MC: You make me feel that this world is wonderful because you are in it.

I lower my head and gently hold his palm.

MC: So, even if this journey ends, can you continue to hold my hand like this every day from now on...?

MC: Walk with me through everything in the world, and never let go.

MC: Okay?

Before he can say anything, a "ding" sound comes from the door, which seems to indicate that the cake has been baked.

Footsteps come from outside, but right at that moment, Kiro picks me up by the waist and hides us among the lush green branches and leaves that were behind us.

The next second, he gently kisses me.

The green leaves covering the top of our heads sway gently in the wind, dancing with shadowy golden light spots.

Teacher: Guests, the cake you baked - hey, where have they gone?

The sound coming from the door has long since turned blurry. What is clear to me is his soft breathing.

For some reason, I keep feeling like I have tasted the sweetest bite even before eating the cake.

He seems to think so too as the honey-eating bear in front of me has already raised the corners of his lips.

Kiro: Before I answer your question, I don't want anyone interrupting us.

He presses close to my lips, his azure eyes more dazzling than anything else.

Kiro: But I have just told you with practical actions.

Kiro: No matter how many years pass, no matter how many sceneries and how much of happiness you will pass by with me in the future.

Kiro: The sweetest one will always be the one I give to you.

Kiro: So, look forward to it.

Part 2: Coming soon

#THIS IS LITERALLY THE BEST CONFESSION SHE'S EVER GIVEN HIM #those were words I've always thought of when it came to kiro #but for her to actually say them out loud to him made me so so happy 😭💕#mlqc #mlqc cn #mlqc spoilers #mlqc kiro

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zoobus · 1 year

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I Shall Master this Family! is a rare princess story where the art is like, outrageously skilled, unique in its consistent level of detail, unreal historical fashion dedication, so much so that it successfully carries what's an overall mid story. You might notice that it's a mid story (I certainly have) but they throw you another sumptuous princess Guinevere sleeves and you're goaded into another chapter.

Normally this isn't enough. If anything I've found too good art highlights bad writing, thoughts wandering to how the artist(s) deserves better than the slog they're supporting.

But I'm stuck with this annoying isekai girl ignoring all the more emotionally intriguing subplots in favor of chapter upon chapter of isekai-based ego-stroking (can you believe this little kid came up with this brilliant business plan? Can you believe a 9yo identified the genius of a commoner? It's like she knows everything before it happens! Lay it on thicker!) because a) artist team that can conceptualize adults over 30??? b) artist team that draws old women??? Real ones???

b2) men too though it's more impressive that they drew a beard like they've actually seen a beard before. Old guys are common but distinguished and healthy looking ones less so

c) you can tell this is based on a historical fashion because nobody invents cultural male-garb unless they're meant to be eroticized. I can't think of another story where any real attention was put into what the guys are wearing unless cleavage was involved

I don't know if I even care for the fashion itself - that there's conspicuous effort into its portrayal puts it in a class of its own. Everyone else is satisfied with the certified male love interest paizuri shirts, cravats with medievallish suits, and generic npc peasantwear.

d) I don't know how many times I've given up on a comic because the artist had a fetish for blondes, making it nigh impossible to tell anyone apart. This story takes place in a Scots-inspired land, so a sizable chunk of the cast are redheads and the endless shades of red and curl textures never gets old. I like that blondes are still sort of gingery and shout out to the colorist for not being weak, blue-eyed apologist.

It came far too late but I finally understood why Shananet fell for this loser's act when he whipped out the brown/blonde puppy combo. Wish the writers were capable of juggling plots so we could have seen more of it.

I'll have to get into it in another post but the writing flaws are grating in a skill issue way, maybe too much ambition that should have been scaled back. For example writing men as being generally less substantial, more hysterical, while making women intelligent, well-rounded, characters with depth of various alliances only works if your story focuses on the latter. If you give me cold, calculating ice queen, I won't be satisfied with the plot spending more time on the dumbass loser 30-something eldest son throwing tantrums when his stupid plans fail. Likewise, how do you think it feels learning that the cool-headed, clever woman who gave up on potentially taking over the clan for a worldwind romance was played for a simp by her (quite obviously) less intelligent husband who doesn't even hide his seething hate for her family well? It makes everyone look like a clown. Writing structure crit imminent

It's a shame but unfortunately I like the way it looks too much to drop it😔

#i shall master this family #otome isekai #realized I lust for historical sleeves bc of this one ngl. that should be me wearing that. not her.#i should really write my thoughts down before i forget further because they did Shananet dirty #'she was always emotional weak minded and cared more about harmony than herself' WHEN. WHEN WAS THAT EVER ESTABLISHED.#they should have replaced like 20 chapters of mc worship with giving that shananet the setup she deserved #instead it's just 'yeah he was really manipulative. just take my word for it. gaslighting even. boy you should have seen it'#yeah i would have liked to

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ohbother2 · 2 months

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hi! so like, i might try writing smut soon enough (because why the hell not amirite?) so like, is there any advice you could give me? like DOs and DONTs, tools that could be useful to avoid orthographic errors etc etc (im used to using chat GPT to look at my horribly, horribly written texts and correct them, but i've got a feeling it will straight up censor it, and english's not my first language, so anything that would make my dirty dirty texts into dirty clean text would be dope)

Hi!

I'm sorry but because you're an ageless blog I'm not going to give actual smut-writing advice, but ig it's okay to give general writing advice?

Just a reminder to everyone, if you're a minor please do not interact with me or my posts!

In all honesty I don't really know what I even do when I write, the words just sort of appear and I'm like 'yep, that works', but that's not the most useful advice, lol

I envision the story I want to read, and then I write it how I want to read it. I hope that makes sense

I guess my main advice would be to find your own niche, like, are you a dialogue or an 'action' based writer? Ofc it's good to be good at both but people have their own strong suits. For me, for example, I'm much better at descriptive writing than dialogue so that's what I focus most of my writing around

People also have their own unique styles and formatting to their writing - I feel as though mine is pretty distinctive with certain types of vocabulary and paragraph spacing/grammar/etc - so I guess it would be good to find a style that works good for you! For example, don't stick to lengthy paragraphs of immense detail if that doesn't come naturally to you, etc

My absolute top priority when writing is to not tell the readers what's going on, but to show it. Sometimes 'They felt X/Y/Z' is a useful tool for emphasising a particular point, but sometimes it detracts from the writing overall.

As an example: 'He felt as if his heart was going to burst from his chest...' (This can be good when used in the right moments, but if that's the only descriptor the writing loses a bit of life to it)

Compared to: 'His heart hammered painfully against his taut ribs as he gasped uselessly for breath...' (This is showing rather than just simply telling, and is how I personally prefer to write a majority of the time)

It's also important not to repeat yourself unnecessarily - it can be good to repeat when you're really trying to emphasise a point, but sometimes writing can stagnate and become less engaging? It's very difficult to find the right balance but it makes a world of difference to a piece of text

For dialogue (arguably my weakest skill) the best piece of advice is that you cannot write accurately how people in real life talk. When we talk we mostly fill out thoughts with nonsense and fluff out the main point - you can't write this because the readers will become disengaged. There's an important balance to find between being too formal for speech, maintaining the main point of the conversation, and ensuring the characters still sound like themselves. I tend to really try and put myself in the characters heads, think about what they'd actually say, and then 'translate' it into a written format that works whilst keeping that characters traits.

The way I 'learnt' to write was through reading, and I'd really recommend you read in your desired writing language (I'm guessing English from your ask) to see the typical structures and vocabulary of that language when written down. Direct translations don't always work, especially with literature, because there are phrases and sayings and common slights-of-tongue that are language specific, so I think it's really useful to get used to that language in its own written form, yk?

I forgot!! But it's also important not to tell your readers everything. Let them fill some gaps in on their own - they don't need to be told how a line of dialogue was said if it's obvious in the speech and context, and they don't always need to know how a character moved across a room or what their hands are doing 100% of the time. Sometimes the best parts of stories are the bits that go unsaid :)

Sorry, this is rambling and probably not very useful, but I've never given writing advice before.

Writing really is all down to the author finding their own 'voice' within their texts, and I'm sure you're writing will be great!!! I hope this helps! :))

#writing advice I guess?#im really not qualified for this #sorry if this makes no sense

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traincat · 1 year

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yeah from what I've heard (I don't have the guts to actually read it) that's what's going on right now other than him fighting other heroes and paul still being a mystery

I'm going to marathon through what I've missed at some point, I'm just trying to get up the urge to care. (I got big back into Fire Emblem so I can't even rely on "this series is the main fiction love of my life and I have to do this" right now.) Most of what I've "read" from the past few issues are pages floating around twitter, and they've all been kind of outraged on the PeterMJ developments, which, like, I get, because they suck, but they've been sucking the whole series now so you'd think I'd hear more about Peter stealing tech from other heroes so he can give it to Norman to build stuff for him??

And I'm not addressing anything directly because again I haven't like actually read it yet and I don't want to be part of the comic book misinformation network, even accidentally, but I did read like at least the first half of what's out of this run and the Norman thing was the biggest deal for me. I can theoretically deal with everyone hating Peter for not established reasons or Peter and MJ having badly contrived relationship drama or Mystery Kids or Ben Reilly Evil Again (Take Two) or Peter not working at the Bugle because Marvel hates me personally or even Peter and Flash reuniting totally off page. What I can't handle is the Norman Was Shot With a Good Ray and Now Everyone Feels Sooooo Bad For Him Because He's Such a Nice Guy (He's Actively Falling Apart Because He's Gonna be Evil Again Ooh) apology hour. I can't handle Peter being willing to put his trust in Norman, whether or not Norman had the evil sucked right out of his soul and lobbed at a clone of Ashley Kafka or not. And I can't handle the downplaying of Peter's kills in favor of Norman's. It's always really weird to me when writers are like "Norman is more of a genius than Peter." Norman is more ruthless than Peter. Norman cares about far less than Peter. Establishing Norman as smarter than Peter flips the script in a really weird way (as opposed to characters like Doc Ock or the Jackal, who are established geniuses) that sort of puts them on this uneven footing. It seems to buy into the myth of the super rich guy as inherently smarter than everyone else, and it's not really present in Norman's original story (his introduction up to his death in ASM #122). Like this is a guy who Goblin'd himself because he blew up a bunch of chemicals in his own face. Even if he said he could build me a super suit, if I had anywhere in the realm of the "rewiring a toaster" skill set, I'd be like, cool thanks I'll do it myself. Which is what Peter should be doing, because the core of Peter's character should be a frightening amount of independence. He shouldn't be relying on Norman for a job or a super suit or subway fare. Good Norman or no, Norman helping to rescue MJ or no, Peter should be telling him to go fuck himself in every panel. It's just a basic characterization issue at this point. And this doesn't have to apply directly to whatever is or isn't going on in the past few issues because it applies to the whole run. (I did read the first few issues of Gold Goblin, which were at least an attempt at nuance with Norman, but between Liz trusting Norman and "Gold Goblin" sounding like the ultimate antisemitic dog whistle, I haven't gotten up the will to finish it yet.)

I think I'm also just like burnt out after two uniquely bad runs in a row. Like Slott was bad, but I was pretty used to the specific ways in which he was bad, and occasionally he busts out a good enough scene that it kind of gets you excited again. Spencer and Wells' runs have both had this deeply unpleasant undercurrent to them (Kindred, whatever's going on with Wells revisiting the plotline he wrote with the blizzard from the early days of Brand New Day) that just leaves a bad taste in my mouth. But to say anything more specific I would, you know, actually have to read it.

#traincat talks comics #not really wednesday spoilers

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wookofwallst · 7 months

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(Article) Starfield Steam reviews are sliding fast.

Well, it's been a month now since Starfield has released, and players have really let loose on the internet about how they feel. Good and bad reviews have popped up on Steam, Metacritic, and the Xbox store.

My main focus here is going to be on Steam for a few reasons . It's easier to sort by play time and alot easier to find other reviews rather than just "Xbox Exclusive Bad".

Underlying numbers kind of shows the 75%. Alot of people want to talk about review bombing but what about review lifting? Review inflation? Whatever you want to call it, the first day of reviews should probably be disqualified based merit. If you don't like that idea, then you're telling me more than 20 thousand people played the game enough to give a thoughtful review? I doubt it.

The reviews that I put in here will be from people who have put in over 100 hours. For a game this size and with how much there is to do I think that would be best.

After a pretty lengthy review and 170 hours played, one user said:

"I regret taking the time to bond with my companions, talking with every NPC, flying & running around scanning the planets, and lockpicking every door or chest I encountered. Overall, I regret completing the main story. I can't believe I'm saying this, but IGN was right about the 7/10."

It's hard to disagree with what he said. There was alot of hype in NG+, even the CEO of Xbox said "The game doesn't start until you beat the game" and what happens after? You get a new ship that can fast travel anywhere in the galaxy and all of the loot, weapons, and everything you had is all gone. The ship cannot be expanded upon, and you're given a new space suit.

149 hours played and multiple paragraphs. Another user said:

"The writing in this game is AWFUL. Image if you will, you are a new corpo grunt, your first day as an intern and boom you find out the CEO is selling company secrets. So you confront them, kill them and everyone loves you for it from this one piece of 'evidence' and gives you a promotion. This is Starfield in a nut shell."

"I have 1000+ hour in Fallout 4 for example. I will never hit that in Starfield. It's just not that interesting.

No vehicles

No atmospheric flight

No groundbreaking features

No taming

ZERO Aliens..."

It's hard for me to disagree with anything this reviewer said. I can even expand upon it. 90% of the "aliens" in this are gigantic insects with no intelligence at all. I understand that space might not have a lot of aliens in our neck of the woods, but this is a video game. Put some aliens in it! Outposts are stupid, copy pasted time wasters.

Final one 114 hours played. This is the full review:

I was expecting a game i could play for 100s or thousands of hours but after just 100 hours i can say i have beat the entire game and done everything. It is bland and nothing like the interesting games we were previously given... Biggest disappointment of 2023 worst rpg i have ever played... all bland procedural content that is the same on every planet. Their is no interesting characters or unique items to chase after. It is literally 6 quest lines and a main quest line that take a 100 hours to complete then their is nothing but small meaning less quest that are all similar with the same places and dialogue in different planets.

Bland, meaningless content that's procedurally generated. And that's the common theme. It's Kwibblekop AI bad, dull, and void of any emotion.

So yeah, looking at actual negative reviews of the game with valid criticism is reinforcing the score I gave it. 6.5.

Did you like Starfield? Do you think reviews that are posted should have a time limit? Do you believe in review inflation? Anything new you're playing? Let me know! Thanks for reading!

You can catch me live on Twitch every weekday from 8pm-12am. Link is below!

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hrefna-the-raven · 2 days

Text

Heart for hire

Fallout masterlist - main masterlist

Summary: It has been some time ago since MacCready and you found each other when you first stepped into the Third Rail. On the same day, after a year, you met again, same spot, same time to cherish in the memory of your first encounter.

Warnings: none I think...

Notes: slightly off canon and I haven't played MacCready's affinity arc yet and no review, this was typed and posted^^ living on the edge despite constant anxiety *whoop whoop* xD

Part 1

Robert spotted you as soon as you walked down the stairs, wearing the exact same blue vault suit you had donned a year prior when you first stumbled into Goodneighbor. A genuine grin unfurled on his face as you casually ambled towards him. The notion that, after all that happened with Lucy, he was fortunate enough to discover love again, still seemed surreal to him. But he knew better than to turn away from the blessing that slept 210 years in a vault only to find him shortly after waking up. Your steps halted in front of the table he was sitting at, humming innocently to yourself as your gaze trailed over his figure. From his seat, MacCready lifted his gaze, his eyes squinting marginally as he mustered all his fortitude to maintain a neutral expression.

"If you're preaching about the Atom, or looking for a friend, you've got the wrong guy. If you need a hired gun… then maybe we can talk."

A soft chuckle echoed within you as he reiterated the same statement he had flung at you one year ago.

"What makes you think I'd be an Atomite? And who knows? Maybe you'd want me to be your friend?"

He snorted softly, the corners of his lips curling into a familiar amused smile from back then. His little vault dweller sauntering through the Third Rail, tossing back her audacious retort with the same bravado.

"I don't make friends", he threw back at you playfully, followed by a flirtatious wink, "I fear we'd get too close and our lips might accidentally touch."

Innocently, you shrugged, drawing a chair beside him and settling down. You evaded his look as if it were a blazing inferno, fearful of being consumed by its flames, incapable of continuing the little teasing game the two of you were playing.

"Oh you know, I was told that accidents tend to happen quite a lot in the Commonwealth."

Grinning devilishly, you reached for his beer, took a hearty gulp before putting it back on the table, finally holding his gaze. His face contorted into a mock surprise, melodramatically placing a hand over his heart.

"The nerve of you!"

You signaled to Whitechapel Charlie for another round and shifted closer to MacCready, inhaling deeply to steady your nerves as you savoured the unique blend of Gwinnett pils and gunpowder that marked his scent.

"You seem a little young to be a hired gun. Tell me your story and the next few drinks are on me."

Charlie's interrupted you, the robot hummed cheerfully as he placed the beverages on the table and disappeared again. Robert exhaled sharply, consuming half of his beer in a single gulp to steady his nerves.

"First you're drinking my beer, and now you want to hear my life story… What's next? My social security number?", he quipped.

You chuckled at his comment, your heart almost melting at the fact that he would remember the little things you told him about the life you lead before the war.

"I'm simply intrigued by this handsome man sitting all alone in a place like this, plus I have no other engagements for tonight, so if you'd be so kind and satisfy a lady's curiosity", you whispered enticingly, your fingers playing around the bottle's neck, moving up and down before taking a drink.

The more your fingers played with the bottle, the more MacCready found himself fixated on them, suppressing an urgent groan that welled up in his throat.

"Handsome man, huh? Well, there's not much to tell… stuck in Little Lamplight, never knew my parents."

He finished off his drink, releasing a contented sigh as the mild buzz from the alcohol gradually spread through his body. A calm evening, no impending disaster in sight, there was no other place in the whole Wastelands he'd prefer over this very spot.

"My, my, what a tragic story", you gently stroked his shoulder, your fingers leisurely tracing a path down his torso, "but the poor handsome merc hasn't told me his name yet. Or is that as mysterious as his past?"

Your hand settled flat against his chest, sensing his heart rate quickening beneath your touch. His lips quivered subtly under your gaze, struggling mightily to suppress the temptation to kiss you.

"That's a mystery for you to figure out", he leaned closer to you and whispered, "but I have that very close friend who calls me Mac."

A soft laugh escaped your lips as you recalled the moment you had chosen that nickname for him when he first revealed his name. It took him some time to get used it, persistently expressing his displeasure at the moniker you had chosen until the day his heart succumbed to your affection. Since then, the once hated nickname became the song your heart sang to his each day, a tender tune he would never tire of. MacCready felt the threat of drowning within the craving sea of his desire for you, the screaming of his longing for you grew deafening, making it impossible for him to continue denying your lips. His arms wrapped around your waist, drawing you from your seat to his welcoming lap, as his lips passionately locked with yours. Only when breath became a necessity did you part, gasping and laughing softly as you affectionately rubbed your nose against his.

"Having met you, having you this close to me has made me happier than I've ever been before", he murmured, his face nestled in the curve of your neck.

A year ago, he lingered alone in the Third Rail, drinking to numb his mind, a desperate attempt to escape the sad truth of a dead wife and a son in the merciless grip of an unknown plague, well aware that the gunners might show up and finally put a bullet through his head to end his despair-ridden existence. But instead a different kind of trouble found him that night, the kind of trouble that would plant its roots in his heart, flourishing and growing into the most beautiful thing he could have never dreamt of. It took him quite some time to finally see the true blessing of you choosing to annoy him that night, stubbornly clinging to his side and dragging him along while fighting for the freedom of the people in the Commonwealth and to free your son from the clutches of the Institute. You were the silver lining on his horizon, the sunshine he had eagerly waited for after enduring numerous calamities in his existence. His thoughts fleetingly flitted back to the silver ring he had spotted in Fallon's basement shop back in Diamond City. Maybe he'd quickly drop by tomorrow, praying that it had not yet been purchased by someone else in the meantime. He had not yet planned on how exactly he'd ask you How he would propose was yet to be determined, but his conviction was unwavering - he desired, no he needed, you to be his wife, being bound together in love. Eventually, he dreamt of a time when your sons both would reunite with you and in good health, finally enabling you both to enjoy the serene family life that both of you longed for.

Feel free to reblog if you enjoyed the story :)

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lollytea · 2 years

Note

hi omg i just wanted to say i read sunshine in your smile the other night and thought it was amazing! your characterization takes such an in depth look at what drives each character and i just loved how much attention you paid to small details like those, especially with the big argument in chapter 5. your interpretation of hunter and willow has honestly been some of the best/my favorite from all the toh fics ive read, and it just has such a unique quality to it that im still thinking about days later. plus, how the huntlow was sort of evident and there the entire time, the story itself focused a bit more on them caring for and learning about each other as both friends and people without needing to lean on the romance to carry the plot? it was SO good and well handled UGHHH because your tags were right!!! two kids who see themselves in each other and form a strong emotional connection.. its such a good premise it was such a good study. sry this is long haha just wanted to say i read ur fic and loved it, youre a really good writer and i hope to see more from you in the future!! have a nice night :~)

AAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! This means SO MUCH to me, you don't understand!!! Thank you thank you thank you!! Thank you for feeling like you should tell me this cuz it makes my day so much better!! I WILL cry, I will do it, I'll do it right now

And I'm so so SO happy that you enjoyed the emphasis on their relationship outside of the romantic element because that was really what the fic was all about. It was a direct response to all the people saying huntlow would "ruin" Hunter's character and it was just some hollow "painfully hetero" ship that existed for the sake of cliche shipping. I was trying to show the potential of just what it could actually be. Something that pays respect to both Hunter and Willow as people, as well as being a love letter to both of their characters. And how those personalities really catch fire when they have each other to bounce off of.

Like he had a crush on her from the first chapter but it wasn't supposed to make you think "oh yes he is in love with her. He is her soulmate. They are meant to be together." It was supposed to make you think "Aww this dummy got a crush on a girl after knowing her for a literal day for simple silly reasons because he is sixteen and sixteen year olds are just Like That sometimes." Their mutual crushes are supposed to demonstrate how despite Willow's wisdom and maturity and Hunter's militant personality they're both still kids and are fully capable of being childish and impulsive, without mocking either them for feeling that way. Like at this stage they really don't know each other well at all. But they would really like to.

The crushes clearly grow as the fic goes on as they become more familiar and now the infatuation actually has a stronger foundation. But in the end, it's still shown to be a sweet innocent juvenile thing, not like straight up burning true love or whatever. Willow doesn't give him a flower that means undying devotion or everlasting love or anything like that. It is simple as "I think happiness suits you. Your smile is very pretty." Meanwhile the bond they begin to develop as friends and mirror images of each other is the main character study at play here. It is not so easily slotted into a box of romantic or platonic, its just this indescribable kind of thing. The fic doesn't end with a kiss or a sudden realization of feelings, but rather with them having formed this connection, gaining some perspective of each other and themselves. And sometimes, depending on how the story as a whole is handled, an ending like that can be satisfying enough.

I had a post in my drafts about it but I never posted it cuz I felt I was getting annoying constantly talking about my own fic. But here's some tags on it where I ramble about the angle I was trying to take with it.

#huntlow #this is one of the best asks i have gotten in my entire life #thank you so much for GETTING IT #getting what i was going for

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ceriseisland · 1 year

Note

what do u think of people who consider the emerald arc as the end of the manga?

like they say that its a good ending for everyones arcs, u got the big powerful blast of starters at the end and its kinda like a clean slate at the start of dppt bc no previous dexholders arrive as mentors like before until like way later in other arcs

i kinda like that idea but mostly bc hgss was mid and im an oras hater

I think most people in the fandom are more partial to the older arcs, but that's just natural. If you're asking my personal opinion, I don't think the emerald arc is a good ending to everyone's arcs. The light tone and superficiality are jarring as a followup to RS and FRLG, which I loved. I wish Kusaka had continued with the darker tone and more complex themes established in those arcs, but being a mixed bag of different kinds of stories has always been one of pokespe's strong suits imo, so I can't complain too much. If the series had ended with the emerald arc we wouldn't have DPPt and BW, both of which are great, and saying that those shouldn't have happened kinda feels like the pokespe equivalent of being a genwunner.

If you're talking about an actual drop in quality, I'd say that started in XY with the bad story structure of that arc, and SM after it falls into the same problem of having a good start but a rambling story structure. Seriously, read Creating Character Arcs by KM Weiland and tell me XY doesn't make you want to pull your hair out. XY's premise is strong enough to carry it though, and gens six and seven are pretty far removed from gen three.

Personally I'm against the idea of sequels, and I think that most stories are better off as one season/installment, but pokespe's unique way of doing things, of having multiple protagonists that change between arcs, makes it feel like you can keep bringing them back and having them still feel fresh since it doesn't overload its characters. While HGSS was kinda fun-stupid like GSC (as johto arcs are) it was fun and added to the characters, and while I dislike how it minimizes the events of RS I think there's a lot that ORAS did right (minus the salamence retcon, the bane of my existence). Honestly I think pokespe is one of the rare series where you could keep bringing these characters back and still have things to do with them, especially since getting to see them age and grow up is one of the appeals of the series, so I don't see any reason to stop reading after the emerald arc. Idk if you think pokespe ended with the emerald arc sorry you're missing out I guess

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gaast · 5 months

Text

Since October 2022, I've been playing only one game at a time. That might not sound like much but for something that struggles to keep its number of concurrent games even at two, it's a pretty big deal. I did it because I wanted to commit to games, and to commit to finishing them. And for the most part, I've been successful.

As part of this, I've been tracking the games I've played and want to play, and I've been marking down the days I started something (usually) and the days I've finished them.

Now that this much time has passed, I've got a year's worth of games down, and I wanna do little write-ups for everything I played in 2023.

That means that anything I played in late 2022 (Silent Hill 2, Xenosaga Episode 1, Observation, and Red Dead Redemption, among others) can only get mentioned honorably here. But I'm gonna go through everything I started in 2023, beginning with:

Outer Wilds, January 1-January 7

What a way to start the year. Outer Wilds is unique and charming. It's really fun to fly through space in the awfulest space ship ever with the worst autopilot (have fun in the sun!) and check destroyed, abandoned planets, read ancient peoples' logs of their attempts to save the universe, and to be there at the end of everything.

Unfortunately: the fucking angler fish. I hate those fucks so bad that I actually didn't finish the game. I never brought X to Y (no spoilers) because I hate dealing with those guys. So I can't class this a perfect game. Those dudes need some changes.

Still, highly recommended.

The Sims 4, January 6-the ride never ends

I'm not gonna lie. This is just a sex thing for me.

Even still, I don't quite get why people hate it so much. I played the third game, too. This one's fine. This franchise isn't amazing. It's weird and held together by Scotch tape. I like that about it.

What a weird world.

Anyway, this must be around the time my ISP sent me emails telling me to stop pirating shit or they'd kick me off their plan, which would be bad because that ISP is the only one we can get in our building! Imagine being unable to work because you wanted TS4 DLC.

Bioshock, January 14-January 28, canceled

I couldn't do it.

This was my second attempt at getting through this game and I had to just admit that it's not for me. I didn't enjoy it. It was a chore. I decided to just set it aside.

Wish I hadn't paid for a PS4 copy when I already had a Steam copy. Ah well.

The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince, January 31-February 2

A very aesthetically-pleasing puzzleish platformer with a cute story and good music. I enjoyed my time with this simple little game.

Half-Life, February 3-February 5

You starting to see a pattern where I only manage to finish games, like, late at night, so I can't start a new one until later? Anyway.

This was my second attempt to get through this game. I did it this time, and I regret it. I didn't have fun.

I don't really know why I didn't have fun, I just didn't. Maybe the combat was too tedious. Maybe the jumping was too iffy. Maybe it just went on for too long. Maybe it's a case of "Seinfeld Is Unfunny." I don't know. I just know I don't like Half-Life.

So maybe I don't like the game, but I love the Headcrab Fucker 9000.

Poison Control, February 8-February 11

Sometimes you just wanna play a mid game.

Look, I like poison. I love pink. I love androgynous characters in suits. I like NIS. This game had it all. And it was perfectly. It made me want to stop playing a little while before it was over. It had a really good OST. I got the platinum trophy and I didn't feel satisfied.

I liked it. And sometimes that's enough.

This is the first on a small series of mid NIS-related games. I'll have more to say when I hit the other.

Grasping, February 15

Obviously I couldn't play this as intended, but it's not hard to imagine having shoved your hand into an awful box.

Anyway, this was good, I think. I don't really remember it.

The House in the Woods, February 15

Another horror game I absolutely do not recall playing.

Apocryphauna, February 15

I remember this one! It's good! I liked it! I wish there were more to it--like, a lot more. A lot lot more.

Dark Souls II: Scholar of the First Sin, February 25-March 21

I held off on playing this for a long time because I had always heard it was "made by the B team" and "not as good as the other games." But I decided to play it. It was the gaping hole in my From résumé.

It's not as good. It has a ton of bosses and none of them are memorable except for a select few DLC bosses (Fume Knight, Sir Alonne, Sinh). It makes a lot of weird gameplay choices. It takes way too long for Estus sippies to heal you--like, in terms of the health bar going up. The Iron Keep is infuriating. So many of the runups are abominable. It runs with the clunkiness of Demon's Souls and Dark Souls despite having the svelte ambitions of Bloodborne and Dark Souls III. It has way too many sections where it just says, "okay, deal with a ton of enemies now."

And I loved it.

Honestly, this is probably my favorite of the three Dark Souls games. I think it is by far the most aesthetically complete game of the trilogy. It fulfills its own promise, you know? And I disagree with the people who call it bleak. I think it's the only game of the trilogy that actually offers hope. A real hope, too. One that says that, just because our struggle may not take us anywhere, at least our struggle itself is beautiful.

In a strange way, I think that Dark Souls II is the only Souls game that actually understands the Souls series.

"A lie will remain a lie."

Pokémon Violet, March 21-March 25

I didn't want to play this game. I didn't want to like it. I just wanted to play it. I love Pokémon. Sure, this wasn't a Pokémon game (according to me), but I wanted to play it anyway. The morning I finally decided to go for it, I had read that the professors were antagonists all along. How stupid!

And the reaction. Oh boy. All the glitches. All the performance issues. All the memes. What trash, right? Right?

I fell in love. I didn't think anything could unseat Gen 7 in terms of my love for a Pokémon generation, but honestly, this game might do it.

Did it need more time to cook? Absolutely. I'm not gonna sit here and say it should have been released as it was. No; it is in many ways a disaster, and it is certainly unacceptable.

But every inch of it oozes with love.

This game wasn't just shit out to make a buck. It feels that way at first, but no, everyone who had a hand in making the Gen 9 games absolutely loved what they were doing. You can feel it--from the sound design to the music to the character design to, fuck, everything. They did the best they could with what they had and they made one of the most charming, wonderful games I've had the pleasure of playing in far too long.

There is so much heart here. It convinced me that the future of Pokémon is still bright. Very much so.

Just... let's take a couple extra years to make the next one, all right?

Heroine Conquest, sometime in April

Look. It's actually pretty good.

The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, March 31-April 18

I'll get this out of the way: I didn't really have fun.

The game has aged surprisingly well. Or Skyrim is just a truly unmotivated sequel. Either way, it holds up.

The problem is that I just don't think that TES games are for me. They're just so fucking boring. And I never end up liking literally any character in them.

I have fun actually playing for a while, but the general guideline with Oblivion is "don't level up." Fun! Either way, it's just rote after a while. Nothing really feels satisfying, and you're always worried something is going to break.

Frankly, the main story quest isn't compelling, either. With hindsight, knowing it'll lead to the rise of the Dominion again, it's like, well, shit.

Anyway, I played it. And it's certainly a game that you can play. If you wanna.

FEWAR-DVD, April 23

I called it "an arcade game" in my notes and that's basically what it is. Doesn't mean it isn't fun.

(Have you noticed I'm not reviewing games yet? It's write-ups; I'm giving my thoughts and impressions. Also, it's been a while, so I don't super remember a bunch of these. Oh well!)

Bleak Sword DX (Demo), April 23

I think I liked this? Apparently it's out. I should review it and see if I wanna get it at some point.

It looks pretty cool.

The Signal State (Demo), April 23

I liked this a lot because it's so unique and it taps into a specific type of autistic urge for me but god is its price tag just too high for what I suspect that it is.

Deltarune (Chapters 1 and 2), April 22-April 23

This was a replay of Chapter 1 and a first play of Chapter 2.

I think when I first played Chapter 1 I felt... you know, I didn't want Undertale, or a sequel to Undertale, but a secret third thing. And when I first played it in... late 2019? It wasn't whatever that secret third thing was. I liked it, don't get me wrong. But I think I didn't... get it?

Not to say I wasn't excited for me. It just took me a while to convince myself to finally get to Chapter 2 and to meet the funny spambot man.

Anyway, I won't bother spending too much time on Deltarune. I'll just say that in this play, I realized that Deltarune is that secret third thing, and that I think it's better than Undertale.

I'm scared.

Pizza Tower, April 14-April 23

I think I'm guilty of wanting this game to be something it isn't.

I wanted WarioLand, and it's like that, but it isn't precisely that. It isn't trying to be precisely that. It's trying to be Pizza Tower.

I like the game, but not as much as I thought I would. Not as much as I think I should.

I'll probably reply this game in a year or two and it'll click and I'll love it the way I was always meant to love it. But for now, I'll just let the "Tombstone Arizona" guitar impregnate me.

13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, April 19-May 27

...It took me that long? Really? Huh.

Anyway, I love this game. I love love love it. I love the characters and the art style and the way they tell the story and the story itself and the gameplay (holy shit the gameplay!) and just. Man. I wish more games were just like this. Weird, experimental, talky, confident, cool, and unique.

This is the type of game that inspires you to write your own sci-fi. Or to write about its world. To think and to imagine.

And that's the best type of game.

Ace Combat 7: Skies Unknown, May 28-June 6

Come to think of it, how can a sky be unknown. There's just the one.

As mentioned above, I played this after Ace Combat 2. With both of those under my belt, I now know: the way I want to play these games is not the way I'm supposed to play these games.

And that's fine. I feel like "gamers" nowadays are so fixated on the idea that games should let you play them however you wanna play them, and that if they can't accommodate that then they're somehow inherently flawed. It's like everything needs the mutability of Minecraft, the problem-solving freedom of Scribblenauts, and the role-playing depth of Dungeons & Dragons. If it doesn't score highly on all those axes, it's got problems.

Obviously, I disagree. Games can and should have "supposed tos." You should be expected to play a specific diegetic role. You should be limited (and by the way, you're always limited, so don't act like you aren't).

If I ever play another Ace Combat game (and I wanna play Electrosphere), I might do it on easy. I like these games but man do I not know how they want me to engage with them.

no-one has to die, June 4

I had to replay this Flash game that I had originally played once when I was probably 14.

I'm glad I did.

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair, sometime in 2022-sometime in mid-2023

The strange thing about the Danganronpa games is that they're actually really good.

They shouldn't be. They shouldn't work. But they do.

This was kind of a replay. I had read most of the original orenronen LP back in... 2012, 2013? I only now have actually played it. And it's good. It's really good. I'm glad I went through it, and I'm glad I went through it with my fiancé, and I'm glad he knew nothing of any of the twists, and I'm glad I got to experience someone experiencing those twists for the first time.

SCARLET NEXUS, June 4-June 6, canceled

This was a second attempt after a first attempt in 2022 got deep into Yuito's story before I aborted it.

It's not for me. Not to say I don't like it--I do. A lot. I wish I could play this game. But I demand such fucking perfection from myself when playing it that I get too caught up by how poorly I'm playing to enjoy myself and actually let myself proceed.

I had to stop because I just wasn't having fun. I'm sad about it.

Risky Sanctuary, June 10

This is one of those games that I hope the developer comes back to, not to spruce up but to make anew. Because it's a really fun concept that basically got held back by being made in a month for a jam.

It really shouldn't take that long to clean come off of a wall.

HYPNOSCREEN, June 10

I keep forgetting I gotta play this more.

Parasite Eve, June 9-June 15

I'm still not super sure how I feel about this one.

The plot is fun but it never becomes compelling. There's an obviously evil scientist and he does obviously evil things. Never a good sign.

The gameplay is fun but it never hits nearly the level of intricacy and care that a close relative, Vagrant Story, does.

The dungeons are well-designed, though, and even if the setting is New York, it feels... fresh? It feels like NYC is always a backdrop in games and its specifics aren't important to it (see: Prototype). Parasite Eve actually cares that it's in NYC and it goes to locations there. The game feels like the developers enjoyed making it.

Also the OST is awesome. And Daniel fucking jumping out of the helicopter, getting lit on fire, throwing the bullets to Aya, landing in the water, and surviving is by far the coolest shit I've ever seen in anything ever.

This feels like a game you have to play at least once. I don't know why it feels that way; it just does.

WASTE EATER, June 17

It asks for like 20 minutes of your time and makes you cry. It's awesome.

EXPERIMENT: GROCERIES, June 17

I was more bored than spooked. It was a good try and maybe someone else will find it more fun than I did.

I'm sure if I replayed it and turned a critical eye to it I could talk at length about it. But I just don't want to.

I feel like if you're going to make uncanny the grocery store, there's other ways to do it.

Final Fantasy X: HD, sometime in 2023-sometime in 2023

We're about to see schedule issues. You'll find out why later.

This was, obviously, a replay.

I swear, this game gets better every single time I play it. I don't know what it is. It's such a smart, insightful game, with lovingly crafted characters. I love the inexorable northward journey, the feeling like you're constantly outrunning something even if you know you're running straight into the very thing you're outrunning.

Maybe it's because once you're aware of the spiral, its pull becomes that much stronger. I swear, I cry more with each playthrough, maybe because it just becomes all the more apparent how hopeless the journey is, and how much strength it takes to hope regardless. Yuna and Tidus are fantastic.

The gameplay ages like a fine wine, too. I know, it's turn-based, so it's hard to get clunky, but the game knows how it's being lenient to you and it knows just how to turn it against you. It's a system you can get better at. It's a game that rewards you in proportion to the time you're willing to put into it.

I don't need to tell you that FFX is a masterpiece, I hope. But it's worth reminding ourselves that it is. Because I think it's willing to be vulnerable in a way that most games just aren't anymore. I think the only Final Fantasy game that I've played that is more vulnerable than X is XIII. I respect the hell out of that.

(Speaking of, another honorable mention from the end of 2022 is my replay of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy--and frankly, my love and appreciation for those games grew only deeper. They rule!)

You can talk about X forever. You can live in its world. It's fantastic, and it's always worth returning to.

Even if you have to make Yuna dance again, at least you know there'll be a time when she won't have to anymore.

Succubus Academia, September?-September 16

I tend to stay away from RPG Maker games, not for any valid reason but because creators, especially of eroge, tend not to really edit much. They end up looking fairly samey, with similar gameplay. Menus don't get edited, music is pretty bland, it's a fantasy setting... Exceptions exist, like Miwashiba's games ("that's a different engine!" yeah well they're still well-crafted despite being Made Like That) and, apparently Succubus Academia.

I won't tell you what tag I searched to find it on DLSite but anyway, I found it, I got it, I played it, and I loved it.

The map graphics are standard RPG Maker fare, sure, but the battles are totally custom and they're actually really fun. The music, though, the music fucking rules. I was there to bust a move, not bust a nut, I swear.

The concept is really fun too. "The only way to proceed is to literally get killed the right way. Sorry! But hey, at least you'll save the world. Snrk." Coupled with a battle system that actually has a really fun push-pull kind of resource management/health system, it just works. It helps that the battles all have Live 2D animation work going on, too.

Give this one a shot (no pun intended) if you like eroge. Seriously.

Dohna Dohna, sometime in September?-sometime in October

All right, look. It's not the best at anything. But it's pretty good at everything.

The character designs rule. The color palettes are awesome. The gameplay is fun. The OST is actually pretty outstanding. The combat is really fun. The mechanics are interesting. The writing has a lot of care put into it.

Alicesoft wanted to celebrate its anniversary and they were welcome to do it. I enjoyed celebrating with them.

Kirakira best girl. Even if Joker is truly best girl.

Baldur's Gate 3, sometime in October-November 14

One of the first sounds you hear in this game is a Wilhelm scream. This is a subtly masterful introduction to the game, as it signals to attentive players a lot about the artistic experience they're about to embark on: It will be more or less the same as everything else they've ever experienced, just remixed so it will hopefully be less noticeable.

And that's the thing. We've seen everything that BG3 does before, over and over, and we're so used to seeing all of these signs and tropes that it's actually become difficult to tell when they're being used poorly. BG3 throws so much of the same old shit at the wall and it can only stick because the shit that's there from last time still hasn't dried.

But here's the thing: I don't even know if any of its shit sticks. It's all so bad.

For instance, the party. Each individual party member is a collection of about 3 traits, plus their own unique brand of "horny for you." They're about as complex as late-stage Tales characters, but they have way less charm because they don't have anything like skits to round them out. In fact, because there's no guarantee that you'll have X or Y party member, or that they'll be present for conversation A, your party doesn't really have conversations together so much as they just talk through you like you're a telephone. You don't really have a party. You are a guy who has friends.

So you drag along this uninteresting, blandly-designed crew of the same fucking shit you've seen a billion times (literally one dude's whole thing is "I'm a vampire and I have vampire problems") who never really engage with each other (they'll maybe trade quips here and there, and they've got some dialogue they'll run through ambiently when specific ones are in the party together, but it's clear that This Does Not Matter) through a pretty standard fantasy world that by its own popularity offers little novelty. As you do so you meet asshole upon asshole who has a quick trait or two and says things in a European accent and maybe you'll get the scummiest Narrator I've ever heard say something smarmy based on a passive roll you'll probably fail mid-conversation. Go kill some shit and come back and maybe I'll try to help you not die. Idiot.

But you can't not die. You need to keep dying, and people need to keep failing to help you not die, or people need to keep trying to kill you because you're dying the wrong way for them, or else there'd be no reason to have the game. Honestly, if you lost the tadpoles before you killed the final boss, like, two party members would probably just outright try to kill each other, and everyone else would fuck off back to their shitty little lives, except for the ones who managed to escape their shitty little lives, in which case I guess the adventure continues! I don't feel like any of these people, with maybe three exceptions, would actually keep litigating the campaign if their lives weren't on the line.

But hey, even if almost every time someone speaks it's just to either whine about how hard they have it or to criticize you for a choice you made or to give you a quest because everything in Faerûn is your fucking problem, at least you get to have the gameplay! At least you get to slog through some of the most bullshit combat encounters they can throw at you with their barely-working mess of a battle system! With the most boring bosses imaginable save one! (Why is Gortash the only fun boss? Why does he get to have those explosives systems that aren't anywhere else?)

But oh, you get to make so many choices! You can be whoever you want, so long as they're someone who'll make any of these specific choices. Fuck off.

Meanwhile the music makes you want to fucking tear your hair out because I swear to god every single track uses the exact same leitmotif and it is so boring. Oh my god this game takes absolutely no fucking risks with anything. There's no fucking reason to play this thing. It's miserable. It's miserable, it'll make you save scum, its loading times (to load saves; loading areas is quick as can be!) are atrocious, and every time you have an option to pick something cool, you get fucking despised for it. You can become a fucking mind flayer and the game makes sure to tell you you're a complete fucking scumbag for doing it.

I hate this game. I hate it so fucking much. It is so bad and it has nothing redeemable in it and it has nothing noteworthy in it and worst of all it is just not at all fun. It's awful.

Game of the Year. Play it.

Monark, November 25-December 3

Time to fulfill the promise I made back with Poison Control.

This game is good. It's not great. Maybe it's pretty good. I liked it a lot. I enjoyed playing it.

Does it have problems? Sure. Could they be easily corrected? Yep. Does that hamper my perception of it? Of course.

As I said, sometimes you just wanna play a mid game.

After I finished Monark, I checked out its TV Tropes page, and I of course linked to "So Okay, It's Average." The Quotes page on that trope all seem to imply that just being all right is somehow worse than being bad.

I can't agree with that.

First of all, I think the binary of "good" and "bad" art is a false one. There's value in literally all art. There's something to mine, to find, to take home, to use, to learn--to whatever--in everything. Meaning and worth aren't exclusive to the good.

Maybe something isn't as good as it could be, but it's certainly what it is, and nothing else is as good at being it. Monark maybe isn't a great game but it's awesome at being Monark. I doubt any other game could compare.

So many articles from game writers and journalists lament the concept that "there's so many great games out there that it's just impossible to want to make time for anything that isn't great." That's... such a sad state, to me. Imagine playing a game only because it is considered "great." Imagine needing everything you play to have an award or a green Metacritic score just so you'll make time for it.

I don't think these writers mean to do this when they say it, but they're really benefiting a capitalist mindset. Companies have to do everything they can to get your attention. They have to make "great" games, or you won't play them. They need hype machines. They need stellar reviews. They need people talking. They need public reception to manufacture their game's own greatness, so that it will be great and then be played and then make money. If the incentive to get good reviews is to make money then the game is just a product and it wasn't made to be art.

I don't think people purposely set out to make shitty games or average games. I just think they set out to make the game they make, and the question is how well they achieve that goal. And that's entirely personal. It's something that only the creators can decide.

But in the end, some of the creators are producers and directors and executives at publishing companies who look at games in terms overhead, costs, projected income, earnings statements, financial reports.

But these are the people who make great games. Because they have to money to spend to make them great, the clout they need to keep exploiting their specific workers, and the agents necessary to make sure that reviewing publications will be predisposed to helping make their game great (you know, like what Nintendo relies on pretty much exclusively). The game doesn't have to be good. People just have to be told that it is, and then when enough people believe, they'll police the narrative so much that others will be scared to voice their opinion without getting a ton of clown emojis in their inboxes.

I'm not saying that's every "great" game. I'm willing to argue it's probably most Games of the Year as determined by Big Industry Figure Geoff Keighley, though (borne out for sure with 2022's winner; Elden Ring is so mediocre, dude).

Anyway, there's no need to play all the "great" games that are out. You know what you can play instead? The games you want to play.

You don't have to agree with me that sometimes you just wanna play a mid game. But you'll probably agree that sometimes you just wanna play a specific game. Good, bad, or mid, it's what you want to play because it, in some way, speaks to you.

That's all you need.

Mediterranea Inferno, December 4-December 6

Until now, I was cautious about pandemic stories.

The problem has always been that, sure, the lockdown happened for a year (in the US, at least), but it was only a year. It was major, to be sure, and I'm not downplaying that, but in the grand scheme of human history, it was a year. There's no guarantee (or even, necessarily, reason to believe) anything like it will happen again for a long time. So, I thought, how applicable could stories that come from it be to the future?

Don't get me wrong, I always recognized that in the lockdown was stories about isolation, grief, illness, fear, loss. But those are all distinctly human things we've been writing about since we could write. They weren't unique to the pandemic. Why use the very specific imagery of the lockdown to tell a story about those things when there's definitely more universal things to use?

I'm, as always, an idiot.

Beyond just the fact that it was an event and we'll never stop needing to take stock of it, to examine it, to see who we were and became through it, the pandemic was a world-ending phenomenon, a sea change, a new way of understanding ourselves, or misunderstanding ourselves, or misunderstanding others.

Mediterranea Inferno is about having lost yourself. The lockdowns made three young Italian men lose themselves, and when they came back together in 2022 they found that they had lost each other, too. It presents continuity with their histories: their self-destruction wasn't inevitable, but the pandemic forcing them to grapple with their places in life created living nightmares of isolation, grief, powerlessness, loss of identity, and loneliness.

When you start a new game, a card informs you that the creator made it "about his generation." He seems to think that we're lost, not in the way that the Lost Generation was, but in a different way. Whereas in the 1920s we lost faith in symbols, institutions, and humanity, in the 2020s we lost faith in ourselves and each other.

It's terrifying to admit that we can't do this alone, and that the crutches we always used to get through each day were other people. Claudio relied on his family name; it lost all meaning when his father blew his inherited fortune, revealing that there isn't necessarily a continuity between past success (Nino) and the present. Mida relied on the ways he could keep people at arm's length and when he couldn't get closer to the only person he wanted to grow closer to, he decided that others were there for him to take. And Andrea was never able to identify precisely what he needed from other people to keep him going, mistaking sex and skin-deep pleasure for the validation he so desperately craved.

Of course, if one of them gets accepted to Heaven during the Assumption, one of the others kills their friends and, in one case, accidentally himself. And if none of them make it--or if all of them do--they tell themselves that they're no longer friends. They walk away. They fall to the ground. They feel, sharply, the absence. They try to feel it in the crutches they replaced each other with (the past, the prestige, the plenty). But it isn't there.

Alternatively, if they suffer enough, they can give their spiritual guide through their pain an opportunity as well, and through him learn that they went through all of it to encourage them to revolt against their fathers, against the endless history that suffuses every rock in Italy. Paraphrasing: "There's never been an Italian Revolution. We've always been satisfied with what our fathers gave us, so long as we had permission to kill our brothers." He, like so many, wanted the pandemic to become a watershed moment, one that spurred on change, made the world a better place.

And the Sun Guys reject it. Their revolt is to refuse to be told what to do.

Just give them time to figure out what to do next.

I don't think you can tell this story without the pandemic.

This game is bleak. It's harsh. The style is immaculate. The soundtrack rules. Play it.

Assassin's Creed: Valhalla, June 16-ongoing

Here is why the schedule slipped.

I like this game a lot. I burned myself out on it. Over the course of months.

I'm still not done. I'm not letting myself uninstall it until I'm done.

Jesus fucking Christ.

Pokémon Fool's Gold, unknown

The new music was great and the sprites were awesome and I love Eris. But to me this was mostly a fun new way to experience Gen 2. That's not a bad thing, really. Gen 2 isn't great, but there's a lot about it to love.

Pokémon Unbound, unknown

This and the previous entry are the only two Pokémon mods or fangames or whatever that I've ever played. I'm glad I started here!

If you're into playing fangames or whatever you know about this one and you know it rules. I'm not gonna bother praising it directly, though I'll say it earns all the good things said about it.

For me, projects like these really remind me of why we're still drawn to the Pokémon series even when the people in charge of it keep making pretty drastic decisions. I've said for years that the series is for kids and that it's not only fine but right to keep its focus firmly on kids, but Black and White proved that we can actually have our cake and eat it, too. We can have a game for kids that is also just flat-out a good game.

But for some reason, even if I ended up loving Gen 7 more than I did Gen 5, I feel like it's harder to call Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon good games? It's more like I can call them good Pokémon games. But are they good games?

I want them to be.

But what I want Pokémon games to be is totally different from what anyone else wants Pokémon games to be. Fool's Gold and Unbound confirmed that to me. I mean, I always knew it was true, but they confirmed it. What surprised me about them was that they were also good. That even if they weren't my vision, I still enjoyed them as a vision for Pokémon.

But to return to what I said a few paragraphs ago: We're still drawn to Pokémon because in each new entry we find more promises. We find new things to enjoy, to marvel at, to wonder about, to fill in. Every new mainline entry, especially since Black and White, feels like a new reinterpretation of what Pokémon is and can be, and even if we as fans don't always agree, we still have the conversation and we're still often compelled enough by something in the new interpretation that we hang onto it and let it be a part of what Pokémon is to us.

For as much as it stays the same, Pokémon is very much a living franchise, one that changes and, no pun intended, evolves. Maybe it does so in different ways than we might want, but there's nothing stopping us from knowing better. Well, nothing except Nintendo, a company that is more than welcome to fucking die immediately.

Pokémon, both the franchise and its fan works, is constantly grasping toward perfection. But we all know that perfection doesn't exist. We head towards and we know that we'll fail and we also know that even if we were to attain perfection, we'd reject it. Perfection is an illusion, a cruel one; even were it not, it would still be cruel, a poison pill. Real beauty isn't in perfection, it's in striving for it knowing you'll fail. It's about being weak, bad even, useless even, and still being loved. It's about trying, hard, getting nowhere close, and smiling afterward. It's about working together to make something new, something that loves, something that brings us all together to love even harder. It's about the struggle; it's about the effort; it's about the handshake after the battle.

Wherever Pokémon goes, no matter who's propelling it along, it'll be Pokémon. And that's what I want.

#long

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