#Once again - the voice actors really make this game something else

[a2zillustration]

And there we go, first companion quest we officially finished! Neil's performance was just as good as everyone said it was.

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#Once again - the voice actors really make this game something else #ty to them for all their hard work bringing these characters to life #Anyway I thought it was really sweet that multiple companions talk about how proud they are of Astarion for not ascending #Some real character development for the guy #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 spoilers #act III spoilers #croissant adventures #tav #astarion #wyll #karlach #comics

[beenbaanbuun]

cock warming w/jongho

words - 🫣

genre - fluff, nsfw

warnings - cockwarming, dom!jongho, sub!reader, kind of non-sexual intimacy (cockwarming but not necessarily horny), a single spank, praise, guidance, it’s just very cute

you cant convince me that jongho doesn’t absolutely love cockwarming. like there’s just something about the intimacy of it that really gets him going. mix that with the casual dominance of it all - him pinning you down with a strong arm, spanking your thigh if you begin to grow restless, mumbling sweet nothings into your ear as you lay your chest against his in a dizzy haze - and he’s going practically insane.

it’s movie night, just you and him, and for some unknown reason he decided to use that feature of netflix that picks a random film for you

of course, after 4 or 5 tries, it lands on nothing good (because it never does) and the two of you decide to settle for whatever random film it decided on

it starts off with you two making fun of the poor editing and direction of the film, picking at all the plot holes until you were both giggling incessantly

that little game lasted a while, but it didn’t take long for it to become boring and the two of you were plunged into a comfortable silence once more

until, of course, a sex scene!

in the grand scheme of things, it had no relation to the film whatsoever and was quite frankly incredibly poorly made

like you don’t know who those moans were coming from, but they didn’t match up with the mouths of either of the actors

but just as you were about to make fun of it to jongho, you noticed a little something of his lap

well, more like a big something, and you couldn’t help but gasp

“this is making you hard?” you scrutinise, eyes narrowing as you pull them away from the tent in his pants to instead look at his face

you expected him to be embarrassed or ashamed, but he wore a stoic expression as he shushed you

again, you gasped and sat up from the position you were in, leant up against him

“first you get hard to the worst sex scene i’ve ever seen, then you shush me?” you scoffed, “just say you hate me, next time.”

you watched as he rolled his eyes, finally tearing his gaze away from the screen to look at you

“i’ve been hard for the last 20 minutes,” he grumbled, “you just didn’t notice so i didn’t say anything.”

oh… that’s weird

it’s not like you’d been doing anything to try and make him hard, and it’s not like the film had even been remotely sexy in any way shape or form

like you’d understand if you were lay there in lingerie, but you were in what you described as your ‘grannie nightie’, curled up against him like you would be on any other night

you frowned

“well, why are you hard?” you asked

“am i not allowed to be?” he replied

it was a fair response, but you still wanted answers

“well there has to be a reason…” you mumbled

“i’m sorry, why don’t you just call the erection police?” his voice was dripping in sarcasm, “hello? 911? yeah, i was being cute around my boyfriend and now he’s hard. come arrest him please!”

at this point the film was just background noise as the two of you went back and forth bickering about his penis of all things…

“wait, your erection is because of me?” you cock your head to the side in confusion

again, your pyjamas were hardly the sexiest thing in the world, unless you’re an 80 year old man and this is the most thigh you’ve seen in years

but jongho wasn’t 80, and he saw your thighs on a daily basis

fuck, he saw a lot more than thigh on most days

“well who else would’ve caused it?” he glanced between you and the screen, “you can’t seriously believe this shit show made me hard?”

“oh,” you mumbled

“yeah, oh…” he rolled his eyes

and you thought that was it for a moment before his hands were on you and you were being tugged onto his lap like you were nothing more than a rag doll

you squeaked in surprise as his strong arms pinned you to his lap, erection digging into your thigh

you squirmed, but the look he gave you quickly stopped you in your tracks

“you want to know why i’m hard?” he mumbled into your ear, a soft smile gracing his lips

he looked so innocent, and you would’ve believed it if it weren’t for the obvious

you nodded

“you’re just too cute, baby,” he chuckled deeply into your ear, the sound heading immediately south, slicking you up a little, “in your cute little nightie, making your cute little comments. sue me for being attracted to you…”

“but that’s not…” you trailed off, “i’m not being sexy, am i?”

“you don’t have to be, baby,” he cooed, “you don’t have to make yourself sexy for me to want you. i want you just as much now as i would any other day.”

“so you want to fuck me because i’m not sexy?”

he scoffed, “i want to be close to you, baby. it’s not the same.”

it sounded the same to you, but still you nodded as if you understood

“want me to take a seat?” you grounded down once and he groaned

his eyes rolled back into his head in pleasure, but just as you were about to do it again he stopped you

“not if you’re not going to be a good girl and sit still for me,” you barely registered the sound of the slap until the stinging sensation spread though your thigh a moment later, “i said i didn’t want to fuck you, and here you are grinding on my dick like you can’t understand basic instructions!”

you stilled at his comment, a frown forming on your face

now you really didn’t get it…

he seemed to notice your sudden change in demeanour and sighed

“i don’t want to fuck you, but that doesn’t mean i don’t want to be inside of you,” he explained slowly, desperate to make you understand, “i just want you to be around me, sweetheart. no expectations, i just want to be close to you.”

oh…

you supposed that made a little sense

with a slightly less confused look, you nodded

you didn’t move though

you misunderstood him before, now you wanted him to guide you through it so you didn’t get it wrong again

luckily for you, jongho took more than a little pride in telling you what to do

it boosted his ego, and he couldn’t deny how sweet you looked when you followed his every instruction

so he gave you a sweet smile before setting his hands on your waist

“straddle me, baby.”

his hands never left your sides as you followed his directions

“good girl,” he praised, making you puff your chest out a little with pride, “now i need you to pull my bottoms down, hm?”

and you did it, because jongho was right - you were his good girl!

you reached your hands down and shuffled back a little to give his dick enough room to spring free

and when it did spring free, you couldn’t help but sit in awe of how pretty it was

you’d seen it before, but you were still shocked at how perfect it was every time you saw it

a decent size lengthwise, but thicker than most

a pretty pink tip that leaked pearlescent precum in little droplets

jongho chuckled

“you done staring, or do you want to take a picture?” your eyes widened and your gaze shot up to his face again.

he wore a wide smirk as you mumbled an apology

“it’s okay, sweetheart,” his thumbs rubbed circles over your sides, “now, can you slip your panties to the side for me? i want you to sit on me…”

and again, you did as he asked because you were good and you wanted to behave for him

so your fingers slid south and pushed the thin cotton to the side (ignoring the way you had to peel them away from your gooey wetness) and you shuffled forwards until your core was hovering above his cock

you slid down slowly, the stretch almost painful but not quite

it took a moment for you to bottom out, his tip snug against your cervix and your thighs resting against his own

the temptation to start bouncing was certainly there, but at the risk of no longer being his good girl, you decided not to

not that you could anyway, not when he brought his arms around you, pinning you to his chest and holding you there like it was just any regular cuddle on any regular day

like his dick wasn’t resting heavily inside of you

like you weren’t so close to disobeying and seeking out your own pleasure

a big hand came up to the back of your head to hold it against his shoulder, fingers lacing themselves in your hair and giving it gentle, rhythmic tugs like he always did when you needed to chill a little

his fingernails scratched against your scalp in a way that was so soothing, it seemed to turn your whole body to jelly

and suddenly, the horny tension that laced itself up within you dissipated like it was never there

well, it wasn’t completely gone - you still had your boyfriends dick in you, after all - but it was duller, more manageable

you moaned as you relaxed into his warmth that surrounded you from every angle possible, and he couldn’t help but let out a chuckle

“do you get it now, honey?” he whispered into your ear, “do you understand what i mean when i say i want you close?”

you just nod

“oh, you’re so precious, baby,” he gave you a particularly tight squeeze with his thick arms, “so good for me, hm? letting me hold you close like this. i expected it to take you longer to settle down, but you’re such a good girl, right? shouldn’t have doubted you, baby…”

his words made your mind cloud over as you sank into the praise that he spoon fed to you

you just lay there with your head on his shoulder, staring up at him like he was your entire universe, eating up every single word he said to you

“love you, bear,” you mumble into his neck

he chuckled

“love you too, honey.”

#ateez x reader #ateez fanfic #ateez oneshot #ateez fluff #ateez scenarios #ateez fic #ateez headcanons #ateez smut #jongho headcannons #jongho x reader #jongho fluff #jongho smut

[ephemeral--dreams]

With someone who is emotionally numb - Gojo, Geto

☆ ☾ ☆ ──────────────────

Gojo

There's something off, about you. Not cold, exactly, just... Empty. Not a single speck of light or emotion swirling in those eyes. 

Hiding feelings was one thing, but it was almost as if you lacked them entirely. Perhaps you were simply that good of an actor.

Whatever the case, it's intimidating to others. It doesn't matter how many lives you have saved or how you have never once said a bad word to anyone. That near inhuman lack of expressiveness drives everyone away. Except for one person.

He certainly makes a nuisance of himself.

Gojo makes it a habit to poke and prod at you, follow you around, be a general annoyance. All in an attempt to get you to react in an interesting way. 

He doesn't have much luck, of course. Still, he's stubborn. He'll break through that shell of yours one day, he's certain of it. So he tells himself.

Arguably he's the one that ends up getting more frustrated than you, when you're the only one he can't provoke at all.

It's two years after your first meeting before he ever gets to see anything but that blank expression. The mission had been fairly simple - they'd even sent you out alone, something he'd call them out on much later. The curse could force a person into reliving their worst memories over and over. It shouldn't have been an issue for someone like *you,* right?

Wrong. By the time anyone realizes you haven't come back, by the time he makes it over to where you'd been sent -

Suddenly he wishes you really were incapable of feeling like everyone said you were behind your back. That would be better than having to see you crying, entirely shattered apart in a way he had never once expected.

It's a shocking enough sight to distract him for a moment. Not enough of a distraction to keep him from destroying the curse with an amount of force that isn't quite necessary. 

You're practically inconsolable. The curse had really done a number on you. He isn't quite sure how to deal with you like this. When you're this shaken, he finds he feels shaken.

"Hey," he says carefully, "It's alright now. Let me take you back, okay? You're hurt."

"...Okay," he's never heard your voice sound so small. If this is what it's like when you're emotional, maybe it's for the best that you're usually not. He's not sure his heart could take it.

Of course, he accompanies you back to jujutsu tech, and Shoko shoos him away while she treats you, and everything is normal again. 

If there's something lighter in your eyes when you look at him, something softer in the way you treat him, after that, only he needs to know why.

Geto

He's the only one who picks up on it. You're good, he'll give you that - the way you put on such a good act, smile so brightly, only to go completely blank the moment you turn away. Like a mirror that only reflects what is in front of it.

Geto reasons that he doesn't really need to understand why you are the way you are, not so long as you remain loyal to him. There are a limited number of sorcerers willing to follow his cause, after all. He cannot get hung up on your mysteries. 

That doesn't stop him from being intrigued. Can he be blamed? 

He keeps an unnecessarily close eye on you. If nothing else, observing you is a fun pastime. It's like his own little secret, being the only one who realizes the disconnect between the acts you put on and what you're like when you think no one is looking.

Though watching from afar gets boring. He makes excuses to spend more time around you - who's going to dare question him about it? - carefully prying at that polite mask you wear. He wonders how long it'll take to crack in front of him. He wonders if even that hollow expression is merely another layer on top of something deeper. Who knows how much there is to peel away?

You're not stupid or naive. You realize his game eventually, and when you do, it's as simple as that. When you're alone in his presence, the facade drops. There's something fascinating seeing it up close, the way your smile falls and eyes go dull. Having conversations with someone so distant is a new experience.

"People all have a specific sort of behavior they want from others," you tell him, once, "it's easier to reflect that for them. It keeps the peace."

"And what do you believe I want?"

"I'm not sure, yet."

It's a couple of months after that interaction that he catches you smiling in the middle of one of your little talks. Whatever he was saying suddenly stutters to a halt, uncharacteristically. Geto can't even recall what he might have said to provoke such a reaction, only that it's there.

The best part is that it's entirely involuntary on your part. He's seen your fake smiles enough to know the difference between that and this. It's even more obvious in the way you don't realize what has happened until he pauses just a moment too long.

As you try to figure out what to say, he beats you to it, leaning in closer conspiratorially. "I prefer this, you know. Your real smile is prettier."

And then he's walking off again. As he does so, he finds himself thinking that he quite likes being the only one to ever see all these sides of you.

#Closes my eyes #gojo satoru x reader #geto suguru x reader #jjk x reader #jujutsu kaisen x reader

[twig-tea]

Hi!

So Cherry Magic Thailand was amazing. Which really surprised me. I still have reservations about the next jbl adaptations by Thailand, but I guess we'll see. Anyway, because of that I have been thinking about this.

Which existing series do you think could benefit from an adaptation by a different country? That could maybe give the story a different perspective or simply because they would have different resources? Thanks

Rose💜

Thank you so much for this ask, Rose, and apologies for being so slow to answer!

The first obvious answer to this is anything from the censored era of Chinese BL being picked up by a different country. We're already seeing the benefits of that in Taiwan's adaptation of DaGe in Unknown the series, which from what I've been told is not only going to allow some intense kisses (possibly, if the actors aren't trolling us, more explicit sex scenes than are actually in the original Priest novel, though I'm not going to assume we're getting anything until I see it), but also with changes like a reduction in the homophobia of characters. Recently they announced SaYe/Chasing the Light was optioned for a film version outside of mainland China, so I'm now hopeful some of the stuff that was shelved is going to get made after all, and maybe with less censorship. That being said, a whole list of just censored dramas that were based on BL novels would be boring. So instead I'm considering what shows did I like but wanted to see done again in a different way, and which country would handle the themes and style of the original in a way that would be fun to watch?

I'm thinking about Love Stage!!! Which was a Japanese manga adaptation with a version from both Japan and Thailand, and My Dead Gangster Oppa which was adapted from a Korean webtoon, and Why R U Korea adapted from the Thai show, and how the productions in the different countries would change what we get. So, I'll be basing my answer on those as well as CMT you referenced.

[Sidenote: originally I was going to say Thailand should adapt Man Who Defies the World of BL except with Series-Y tropes and then realized that's exactly what Why R U was supposed to be in the first place--it would be neat to see a Korean version of this storyline with webtoon tropes (we kind of got that with Our Dating Sim but they went with dating game tropes instead). ANYWAY that's not really an adaptation so I'm not including it below, but putting it into the universe.]

Enough waffling, let's go!

Twig's Foreign Adaptation Wish List

Taiwanese adaptation of 2gether

Hear me out. If we're going to see this story again, I want better reasons for needing to fake date and better chemistry once they're actually dating, and I can imagine Taiwan adding in the angst and chemistry to make this show work through to the end. Taiwan would also have no problem keeping Sarawat's obsession with Tine's pecs in the storyline (critical inclusion, imho), and we know Taiwan loves a "they met before and this is fate" plot so I think this would work well. Switching Sarawat's obsession with Scrubb to something else would be a really interesting cultural shift and would help ground the series in the adaptation country.

Korean adaptation of I Can Hear the Sunspot / Silhouette of Your Voice

@absolutebl has said this before and they're right, this is the one JBL manga adaptation that I'd love to see it done again as a series with enough time to fully handle the character development that happens in the manga. NGL in my heart of hearts I'd want Japan to take another crack at it, but for this game I'll say Korea. I know Korea has a few good disability narratives (thinking of the love for Twinkling Watermelon I've heard about recently) so I think they could do a good job. Korean media also handles silence well and that's pretty critical for this one; they could also do some interesting things to illustrate the changes in the main character's hearing.

Japanese adaptation of Love Sick

I am envisioning a reverse Cherry Magic scenario, in which the foreign adaptation follows the written source material better than the domestic adaptation did, and then adds their own flair. Now take this with a grain of salt because I haven't read the novel, but my understanding is that the original Thai novel is about Pun and Noh as the main characters with the music club all there but the dramatic side heterosexual storylines are not nearly as front and center, and they were added to pad out the show because folks weren't sure how a BL series would land. I know there is already a Thai remake but let's pretend that's not happening. Japan handles earnest and sweet school-aged first loves well, and can handle the goofiness required of the Noh character, and deeply understands and portrays found family core friendships well, and I bet a Japanese production would do a great job with that core storyline. We don't get a lot of larger friend groups in Japanese BL and I want to see a Japanese production handle that. The one thing that gave me hesitation about this was the importance of the busking subplot and I don't think busking is a big thing in Japan the way it is in Thailand and Korea but that could be another opportunity for making it feel more grounded in the adapting country so I'm keeping it as-is.

Thai adaptation of Boyband Love

I'm going to steal the idea that I've seen @lurkingshan @bengiyo and @shortpplfedup mention before and riff of it to say that Daou and Offroad should be in a boyband BL; this is a main reason why I want a Thai remake of the Filipino series Boyband Love [which I don't actually recommend but, fun fact, had an out gay couple starring in it but they were not paired together in the show--Gus, who plays the lead Danny, has 2 kids with Louie who plays the side character Rico]. Thailand is clearly desperate to do a boyband BL so that they can make money off the concerts; Boyband Love as a story is already calibrated to be cheap to make because it's about a band getting ready to debut, and Thailand can scale it up from the original show. It's also no longer a period of COVID restrictions so crowds can be brought in. The storyline is pretty much what I would want of a Boyband BL: rivals within a band to lovers, pining amongst band members, underwater kiss, industry drama, and (spoilers for a 2020 series) the decision to essentially do BGP but keep their relationship secret. Thailand would have fun with that, I think. And they can add a little more heat, it's very important to me that something happens in the practice room pls and thank you.

Japanese adaptation of Middleman's Love

Japan gets two because they can do this type of comedy so well, and I really liked the bones of the Thai version so I'd love to see it done again. Japan can also handle trauma narratives so if they wanted to do both Bed Friend and Middleman Love they would be able to handle it. Korea is really good at balancing humour and trauma, but Japan is so good at losers who don't think they deserve love, and also excellent at pining, so I'm giving this one to Japan.

Korean adaptation of Triage

We're getting Korea twice because I haven't seen Korea do much in the way of genre BL yet, and while I admit this may be slightly influenced by me watching Hospital Playlist right now, Korea can handle the fast-paced ER scenes that are throughout this show, as well as the mix of drama and comedy. I'd love to see a more highly produced version of this show, and I know Korea can handle this kind of time loop shenanigans and heavenly spirits helping the protagonist along from kdramas. I liked the original a lot but I'd love to see it done again a little more tightly!

Bonus nonsense one: Taiwanese version of Calculating Love

This one is literally just for me. Ok listen I know I'm the only one who likes this show, and that's fine, it doesn't actually deserve attention. And it's so small that it would never be adapted. But I loved this dorky little short about nerds flirting with calculus and I want more. Taiwan is fantastic at dorks falling in love narratives, and so many of the HIStory series were short school BL, so I think they'd do an excellent job tightening up the story in the back half which got a bit meander-y and keeping the heat that's already there.

Thank you again for the really fun ask, Rose! 💕

#thank you for the ask! #ask game #typed so that i can stop thinking it #do i tag these shows? I think I won't #bl meta #multi bl #undescribed #each of the gifs in this post are a gif of the show that I've suggested for adaptation; the scene choice isn't relevant to the post #long post

[cheekinpermission]

Happy 500 followers!!

How about 1 and 10 for the ask game?

Thank you for you participation, anon! Ask game is here! Send them in if you want <3

1. Who's hand did you first grab? Why? Would you choose someone else if you could do it over again?

I grabbed Idia's hand! When I first got into TWST, I had absolutely no clue what I was getting into so I really just went based on which voice actors I recognized LOL. I know Kōki Uchiyama from a ton of different anime (JJK, Buddy Daddies, Haikyuu, BNHA, Yuri on Ice, etc.) so I just went with his character. While Idia doesn't crack the top 5 for me, I don't think I'd choose again. The only reason I would is if it impacted the story somehow but I really doubt it will. I'm COMITTED.

10. Top five favorite characters?

Grim occupies all top five spots. BUT since that's boring, so I'll limit my choices to the main cast lmao. (My love for the dire beast is PROFOUND) I got VERY wordy here so here's the short answer: 1. Riddle Rosehearts

2. Vil Schoenheit

3. Malleus Draconia

4. Ruggie Bucchi

5. Kalim Al-Asim Explanation below the cut! (I got very excited to talk about my favorites and wrote a lot so I figured I'd condense it for people who didn't want to scroll through it all lol whoopsies.)

1. Riddle Rosehearts - I have no explanation for this?? He's pretty much the opposite of my usual favorite characters so idk what happened here. I've always been drawn to the Alice in Wonderland aesthetic so maybe that has something to do with it? He's got such great character writing, too?? Everything about his personality just makes sense when you know his backstory. When we learn that Riddle's tyrant of a mother was strict and controlling over him, the pieces just seem to fall into place. His whole life was just following her rules and studying like a good little boy, and when he stepped out of line even a little bit he was reprimanded harshly for it. Of course, he's going to the exact same thing once he's in a position of power. It's all he knows. He's just another version of his mother. Not only does he uphold the tradition of punishing rule breakers rather severely as he was when he was younger, I think there's also an element of fear there as well. Like, his mother just instilled an innate fear of breaking rules because bad things would happen if he didn't follow them exactly. I really do see Riddle as a scared little boy who is suddenly realizing that he was set up for failure by his own mother. And THEN he makes an honest effort to improve himself post-overblot?? His transformation after the fact is one of the more obvious ones and I'm just so proud of him. A THOUSAND HEAD PATS!! Okay, I'll stop rambling about him lmao I love Riddle sm (Also want to make clear I'm not saying Riddle was right for anything he did, only that I appreciate how his character was handled. Added for legal purposes so people don't come after me :c ) 2. Vil Schoenheit - This one comes as no surprise to me. Pretty boys who challenge gender stereotypes are RIGHT up my alley. Like Riddle, I think Vil has some great character writing is one of the more complex characters in the game. He just feels so compassionate to me?? I don't know how to explain it - he just gives such nurturing vibes. I'd trust this man with my drink at a bar fr fr. And then he tells Epel off for saying ballet is too "girly" for him?? Thank you TWST for bringing me this man. I pray at the altar of Vil Schoenheit. 3. Malleus Draconia - Doesn't Malleus top everyone's lists LOL I think my favoritism for the dragon man is more to do with his relationship with Yuu than anything else tbh. He's like one of three characters that actively engages with the main character and I think they've got such a fun relationship. Two people who feel very alone in the world finding friendship (or something more for you malleyuu shippers) in each other is so beautiful. I'm glad they can be there for each other like that. Side note: I adore romantic Malleyuu for sure, but I think it's equally as endearing if all of Malleus's flirtatious lines were never meant to be romantic but he's just really bad at communicating his feelings in a platonic way. Like, he doesn't mean to flirt he's just socially inept. 4. Ruggie Bucchi - Gremlin hyena boy is just too good for words. Ngl, I started off not really liking Ruggie all that much because of what he did in the Savanaclaw book. My mans was basically shoving people down flights of stairs?? I'm not really sure where the turn around happened tbh. Mischievous personality types do tend to draw me in in fiction so that probably has a lot to do with it. I also felt really bad for him at the end of the Savanaclaw book when Leona was ready to Thanos him out of existence despite everything Ruggie had done for him (and continues to do for him). I appreciate his work ethic, I can respect the hustle, and he's got such a cute little laugh. I wanna pet those big ole ears of his. Leona - pay this man more smh 5. Kalim Al-Asim - SUNSHINE BOY!!

He's such a breath of fresh air in this game LMAO. As much as I love the fact that most of the cast are unapologetically flawed, it's nice to have a few characters that are genuinely good people. His VA (Kazuki Furuta) absolutely kills it imo. I can hear his laugh in my head as I'm typing this - it's just so warm and happy :D He also breaks the sterotype of most rich characters in media by just being a nice person? He's not evil or greedy (although naive and entitled) and he just wants to be bffs with Jamil. Break his heart Jamil and we're gonna have WORDS. Also just like FORGAVE JAMIL??? His bfffl yeeted him across the desert, brainwashed him and admitted to wanting to get him kicked from the school and Kalim didn't really hold it against him. He was so understanding and sweet about everything AHHHHH

#I TOLD YOU I GET WORDY AJDKSAJD #twst #twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #disney twst #twst riddle #riddle rosehearts #twst vil #vil schoenheit #malleus draconia #twst malleus #ruggie bucchi #twst ruggie #kalim al asim #twst kalim #cheekinrambles #thank you for the ask! #twst ask game

[inkabelledesigns]

I know I'm posting a day late here, but Happy Birthday Bendy! February 10th, 2024 marks the 7 year anniversary of when Bendy and the Ink Machine came out. And boy, has it been a wild ride. Normally I would reserve this for my Bendy sideblog, @angelofthepage , but I'm posting it here because this is where I started years ago, and I want some of those people who don't see that blog to have a chance to see this. Because you guys are a part of this story.

In about three months, seven years ago, I was in finals hell, working through my process book for my packaging design class in one of the dorm lounges while my roommate had taken the room for herself again. And the only thing keeping me sane was putting Can't Be Erased and Build Our Machine on loop as I worked. BATIM only had two chapters out, and I didn't know everything about it, but I was so intrigued by what its deal was. I took one look at Sammy Lawrence and I wanted to know everything about him. Something about this barely started game, the idea of your characters coming to life to kill you, it thrilled me, intrigued me. It was something I was really afraid of, being so attached to my characters and putting so much of my identity in my art. And while the story isn't really all that much about cartoons themselves being alive, it gave me something else that ended up changing my life.

Over that summer, I would become obsessed, and for the first time in years, I let myself be a fangirl again. And maybe one day I'll pull up the timeline and tell you how it all went down. But right now, after all the celebrating of yesterday, I just wanna take a moment to appreciate the last seven years. All the people I've met, all the friends I've made. All the experiences we've had together, big and small. Some have been incredibly close, and others have been people I still smile about whenever I see them on my feed, even if we're not all doing stuff in the same fandom anymore. There's some people I've fallen out of touch with that I likely won't ever see again that I miss. There's some I'll be lucky if I never see again. There's the official voice actors for Dark Revival, which I've had the pleasure of working with on community things here in the fandom. I regularly moderate their livestreams (or Lovestreams as we call them) where they sign prints and interact with us fans (and sometimes I'm tech support, once an ink machine technician, always an ink machine technician xD). I'm honored to call a lot of them my friends, we've had some truly wonderful conversations. I've spent a lot of time in a variety of servers, trying to uplift people and make for a positive fandom experience for everyone, fans old and new. Sometimes it lands me in interesting places, like helping out over on the Inky News channel. The host, Brandon, invited me over to guest star on his anniversary stream yesterday, and in the past I've been fortunate enough to showcase my art on two of his interviews, one with Dave Rivas and one with Adrienne Kress. Sometimes it lands me on fun projects, like working on a fan game, and for the first time it's not as a voice actor! I'm a writer. I've had my work uplifted in turn too, meeting people who value me for me and also cheer me on when I try new things (sometimes entirely new mediums like doll customizing). I got my first helpful constructive critique in this fandom, and it was something I ASKED for. That is a huge personal milestone! I have a really complex and twisty set of feelings about critique, and finally, I feel better, because someone helped me start to unravel that just by being themselves and being thoughtful. It's inspired me to want to be better in how I handle critique and problem solving with others.

I spent so much of my life putting my self worth in other people's hands. I thought I would never be good enough to have friends who didn't treat me like garbage. I thought I'd never be a good artist in any sense of the word either. But I was wrong. I've grown. I'm valued, I'm wanted. I don't have to hide parts of myself to be desirable. Sometimes being the silly, goofy, fangirl that is Kat is enough. My art is enough, my ideas are enough, my flavor is tasty, and I am a goddamn treat. And after so many years of not knowing that, I'm glad I finally do. And it's all because of the people. It wasn't ever that my flavor was bad, it's that I hadn't found people with a taste for it yet. Bendy's greatest gift was giving me a fresh start, a chance to meet new people, good people, and for that, I'm forever grateful. Even though things have changed, I'm glad I met each and every one of you, you all taught me something valuable along the way, and I think about those experiences we shared often.

I won't lie to you, I've been rather frustrated with Bendy lately. And I think a lot of it has to do with the games not truly having grown with me. At some point our paths deviated, and there are elements of what's come and what's coming that are getting away from what really enticed me about the very first entry, the things I valued most in it. But in some ways, analyzing that has led me to figure out what made that first game so special. It was human. It was a character focused game, and each of the characters, while vague, gave us just enough about themselves that we could feel for them, get invested, imagine, maybe even sympathize. Everyone is a tragedy, but they're all different flavors of tragedy. And it was seeing people explore that, seeing people write these characters in ways that were so human, that really built a connection. For some people, Bendy is another indie horror experience. For others, it's something to indulge in that hits hard on a personal level. In many ways, it attracts a lot of us who feel like misfits. It's many things. But to me, the magic was in the people. The people in this universe, and the people in its real world community.

It has solidified my belief that people should play with fiction however they want, no matter how far it deviates from the canon, no matter how weird it is. Go be interpretive, go tell your story, go be free to make what speaks to you! (All I ask is that you're thoughtful about tagging it so people can make smart choices about engaging with it.) All stories are worth telling. Even if no one gets into it, having told it makes a difference.

Whether you're someone who's been there from the beginning, or someone that's new to Bendy, I hope you're all having fun. Whether you've finished exploring the world or you've just begun, I hope you've found something valuable. Thank you, for coming along for the ride. Here's to many more fun experiences and stories, be they official or be they in the fandom. Happy Bendyversary!

#long post #bendy and the ink machine #batim #bendyversary #personal thoughts #bendy

[crisiscutie]

Mother dearest...

JENOVA. The Calamity From The Skies. The "Mother" of Sephiroth.

A wonderful ramble/rant/analysis/whatever by C.C. about hers/its truly...

I've always found this lifeform to be so fascinating, and it's not because I am fond of monsters, okay my bias may have played in a role in it. Yet, what frustrates me is the lack of definition for it. The abilities of it seem so boundless, but obviously, it has some limits, which is why it was eventually defeated by the Ancients, right? But what exactly are those limits? The range of its powers is INSANE. Besides the obvious shape-shifting, it can read the memories and thoughts of almost anything, spawn monstrosities, and grant immense strength, healing factors and heightened senses to those who possess its cells, surpassing human and most other beings by several levels... How the hell was JENOVA defeated!? Then again, you might as well ask why the Black Materia exists while you're at it.

And then there are obvious questions like if JENOVA was controlling Sephiroth during the Nibelheim Incident, or if it is still sapient around the time of OG FF7/Remake even through Sephiroth at the helm...

I'm really hoping that the 7R trilogy will expand on its history and its species (if applicable). We need answers. Plenty of them. The more we learn about it, the more we learn about Sephiroth...

I'm especially hoping for the theory of JENOVA being an Omega Weapon from another planet is true because that would make a lot of sense... And I'm especially curious about how they will handle JENOVA's single line in the FF7 series in Rebirth.

This happens not long after THAT MOMENT... So how it will be portrayed? Will they get another voice actor? Use a distorted version of Aeriths voice? I will be annoyed if it's rewritten as a Sephiroth line.

Another aspect that I find interesting is how Sephiroth's perspective on it contrasts with everyone else's. Despite his intense disdain for human-like attributes such as emotions and sentiments, Sephiroth humanizes JENOVA, while others perceive it as nothing but a monster. Correct me if I'm wrong, I'm fairly certain that the only people who even refer to JENOVA with feminine pronouns are Sephiroth and his remnants.

Now, on the flip-side, Sephiroth objectifies everyone else, only using their names when necessary and discarding them like tools once they have served their purpose. When he treats someone more than a tool, then they're just a parasite waiting to be executed. It's interesting how JENOVA is ALSO a tool for him. A special one, deserving of his love and praise. It serves as an effective weapon for the obvious reasons given in the first paragraph. It also satisfies his unmet need for a maternal figure, something he had craved pretty much his whole life. He's really putting the "everything and anything" abilities of JENOVA to the test, huh? And in a twisted way, it holds some truth, just like there is always an element of truth in Sephiroth's web of deceit. And I bet he empathized with it too when learning of his "origins". Being a monster that was used and locked away, similar to himself...

But anyway, Ignoring JENOVA would be like ignoring Sephiroth since it's so integral to his character. Especially when you consider he literally becomes one with at some point in the games. It played a significant role in shaping the Crisis Cutie we adore and love! It's who he is.

Also fun fact: I'm pretty sure that red-pink glow in the Rebirth logo are definitely JENOVA'S eyes.

#sephiroth #final fantasy 7 #ff7 sephiroth #ff7 #crisis cutie #jenova #ffvii rebirth #ffvii #ffviir #c.c's theories

[hermespie]

Prompt: Kokichi felt dumbfounded, care for myself? This robot just knew him for what, weeks? Not even in months, and is now teaching him to care for himself?

Pairings: k1B0 X Kokichi ouma

A/N: I just wrote this for funsies again, cause I really love kiibouma and I just can't stop writing for them. Angst or not🤭 please do enjoy tho!

" That's right, I'm the mastermind! "

This should do it.

This should do it right?

He stood in front of everyone, the grin in his face stays while everyone else frown in despair.

The truth that all of them had been waiting for was right in front of their eyes. The moment of silence where everyone tried to take in what he just said made him more excited. Just how he anticipated.

Proud of himself, he continued blabbering on how he had planned all of this from the very beginning,taking small glimpse of the crowd, trying to find any small details of clues the real mastermind might be giving.

They might've never thought this would ever gonna happen, the look on their face must be priceless. He thought to himself.

His vision shifts from one to the other, but it stayed on a certain someone.

The metallic body stood still, expression full of doubt and confusion, it's like he's trying to convince himself that this isn't happening. Maybe about the truth of the world outside of the killing game they hoped to escape to has actually been a disaster for decades. Or maybe about the truth of the mastermind that ouma unfolded itself.

It couldn't be the latter, ouma thought to himself. Shrugging his shoulders as he quickly shift his vision towards the others.

It's not like that robo-boy actually felt betrayed by him. He never promised anything from the beginning.

But why is there an annoying pit starting to grow inside of him?

Why does his heart aches while looking at that robot's face of disbelief?

Why does he feel like explaining everything to him and making him believe that this isn't who he is, and all of this is just a skit to save all of them?

Stop.

Ouma calmed himself down immediately. This skit is inevitable. It's what he needs to do to end this boring killing game. He's an actor in this lowly game and the show must go on.

And just when everyone is done with his BS speech, he left.

This should do it. Now the killing game is over because no one would have any motive for attempting murder anymore. Now that's out of our concern, the mastermind should've shown some signs by now-

"Ouma!"

A familiar voice interrupted kokichi's rail of thoughts as the voice called onto him abruptly.

It wasn't hard to recognise that voice when you've already heard from it for such a long time.

Kokichi simply stopped walking and stood still, with both of his hands hugging at the back of his head.

"what's the matter kii-boy? Don't tell me you didn't get what I meant earlier."

He turned around and locked eyes with that metallic figure standing in front of him, putting up a grin on his face, continuing the show.

"I'm the mastermind! And you know what you shouldn't do , now that you know whose the mastermind? Interact with them!"

He left that comment down and turned his head away, ready to continue advancing forward until kiibo sped up his motion, catching up to him, stopping him from doing so.

"Ouma. You're not the mastermind."

Funny.

"And what makes you think that?"

His tone turned a bit serious but was quickly shifted away when he put on his evil grin back.

"Could you please just look at me seriously for once?!"

Kiibo raised his voice, which is something unusual he would do. It frightened kokichi for a bit but intrigue wins over nevertheless. Kokichi's expression was immediately shifted back before kiibo could notice his surprised look. He doesn't want to surrender in this game of truth.

"I.. I really don't know why you're convincing everyone to think you're the mastermind. But knowing you, I'm sure you have your reasons. But do you ever think of the consequences that will lead to you if you do this?"

"Why-"

'Why do you care' was what kokichi was about to say but kiibo couldn't bother to let kokichi finish another one of his acts, one of his lies.

"Everyone would despise you! And even if in the end when the real mastermind reveals their identity, they wouldn't bother to apologise or to make amends for hurting you!"

So that's what he's worried about? About him being hated by the others? That's just funny honestly, cause kokichi really don't mind any of this at all.

Kokichi felt like laughing out loud, his grin grows even wider, almost letting out his laughter.

"Why can't you care for yourself more?!"

kiibo's robo-arms heavily rested onto his shoulders as he grips them tightly, slightly shaking kokichi, as if that could throw some sense in him.

Kokichi felt dumbfounded, care for myself? This robot just knew him for what, weeks? Not even in months, and is now teaching him to care for himself?

"You said that as if you meant that you care about me. Well, that's just funny! Seriously kii-boy, What do you even know about me?"

Kiibo was taken aback by his sudden commentary but quickly gained back his position.

"I don't need to know who you are to care for you."

"True, but we're in a killing game kii-boy. You can't apply that excuse in this situation"

"I-"

"Face it kii-boy. I don't know why you're out here yapping your points at me, but this is the truth and it will remain this way. "

He pushed kiibo's hands away from his shoulder and it lands back to the sides of his torso airily.

" I'm grateful that you tried to believe in me though! Too bad I'm not that much of a sweetheart you think I am ! Too-da-loo—!"

Kokichi said in a carefree tone as he quickly left the area, leaving kiibo alone, standings till at where he was before his vision left him.

God damn it..

Anger slowly started rising inside of him as he walked back to his dorm room. The way that robot looks at him, full of concern and.. care just plays with his temper.

I don't need to know who you are to care for you.

He groaned as kiibo's voice started flowing into his mind. Why? Why did he say that? Why did it actually feel like he cared for him?

He shouldn't be. Anyone shouldn't be.

He shut the dorm room harshly and immediately melted, leaning on the door.

Why is this so hard?

He hugged both of his knees, planting his face under, trying to get his mind out of anything about that conversation.

His hand slowly shifted towards his shoulders, the warmth of kiibo's hand was long gone. But somehow he could still feel the warm fuzzy feeling in his heart.

"That's disgusting"

Gripping onto his shoulder tightly, he pouted out words for no one to listen except himself.

Though he knows how much of a lie that was.

#danganronpa #kiibouma #kokichi x k1b0 #kokichi x keebo #kokichi x kiibo #drv3 keebo #drv3 kokichi #drv3 #danganronpa v3 killing harmony #kiibo x ouma #kiibo x kokichi #kokichi ouma #kiibo #keebo #k1 b0 #ouma kokichi

[dorokora]

Chapter 14 Episode 5 Part 1:

We start with some monologue from Solomon. If someone gains "something" in this world that is not infinite, others lose "something". I know that it is only plus or minus zero. That's what it means to know everything. So, do nothing, just watch. That is the destiny given to those who are "whole". We cut to the Entertainers bowing to Solomon’s presence. Everyone else are forced to ground by the pressure coming from Solomon. Motosumi ask where the hell could Tianzun be and how can he move in all this pressure. MC’s arm (and Lil’Sal) that Barguest was holding starts flying upward towards Solomon. Tianzun grabs Lil’Sal and tells him to wait a minute and talk to him. Tianzun ask Sal if that’s really his father. Lil’Sal said that “Yes. It's my father who gave birth to me. That face, that voice, that atmosphere, he's definitely the father I know...!”. Tianzun decides to give Lil’Sal some advice, “There is nothing in this world that is perfect. Even if there is, there is no future there. See with your own eyes not only what is there, but what is not there.” After that Tianzun disappears again. King Solomon calls out to Lil’Sal by calling him by his full name, Ars Almadel Salomonis. Lil’Sal ask if that’s really father. Mononobe (?) from inside of Solomon starts speaking, saying yes that’s it is his him and he’s glad Lil’Sal is safe. Kyouma Mononobe, the "memory" of my descendants who once crossed over to the land of the Far East, and my terminal. All the "memories" that I saw in Tokyo exist within me. My name is Solomon the Omniscient. Exception has seen everything in Tokyo.

We cut to Oscar and MC. Oscar ask MC how does it feel to be an actor who can't stand on the stage, or just a spectator. Oscar is a playwright. Not to be confused with other writers. He takes great pride in being that. Acting not only with words but also with the vessel of the body, It's his job to tell the story, not just write it. That's why he has come to convey "Thank you for your hard work" to the actors who have no more work. Oscar ask MC if they’re enjoying themselves. Quantum ask him “Why are you talking like a villain in a Japanese language textbook?”. Oscar is confused by her. Quantum introduce herself as a utopian transient that was born in a place similar to the one they’re in now. Oscar he doesn’t know about the world of Utopia, he apologizes for his lack of study. After all, he only know "things on stage" and yes he admits to being the villain or at least a villain for MC. A villain is a flower for those who live on stage. Without it, the world of theater wouldn't run. It's annoying, but it's annoying just to be told. Oscar tells MC they would definitely have been beaten if you stayed that way. He was traded off by that Game Masters assassin. The Game Masters are not interested in making the "game" exciting as a game, just continuing it is the Game Master’s job. To never grow old, just to continue the never-ending loop. Among them, there is a professional who kills dragon (Beowulf). His "role" is to fight against the Dragons. To kill someone else and die himself. If MC had met him, they would have died long ago, and Tokyo would have been covered by the "great flood of time", and it would have triggered the next loop. Oscar said whether he’s a villain or not depends on "what perspective you look at it from”. MC ask if hid them here just for that and tell them his plan. Oscar said he’s shameless like that. It is also his job to convince former actors who are unsatisfied with being cast. He came to ask MC a favor as the theater manager. He wants them to enjoy the theater quietly behind the scenes. Saying that he then points his scared artifact at MC. Since MC has one arm and no sword, he’s going to “tease” them for a bit. MC has no choice but to run away with Quantum. Battle start!

We cut to Loki, Nobumichi, and Ahura. They make their introductions. Loki ask Ahura how does it feel to stand in the same stage of the criminal he once tried. This is his current prison, it’s fate that he and Ahura meet like this. We cut back to Mononobe (?) saying he’s happy Salomonis did a good job while he was away while still showing that perfect smile. Lil’Sal looks at him with suspicion. Lil’Sal ask him if he’s really Mononobe then he should remember when and how he left them. Back to Ahura and Loki, Ahura said Loki’s word are still painful to hear as usual. They’re both in the same position now. After he once managed to get his hands on the trophy in that loop. Everyone has killed MC in previous loops, if you call that a crime then everyone in Tokyo is a criminal. Ahura said if no other witnesses saw that moment, he certainly still remembers it. That’s why he’s come to stand with the Entertainers. Loki said as expected of the Ally of Justice or would it better to call him the Ally of the Entertainers now. But Ahura just smiles it off.

Back to MC and Oscar. Oscar tells MC “Do you understand now, You have been taken away from the power that was given to you. You're a nobody now. There is no sword to wield, no role to act. So stop trying to stand up and this will be easier”. Just then Tianzun shows up. Quantum recognize him. Tianzun tells Quantum it’s been a while. MC ask her if they know each other. Quntum said Tianzun is the acquaintance from before, a transient like her that doesn’t know if they’re in Tokyo or not. Tianzun addresses MC, telling them that there are performances where even "nobodies" can jump in and participate. Those are called “parades.”

#Housamo spoilers #chapter 14

[honourablejester]

No I mean more like- how do I do a liminal eeriness right? I want to make it properly give it that liminal feel? I can figure out how I want the game to play but how do I give a fishing adventure the proper liminal eeriness?

I mean. A lot’s going to depend on the vibe and the gameplay. IDK. Some general thoughts?

Liminality is about betweenness, being neither one thing nor the other, a transitional place where things become strange and unreal. In terms of fishing, that fits nicely, because the boat and the port are a place between the land and the sea, neither one thing nor the other, carrying strange elements of both. So emphasise that. Have the port, the transitional space, be tangibly strange to both the land and the sea. Fish that you brought up from the ocean perfectly normal start looking strange in the fishmonger’s ice trays. The landward boundary is always oddly fogged. People in the port sometimes just change, between one time you dock and the next. Slowly, at first, there’s just small things different about them, subliminal things, maybe eye colours or a different voice actor, and then gradually, if you want, they can become more overt. Things like that. Those of the land are lured by the sea. Those of the sea are changed by the land. Strange things happen on the boundary.

For some general ambient happenings, maybe things like unexplained lulls in the soundscape? You’re just out fishing and nothing abnormal is happening, but the background noise or the background music just fades away for a little while, for no reason at all, and then comes back again. It’s a bright sunny day and you’re fishing, and maybe something slightly strange-looking drifts past on the edges of the screen. A pod of whales or dolphins, and there’s just something slightly weird about them. Strange things in the water. A ship passes you when you’re sailing into or out of port, and maybe it’s curiously archaic, or looks strangely waterlogged, but then it’s sailed on past you, and you can’t be sure, and no one comments on it. Things just … exist. Happen. That are off, that are strange, and apparently you’re just supposed to deal with it.

Mostly it’s a matter of a slow build, and a suggestion of strangeness, and a lack of concrete foes or causes for a good long time. You just want time for the unease and curiosity and worry to build, without an overt threat to explain them. A gameplay loop based on activities that start out completely mundane, completely normal, and then gradually begin to incorporate weirdness that goes worryingly unexplained. Your fish start changing when you bring them in. At first you thought maybe these were ones caught by someone else, and yours were fine, but you do gradually notice that your catches are changing as they come into port. The people who buy them start changing too. Or … Are they changing, or are you beginning to see them as they always were? Are you changing? Would you notice?

Is it the port? Is it you? What’s happening?

And you might have some people, players, who genuinely won’t notice. They’re just chilling, they’re just fishing. The catch won’t stay the same once you haul it in, well, that’s the port’s problem, not yours. You’re just getting paid for hauling. And that’s kind of cool too. But just a subtle, slow build. Strangeness around the edges. Unease. Then let it gradually grow more noticeable. You don’t necessarily have to draw direct attention to anything. Just let things build through a few iterations of the normal tasks the player does.

Like I said, I don’t really know. I’ve never even thought about game design. But. Some thoughts, if they help?

#horror #liminal horror #maritime horror #ocean

[nerdypotatoe5]

The Hunger Games, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes SPOILERS (BOOKS AND MOVIES)

ok so I'm sure that by now everyone has seen the posts about how brilliantly Suzanne Collins wove her prequel into the story.

So this will also be such a post. Not a particularly detailed one but hey xD

Anyway - AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH

I adore how before Lucy Gray disappears, she tells Snow - I'm going to look for katniss. And then 64 years later, Katniss Everdeen wins the 74th Hunger Games with the meadow song, with a Mockingjay token and by cleverly playing the system (even if it wasn't her intention).

Of course, this reminds Snow of how he played the system in Lucy Gray's favour, he remembers that song from 12 and the Mockingjays that sang after Lucy Gray disappeared.

The parallels are brilliant! And every time that I think about them, I'm once again reminded just how much and why Coriolanus Snow despised Katniss. Not only was she a symbol of rebellion, but she also carried symbols from a past that he wanted to erase. And sure, no one else alive that can hurt him in the capital remembers, but what if someone digs just a little deeper, notices and checks something that appears to be just a little off?

And with so many coincidences surrounding Katniss, is it really a wonder that he assumed that a ghost of his former lover was coming to haunt him from the grave?

There are definitely more parallels out there but I'm currently too tired to think of them xD.

God, I love the world of the Hunger Games. It's so brilliantly written with wonderfully written characters that make me want to continue peeling back their layers just to see what makes them tick. Suzanne Collins truly wrote a masterpiece.

Also I did really enjoy the new movie. I ended up watching it in a language that isn't my native language and was pleased to have understood the majority of what was said xD. The fact that I had read the book previously definitely helped! XD

The sound track was to die for though! Everyone's singing was beautiful. Rachel Zegler's voice really haunted some scenes and gave me chills on more than one occasion. Hearing Can't Catch Me Now during the end credits was great. I've seen some people say that it really explained what happened to Lucy Gray after she disappeared and yeah, I can see where they are coming from. I just really liked how the lyrics tie the end of the Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes with what happens in the Hunger Games. Olivia Rodrigo did a brilliant job with the lyrics.

Ok so this rambling has turned into a review. 😅

Anyway, my only complaint is that we did not see a lot of the Covey in the movie and that the connection between Katniss' dad and the Covey wasn't hinted at.

Having said that, the fact that Katniss' dad taught her those songs and how to hunt wasn't something that was mentioned in the Hunger Games movies (from what I remember of them) so it makes sense that that was left out.

Overall, the movie was amazing. Would recommend - 9/10.

The books are of course a very steady 9.5/10 for me xD.

At some point I'll probably need to make a post about the actors that played Sejanus and Dr. Gaul. They were fantastic! Having said that, the whole cast was really well cast and everyone played their role really well. I was very satisfied with the casting and with everyone's performance.

#the hunger games #suzanne collins #ballad of songbirds and snakes #Kind of a review #kind of a rant #Kind of a meta #I'm not fully sure how metas work #If someone can explain #Please do

[macgyvertape]

D2 Season of the Deep thoughts

Gameplay:

The seasonal bonuses seem to be the start of the pivot to weekly challenges and no pinnacle grind. I'm glad the power cap wasn’t raised this season and won’t be again next season.

What’s the point with creating a hidden mechanic that requires the whole team to initiate it in a matchmade activity?! I never ended up doing a Tier 7 pressure trial, because matchmade with random people it never worked out and doing it with LFG or friends we never got past tier 5. 

Deep dives with ingame matchmade were toxic af after the release of the exotic quest and a waste of time, because there was often someone trying to do the exotic mission then leaving when no one else joins them. It really bad design to have the matchmaking mode set like this when people are trying to do it 3 different ways, and I don’t know why it was designed to not have backfill from the beginning. 

I like specific exotic armor focusing, new fun form of gambling and the stats are very generous. At the same time getting new seasonal exotics still feels like you waste a lot of time.

Being able to buy past season Iron banner armor makes me actually want to grind Iron Banner more in the future. 

Should be easier to get focused fishing, I never ended up finishing all the fishing challenges. Overall I thought fishing was fun at the beginning of the season when I could do it and chill with my friends, but I found the lack of obvious audio cues meant it wasn’t fun to grind out by myself when watching a show.

Deeply appreciate how you could skip so many seasonal challenges this season, that way I’m not grinding out hours spent in playlist activities and then burning out on the game. At this point I’m one of the people burned out on the seasonal model, the less I have to play things I don’t want to do to get my pile of bright dust. the more I like Destiny.

Speaking of not spending time in playlist activities, I didn’t reset any vendor rank twice and Vanguard I only reset once because I farmed Sepiks GM during double loot week. Deeply ironic that Gambit is officially not a dev priority considering that I find it the least aggravating playlist to grind. 

I knew I didn’t play as much this season but wow “27 minutes underwater” 

Story:

Opening mission: Fun to watch Saint lose his shit when Xivu-Arath mocked Sagira’s death. Her line about being the hand around my throat, I hope all those who are into the Hive enjoyed this season

I’ll really be upset if Sloane dies this season, I never really cared that much about her until Arrivals and when she stayed behind so I’m enjoying she gets to be the focus of a season (glad she didn’t die making it 3/3 focus characters dying)

Really appreciate Zavala, Drifter, Sloane, and Saint as a cast of characters who haven’t really interacted much onscreen but who have history getting to interact.

Drifter’s radio message about The Nine and Gambit felt more like pre-WQ Drifter, I have a lot of thoughts about this has been some of my favorite onscreen Drifter writing since Arrivals & Beyond Light and feels like the missing arc he should have gotten in Beyond Light to reconcile his views in Arrivals vs Plunder 

Week 2: Saladin and Saint arguing about who is being overbearing to Sloane was great; a sense of how do these characters get along, how do they react to a circumstances, both voice actors seemed to be having fun with it

Week 3: I feel very much like a floating camera but the cutscene with Drifter and Saladin was fun and is the pinnacle of what I’m enjoying about this season in terms of “these two people are some of the oldest guardians and have kept crossing paths in lore” so we finally see them in a scenario in game

Week 3 Drifter: enjoying the heavy implication that Drifter’s ears are doing the Hive are whispering at me bleeding thing.

Week 4 Drifter: “they didn’t go so quite not until I shut them up” … “I did what it took to get offworld now I’m here” …”somethings you carry with you forever” DAMN where was this writing for Drifter in Season 18 vs wacky woohoo gambit man

This season really cements that while I might not have the plot around why Saladin became Valus Forge, I really like him being in the story with fresh things to do other than rehashing the Iron Lords Legacy yet again

As Immaru’s #1 fan excited to see Saladin mention him by name, hope next season is Immauru vs Saladin as rival tacticians

#destiny 2 #mac play video games #seasonal model burnout has come for me and all my friends #season of the deep

[poupeesdecirque]

Wolfscon 2023

Another little Travel Blog... well.. "travel".. it was a local con for once.

I just learned about the Con last monday and decided to attend it. It was held in a mall in one of the bigger cities in my area, completely for free.

Wolfscon - 30th September 2023

Weirdly enough the day started with me dressing up at home, I had time to do the make up and all as I wasn't even driving. I asked Mom to come with me as she loves to stroll around and well I just dislike to drive with wig/make up and therefore she helped out.

After a short driving time we arrived in Wolfsburg. The big thing was: there was a football game happening and Oktoberfest in the city and I was a bit anxious if things would clash. But gladly we exactly left as the match was over later on and the Oktoberfest was busy in the evening but still okay as we went a bit into the city. phew.

The main stage was placed in the basement of the mall, you had some different events happening there like an interview with voice actors, bands playing, a quiz, the cosplay contest etc.

Then you had two little artist/merchandise isles a level up with different vendors. There was regular merch from comic shops, Manga, but also artists with their own products, it varied a lot from anime/manga heavy to fantasy jewerly, to pins, cosplay props, art prints, cosplay prints and more.

Then you had some booths were you could take photos in front of backdrops and some artists advertising their work (like huge Transformer Costumes), there were some Marvel Hero Impersonators walking through the mall, you could get photos with them.

I think it was pretty nice and a good variety of different franchises for a wide audience. For me personally it was little to buy but my anime/manga interests are super niche therefore I don't take my interests as standard.

While Mom bought something for her step-niece I had a very lively talk with one of the artist who was at the Connichi as well about how the first one in Wiesbaden was and we agreed a lot need to be adjusted and she told me that she wasn't even aware of some points, but also told me that the Connichi Management is aware of some issues like the Matsuri being lovelessy arranged.

Another thing here is that she got told to not complain about the food options at the Matsuri because there was soup sold in the congress centre as well and .. uhm... as artist/vendor .. you weren't able to go into the city to eat and that's just a terrible way to deal with feedback. Please organize better food for the people working at your Convention, thank you.

Anyways she even offered me to help at her booth for the future as I have some expierence from the past but I had to decline. It was a super lovely exchange though.

We decided to leave the mall then to check out the Oktoberfest (we were getting hungry).

And they had a ferris wheel... those who know me is that I suffer from acrophobia, but to the extent that I get nauseous when it's really bad, everything starts to spin then but ... oof... it was tempting.

I decided to gather all my courage and go for a ride. I was nervous but was able to manage better than I thought, to my own surprise!

... and as I had no lunch prior we had to fetch some food. Allen without food is not Allen, right? Went for a crepe with kinder schokolade, my favorite combination.

After going through the vendors again I saw someone with a Starbucks cup and Starbucks is ... like I rarely went there (to be honest twice, and the first time was bc someone else wanted something) as we don't have one where I live. I decided I want to try the pumpkin spice latte.

As we left the mall I was actually recognized as Allen! That made me so happy. Thank you <3 I hope we get in touch, especially with the fact you have a Kanda Cosplay in store, it was really nice to meet you.

Back to the Latte... I had one but I decided it's the last I want. i went without cream because I wanted to know how it tastes like but as someone who doesn't like coffee.. well... I'm a bit sad they don't offer the Pumpkin CHAI Latte T_T I am sure I would have loved that one.

After a little shopping trip we went back to the mall and - not without our favorite snack: soft serve ice cream :'D

Gladly we left as the football match was over as the team won and everybody was just hyped about it and the city was getting super full!

I have to say it was a nice afternoon and truly fun to have a local con. I was pretty beat still, but this has different reasons like the fact I ... am now wearing glasses and it was the first day without them again and the city being super full and me eating really late (again ..) didn't help much.

It's still running today, if you are in the area I can tell you can pay it a visit, it's fun!

My little haul and the free entrance ribbon you were able to get.

Wolfsburg is kinda adorable with their Wolfs-Theme over and over.

#travel blog #wolfscon #wolfsburg #cosplay

[neon-pink-witch]

How would you rank the main male voice actors for Cyberpunk? Vic, Johnny, Kerry, River, Jackie and Smasher?

I'm sorry this took me forever to get to but I promise I didn't forgot about you

Ranking wise I honestly don't think I can do because the voice acting in this game is damn near flawless but I can talk about my thought on them.

Despite the fact that I will reblog thrist stuff for Vic I see his voice as perfect for a father like figure. You can tell from his voice that the dude has prolly seem some shit but has managed to get away from it and now is happy and content with the life he has.

Keanu did a great fucking job with Johnny. Its not uncommon for people with PTSD and trauma to speak in a flat, monotone voice and we get that from Johnny. Its a subtle way to hint at his mental state. He still shows emotions with his tone and his inflections but manages to keep this monotone draw.

Kerry has just the touch of an accent that I love. A small bit of gravel that shows he's smoked for a long time but not overly so much that it makes it hard to understand him(I have auditory processing issues thanks to ADHD). Fun fact about Kerry, the voice actor did voices for some the Raiders in Fallout 4 so if you ever wanna hear Kerry threaten your life, go play Fallout 4 and keep your ears open.

I don't really have strong thoughts on River's voice. I like his character and that side quest of his is....well...it sure fucking is. But I just don't have strong thoughts him really. I've only romanced him once and while I like him, he's just not a character that takes up alot of space in my head.

Back again with the accents with Jackie and he's another one that I listen to talk for hours. Jackie is so goal driven that shows when he speaks. He gets excited and he's not scared to show that! In the last scene with him, even though he's dying there's still hope in his voice. You can hear that he believes in V no matter what and its tragic beauty.

Listen, if you'd ask me about Smasher six months ago I'd have a different answer but there's something real sexy about voice that I cannot explain even a bit. I always liked Borg from Star Trek even before I admitted to myself that I'm a monsterfucker and he's got Borg vibes. His voice has a mech tone to it, because, well duh, with pretty much all humanity gone. Its interesting.

Looking over everything if I had to rank them I think Johnny and Kerry probably have my favorite voices. If I had to pick a least fave I'd say River just because I'm not as attached to the character. Everyone else just falls some where in the middle. Jackie being on the higher end of that middle with Vic and Smasher prolly on the lower end of the middle.

#cyberpunk 2077 #cyberpunk 2077 vic #johnny silverhand #kerry eurodyne #river ward #jackie welles #adam smasher #phantom bitch ask

[francostrider]

‘The Last of Us’ Was Not the First of Anything

With The Last of Us the Game the Series released, the conversation of whether or not this is the greatest game that ever gamed has come up once again. Its position was called into question due to the mixed reaction of its sequel in 2020, and while it still had defenders, people were a lot more open to discussing the original’s flaws. But there are still those who call it the greatest game ever, and award shows (a cancer upon entertainment) love to push that narrative.

As I maintain, this is subjective, and declaring anything the greatest is a shallow viewpoint of any medium and only serves to invalidate the whole rainbow of other works that are, ultimately, not comparable. The sequel was incredibly divisive for that simple fact. You cannot compare The Last of Us, a cover shooter with some expensive cutscenes, to more complex RPGs like Divinity Original Sin 2, or high octane action games like Metal Gear Rising Revengeance, or investigative titles like The Return of the Obra Din. Comparing them is like comparing a lawn mower to a cookie tray. I have not played The Last of Us, and while it may be a competently made game, it holds zero value to me. I’ve heard the praise (the cutscenes), and the criticisms (Ellie not being a factor in gameplay, gameplay is pretty derivative, etc.), but I’m not going to rip into it because it’s not part of the my world.

And fans of TLOU, don’t take that personally. Final Fantasy VII Remake also holds no value to me. As does Lisa: The Painful RPG, most Final Fantasy, Valkyrie Profile, Call of Duty, Fortnite or a lot of other popular franchises of today. I am occasionally surprised by something out of my usual repetiore, like Dawn of War, but with my limited time, I want to put my time to something I am interested in, and I’m well past the point of caring about hype. The games I criticize are the ones I wanted to care about (Fire Emblem Fates) and wanted to do better.

But let’s make something clear: The Last of Us was not a first on any given level.

We all know the meme of someone on Twitter saying that Video Games have been nothing but coin crunchers until TLOU. From my research the “showrunner” quoted (who had been left anonymous) does not exist, and the post was a joke to anger people. But I have gotten into arguments with people who claimed that The Last of Us was the first to be really “narrative focused”. Sadly, this was not the only example.

And, say, aren’t we forgetting a few? If you want to go back to narrative driven games, the earliest I can think of are adventure games, like the Monkey Island series. You know, back in the 80s, early 90s. RPGs (both western and Japanese), have been playing with dialogue and settings and character arcs since the NES days. But the one that comes to mind for myself is a little old game on the PS1 by Hideo Kojima.

Metal Gear Solid for a lot of people (including myself) was the first to put a lot of effort into its cutscenes. Not only that, but it was the first I played to put the voice talent onto center stage. When introduced to a new character, you are given the name of the character and the name of the voice actor behind it. As a kid, I did not think of the voice talent much before that game. Kojima not only wanted you to know the characters and their story, but the voices behind them.

On the shoulder of that game, you have Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. I was more aware of the voice talent coming into this game, but there are some significant details that marry gameplay with the story. Raziel is a fallen vampire, turned soul devouring lich. The bones were torn from his wings and he was cast into an abyss, killing him before an ancient being brings him back. In this form, he needs to devour souls to maintain himself in the living world, or else be forced back into the spectral realm. His torn wings can be used as an impromptu parachute to glide. Devouring greater vampires leads to new powers to allow him to progress further. The vampires need to be killed in specific ways, like water or fire.

The point is Soul Reaver matches the gameplay and story with very little segregation. You feel the world and Raziel’s character in ways most games neglect. There is no forgetting the narrative during its gamplay. This is not the only example of this, but it is one that will always stand out in my mind. And this was all the way back in 1999. This is a classic example of a narrative driven game.

The Last of Us was basically a logical next step of the trends of the time: cover based shooting, refinement of cutscenes and voice work, graphical touches, and so on. It did not break trends or set them. Spec Ops: The Line is very often compared to TLOU, and that came out the year prior, specifically to deconstruct the modern military genre of shooters. We’d seen zombies before, we’d seen main characters fall apart, we’d seen character arcs and we’d seen some real downers up to that point.

This is not to say you cannot enjoy The Last of Us or that the game itself is toxic. By all means, have fun. But what is toxic is the narrative surrounding it. Calling it the greatest does nothing for the gaming industry except decide an arbitrary standard (like the Oscars) of which games are worth looking at. It decrees that only when you’ve worked your animation staff to death will you draw the greater collective’s attention. It implies that every other kind of game is a waste of time. It erases gaming history for the sake of Oscar fueled spectacle.

And most of all, it harms the legacy of The Last of Us itself. This myopic, elitist attitude toward gaming does nothing for a game about the desperate and downtrodden. Because the buzz and hype has become so important to the game, it muddies the message. We do not live in a vacuum: Timing and exposure of a piece is important. One of these days, we’re going to look back on this game more soberly and call into question the culture around it.

Maybe we can finally quit this Oscar bait nonsense and spread the attention around. That would be a first.

#the last of us #sony ps4 #Legacy of kain #spec ops the line #Metal Gear Solid #Hideo Kojima

[thessalian]

Thess vs Next Fest, Pt 6

Yes, I know, more demos, it’s a thing.

Scene Investigators: It’s not bad, but it is frustrating, especially in demo. It’s a Kickstarter-funded crime scene investigation simulator of sorts, so it mostly involves poking around and looking at things. It plays like one of those paper-and-pen logic puzzle games except that you have to dig the clues out of the surroundings yourself. Also it’s very brown. So kinda, but meh.

Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened: We’re on crime scene investigation again, sort of. It’s got more of an adventurous feel to it, mostly because you’ve got a third person perspective and a character to pilot around. Unfortunately, it’s also a little tricky in terms of its UI. Got stuck fairly early on when I could not entirely figure out what the hell I was missing in terms of getting past a guard. Please give me a way to actually use an item, pity’s sake. Still, once it’s out, there’ll be a walkthrough somewhere to help, plus probably an easier tutorial stage rather than dumping me in the middle of the game, so it’s a pretty solid maybe.

Urban Strife: Turn-based zombie survival game. I mean, interesting concept in an XCOM kind of way, but the graphics are ugly as hell, the controls are clunky, and at the end of the day, I’m just not that interested. They tried, whoever made this. There was even a sort of character customisation screen. But let’s just say that it looked like a cheap knock-off mobile game. Nope. If I want something turn-based (and I do; I like that kind of thing), I’ll hopefully find something else. Not that I require top-of-the-line graphics for everything. In fact, I like simplistic graphics for some things. However, there are limits.

WitchSpring R: This one’s not bad. Very, very Japanese in the kawaii sort of sense - turn-based combat a la Final Fantasy, not always particularly well balanced but kind of fun so long as you keep your health and mana-granting items stocked. Some of the getting around places is a little annoying (I stopped when having to get past a bunch of pirahna but I probably should have been riding rather than attempting to run), but hey, still cute. It can stay. Not very high up on the old list, but it can stay.

I think I’m pretty much done with demos for the time being. At least partly because tomorrow’s the start of a fairly busy weekend - Friday’s the actual birthday and will involve sushi and little TLOVM watch party; Saturday and Sunday are both D&D days. Thus I might not have the time to indulge in demos from that point. Especially if I use some of tomorrow to actually try making some hard candy. I was going to earlier this week but there was pain and then there was chat-with-stepfather stress and today I just slept for most of the day (sometimes fibro fatigue just hits, I guess?) so there wasn’t really time.

Also, as a video game-related aside, Greg Ellis, who apparently voiced some of the minor characters in Hogwarts Legacy, tweeted some support for JK Rowling in general and the game in particular and honestly I’m not surprised. He’s a decent voice actor but a shitty human being, and while I think Cullen’s story is basically done at this point ... well, if for some reason they do bring him back, EA’s distancing themselves from Ellis basically means that Cullen will have a different voice actor. Worked for Anders; why not? Also, had not heard about the domestic violence arrest, so that’s going to make it even harder to separate person from character enough to finish my Meep!Herald Cullenmance playthrough. I hate it when people who play characters I like turn out to be shitheads.

#Thess plays video games #Thess vs Demos