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#not everyone shares posts etc and I’m basically one of them
indierpgnewsletter · 9 months
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Recommendations: Books about RPGs
(This was first posted on the Indie RPG Newsletter.)
I’m always trying to level up my RPG knowledge and this has led me to look for books about RPGs. And there don’t seem to be that many! There are some academic books but while they have their strengths, easy reading isn’t one of them. Even as I wrestle with these academic texts (and I will emerge victorious), here are some books that are both interesting and fun to read:
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Play Unsafe and Stealing Cthulhu by Graham Walmsley
Play Unsafe is a book of RPG advice. It’s a quick read (quicker than its 82 pages would suggest) and has some really gentle, grounded advice. For example:
If, while gaming, you can’t be clever or try hard, what can you do? The answer is: be obvious. Do the obvious thing: the thing that obviously happens next in the story; the thing that you think everyone expects to happen. Paradoxically, that obvious thing may, to everyone else , seem original and brilliant.
Stealing Cthulhu, by the same author, is about how to take inspiration from the stories of HP Lovecraft in a way that makes your own cosmic horror games feel fresh and unique.
Age of Ravens: Vol 1 and Vol 2 by Lowell Francis
These are two collections of various essays originally published on the Age of Ravens blog, formatted for easy reading. They’re essentially a greatest hits collection and do a good job of that. Volume I: Running has some of my favourite articles about running conspiracies, one shots, online games, and more. Volume II: Tools is mostly resources for play: story seeds and ideas to drop into your game whether sci-fi heists or apocalyptic hexcrawls. They aren’t connected by theme so you mostly can just dip in and out of them.
Unchained Mysteries by Jessie Burneko
Unchained Mysteries is a passionate call to ditch clue-based mystery design. Instead, the book proposes coming up with much more richly-layered scenarios where the players are drawn into a crime or crisis with no easy solution, where the players are caught up in a web of NPCs who are actively dealing with the situation, rather than passively waiting for someone to solve their problems. It ends up at around 100 pages so there’s real meat there if you want to engage with it.
The entire Knutepunkt line
Knutepunkt is one of the biggest larp events in the world - half conference, half festival, full of larps and talks and so on. Since 2001, they’ve been publishing books with essays (some more academic than others) about larp. They’re very well-respected. And as Evan Torner explained to me, if you’re not interested in larp, you can just mentally replace the word larp with TTRPG and still get lot out of these books. I’m nowhere close to finishing them but felt like I had to share them anyway. (Thanks to reader Mo, here’s the link to the books.)
The Ultimate RPG Gameplay Guide by James D’Amato
I have not finished this yet either but I can already tell the voice of the Ultimate RPG Gameplay Guide should resonate with newer players who don’t have a lot of set ideas about RPGs already. The author is the founder of the One Shot podcast network and clearly has a philosophy of play. For example, the first chapter is titled “Understanding Audience” and basically uses the idea that everyone has preferences in what they consume (books, moves, etc) to segue into the idea that RPGs emerge out of everyone’s shared preferences. It’s an interesting approach and if you want to know more, there’s a nice review here.
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abigail · 3 months
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i keep seeing posts lately saying how not everyone is a ‘fashion person’ and sometimes people like to just dress boring and not everyone wants to find their own original unique style etc etc etc and like. while part of me completely agrees i do wanna just chime in with something ..
ok so.. as a person who wears lots of silly outfits and enjoys and works in fashion, i don’t think anyone ever dresses boring at all.. for example you see someone wearing a basic stripe sweater and some cords or whatever, sure ok, to some that’s just a ‘boring outfit’.. but idk, it’s not really though.. it’s still a good and interesting outfit because it’s showing (to me) an insight of that person even in just a tiny way.. the stripe sweater might just be a stripe sweater but they chose it (and if not - as in it was a gift - they still chose to wear it that day), like maybe the stripes are all their favourite colours or someone made it for them or they made it for themselves or maybe they just like how soft the wool is or whatever like there’s so many possibilities but they LIKE IT for some reason !! .. and the cords like, okay they’re just cords but they decided to get and then wear cords over any other trousers, that’s something like what made them decide on cords ?? was it just because they’re comfy ? probably yeah but also there’s the colour option and if they rolled the cuff up etc etc !! and if it was jeans oh boy.. i never wear jeans, i don’t own them, i do not like them (on me obvs) but even i know how difficult it is to find the right kind of jeans for each person, because there’s so many styles and different washes and people are gonna want ones that fit different and want different colour washes etc like there’s soooo many options with jeans and you are deciding to pick the ones you pick, even if you don’t think about it much and just pick whatever, you’re still making that choice ! you still picked them for some kind of reason, you wouldn’t wear something you dislike (i hope lol) so you ARE still expressing yourself in some kind of way no matter how small and if you realise it or not.. and idk. i just think that’s nice :-)
also.. the amount of time i’ll tell someone i like their whatever they’re wearing and they tell me something about it.. like if they found it super cheap in a vintage shop or if they made it or if it’s really soft or if it used to be their dads or if they just love that shade of green a lot or if it’s got a hidden pocket or if it’s not even theirs but their partners or whatever !! and yeah, sometimes people will just say thank you (and that’s cool too duh like i’m not complimenting people to get outfit details obviously) but there is always something if they share it or not... there’s always something if they are aware of it or not . your ‘boring outfits’ aren’t boring, because you as an actual human with a life of your own and preferences and interests of your own isn’t boring. idk … i’m rambling a lot now so i’ll leave it there .. <3
#a
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xxstarlight-lifexx · 2 months
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Some quotes I have from people speaking out against KOSA, please reblog, tag people, cross-post on other platforms, and share with everyone you can, all quotes are fair use &lt;3
“This law is a scam, created with the express purpose of persecuting LGBTQ+ people and silencing victims of abuse. That is the only possible outcome of these kinds of bills.
Oppose them on principle. Be skeptical whenever they are even brought-up.
This isn’t about safety—it is a takeover of THE major avenue to disseminate information in the modern world. It is more than censorship, it defines the avenues that thought may even take.
It will lead to identity verification companies like Clear or ID.me getting more of people’s private data and guaranteed, exclusive government contracts for surveillance and data collection, in violation of the spirit of the 4th Amendment, if not the letter.
It is also an absolute certainty that conservatives in positions of authority will use this program to persecute LGBTQ+ people, with the force of the State, under the guise of protecting children from pornography and "grooming". It has been an explicit misdirection tactic the right has invented to poison debate on trans rights issues and the (unconnected) growing evidence of sexual impropriety among the powerful, particularly conservatives.
Furthermore, I and most others will not abide by this law, if it is passed, and will take whatever actions necessary to safeguard our personal information via VPN, encryption, onion networking, etc., regardless of their permissibility.”
“This is a violation of basic rights on the Internet. Whatever happened to Freedom of Speech? Or are we just gonna ignore a literal Amendment in favor of “protecting the American children" while many of those children are the ones against this??”
“having full privacy on the internet may have saved my life growing up. don’t take away kid’s privacy, there’s already perfectly reasonable ways for parents to monitor kids.”
“I think that people have a right to privacy online, especially children. This doesn't seem like a bill that would actually protect children from anything, it would just make important resources more difficult to access, increase censorship online, and increase surveillance, all of which I oppose.”
“There are three things you never give out on the internet for your safety. 1) Name, 2) Face, and 3) Home. This bill guarantees that all three will be easily available to those who wish to hurt the children this bill falsely claims to protect. If you actually care about children, stop this bill. Listen to what those of us that actually use the internet are telling you. Children and adults deserve a private, anonymous space to be.”
“i'm a queer teen and i know full well the importance online spaces have in supporting lgbtq+ youth, especially ones who don't have supportive environments in person. censorship doesn't actually erase the information, it just makes it harder to access.”
“I’m writing to urge you to reject the Kids Online Safety Act, a misguided bill that would put vulnerable young people at risk.
KOSA would fail to address the root issues related to kid’s safety online. Instead, it would endanger some of the most vulnerable people in our society while undermining human rights and children’s privacy. The bill would result in widespread internet censorship by pressuring platforms to use incredibly broad “content filters” and giving state Attorneys General the power to decide what content kids should and shouldn’t have access to online. This power could be abused in a number of ways and be politicized to censor information and resources.
KOSA would also likely lead to the greater surveillance of children online by requiring platforms to gather data to verify user identity.
There is a way to protect kids and all people online from egregious data abuse and harmful content targeting: passing a strong Federal data privacy law that prevents tech companies from collecting so much sensitive data about all of us in the first place, and gives individuals the ability to sue companies that misuse their data.
KOSA, although well-meaning, must not move forward. Please protect privacy and stop the spread of censorship online by opposing KOSA.”
“Censorship doesn't keep kids safe. Censorship does not save abused children. Censorship does not save queer children. Censorship will not save any of us. Freedom for us all. Freedom for the internet. This shit cannot stand.”
“This bill is a massive overreach on civil liberties and freedom of speech in particular. It should not be within the government's purview to determine what content is acceptable, no matter which party is in power.”
“As we all know, the major threats to American children today are books, bathrooms, and the Internet.
Not getting shot in their own schools or attacked on their own streets.
Since graduating from the public school system in 2007, I haven't seen anything from elected officials to contradict this.”
“KOSA is a censorship bill in sheep’s clothing. It would erode Americans’ rights to privacy, especially that of vulnerable and marginalized Americans, and gather information about the whereabouts and identities of the children it play-acts at “protecting”.”
“This is a ridiculous law
KOSA is a giant bill that is pretending to be about child safety, but is actually overreaching government censorship. It is a violation of free speech and the 1st amendment.
This bill would require that internet users upload their government ID to access any site, and state attorney generals could sue to remove any site that contains content deemed "harmful" to children. The government will be able to censor ANYTHING - such as abortion info, LGBTQ+ resources, and any content relating to protesting or organizing. They will also be able to ID you if you search for any of these topics. This is the opposite of a free internet!”
“The law is pretty much just a trojan horse for censorship.”
“frankly i dont want to be put on a list the gov has of every queer person who opposes their anti-lgbt laws”
“I care about actually helping people instead of making a bill that is going to kill any ability for anyone to get help. That is going to be used to police anyone who disagrees with the absolute mess everything is right now. The conservative morals don’t allow for anyone not white, cuz, straight, or male; and I won’t have that enforced on the fucking public forum.”
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maximilliansblog · 3 months
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Welcome Home Hyacinth Theory 🏠🪻🐛
Hello Tumblr! Most Welcome Home theories are just little bits and pieces or “Wally is evil, guys look!”/”Wally is not evil! He is a goober!” etc.
This theory is fully fledged and provides a plot and evidence. I call it the Welcome Home “Hyacinth” theory, after the myth that it is based on. This will be a very long post so here is a TLDR: Julie kills Eddie while they are playing croquette-bowling out of jealousy because he is getting too close to Frank, who is supposed to be her boyfriend/best friend within the show. Either just Eddie or everyone involved gets replaced, except for Wally, who witnessed everything. This is why we have all of those videos of Wally dissociating.
I have been sitting around in my toom rambling to myself about this theory like a madman for over a week so I decided to share it.
Please reference this post from @/partycoffin (the creator of Welcome Home) when discussing Welcome Home and be respectful in the comments and reblogs.
Extra information from @theneighborhoodwatch:
Welcome Home Observation Document
Welcome Home Livestream Trivia
Welcome Home Archive Links + Backup Screenshots
Fanmade Welcome Home Wiki (I don't recommend the Fandom wiki)
Extra information on exploring the website from @angel-lyah:
Welcome Home Website Secrets
Alright, let’s get into it! I have evidence to back up every single one of those claims, and I will include it in this post.
I want to be very thorough with explaining this. I’ll start by establishing that there are three main plots within Welcome Home (that I have noticed, anyways):
The plot of the late 60’s - early 70’s TV show, Welcome Home - only related to published episodes, books, audios, etc. that would have been shown to the public at the time of airing Welcome Home
“Behind the show” - feelings and actions of the puppets outside of the show (such as Frank and Eddie being a couple, or Frank being nonbinary)
The Welcome Home Restoration Project - people working to restore the TV show, Welcome Home, and find any and all information related to it and who made it
Okay so for the rest of this essay, when I mention BtS, it is related to the “behind the show” plot. I will color these things blue. When I write WtS, it is related to the “within the show” plot. I will color these things green. When I write WHRP, it is related to the Welcome Home Restoration Project. I will color these things pink. I will also mention things that have been said either on Clown’s Tumblr blog, Clown’s Twitter, or old streams. I will say CS, meaning “Clown source” to denote these things and color them orange. Clown source and behind the show areas often overlap, so Clown source information is dominant over behind the show information (if it is both I will just color it orange). Good? Good.
Now let’s establish our characters (only the ones related to this theory) and their relationships to one another. We’ll go alphabetically, starting with Eddie, then moving onto Frank, Julie, and Wally. 
I’m going to assume that if you are reading this, you have already visited the website (clownillustration.com) and have a basic understanding of who Eddie is. So I will only focus on the elements of his character that will be relevant in this theory.
Eddie (WtS) is clumsy and overworks himself. He is often dragged into Julie’s games. His house (post office) looks like this:
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Note the hyacinth flowers and the butterfly. Eddie (BtS) loves Frank. (CS) He is married to Frank in one art on Clown’s Tumblr. BY THE WAY IT TOOK FOREVER TO FIND THIS IMAGE!!!! THEY ARE IN THE BOTTOM LEFT CORNER!!
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Frank (WtS) is Julie’s boyfriend as it is implied that they are a couple within the show (I know a lot of us don’t like hearing this, but remember the three plots) (also for everyone that is going to argue with me on this, go look on their little profiles in the neighborhood section of the website and come back to me) and best friend. His house looks like this:
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Note the sunflowers. Frank (BtS) loves Eddie.
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(CS) As I said before, in one art on Clown’s Tumblr, Eddie and Frank are married (you can tell by the rings on their fingers in that image) . Frank is nonbinary but uses he/him pronouns (Clown refers to Frank on his blog with only he/him pronouns, so that is what I will use. Nonbinary people do not have to use they/them pronouns! Pronouns are not equal to gender!)
(WtS) Julie is a rainbow monster. Her thing is that she likes to make up and play games. She seems to be very strong (perhaps related to her being a rainbow monster), as she can easily lift Wally and is indirectly referenced to [throw a baseball very well] by Barnaby in the Live Interview audio. She also incorporates bowling into a lot of games where it is unnecessary. She seems to be immature, which is usually used to make her a playful character. Her and Frank are a couple. In several arts, her horns are different shapes or even nonexistent, implying that she has some ability to change her form. Her house looks like this:
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Note the heart motif throughout the design. (BtS) Julie is best friends with Frank. (CS) She is genderfluid (she is only referred to using she/her pronouns on Clown’s blog, so that is what I will use). 
(WtS) Wally is the main character in Welcome Home. His house is alive and is named Home. Home is often considered to be a ninth neighbor. Wally often communicates for Home. (WHRP) Wally signs Home’s name in the guestbook (as Home does not have hands) (please stop with the tentacles I have seen the art please stop for the love of god where did that even come from). (WtS) The other neighbors frequently ignore and talk over Wally, but he doesn’t seem to mind, saying that he loves all of his friends in the live interview audio.
Okay so now that that is established, let’s look at some promotional art. Promotional art is not necessarily canon and may contain outdated designs, but may hint at the plot of Welcome Home. 
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There is one more artwork that I would like to add, but it is on Clown’s KoFi. Here is a link to it that you can look at if you are subscribed to Clown’s KoFi:
[link to Clown’s KoFi here]
I won’t describe the image because some of you may not be subscribed to Clown’s KoFi. But if you are, you will see that the image supports my theory.
While we are discussing that image, I would also like to say that I believe that the puppets are some kind of biological organisms. I don’t have much evidence for this right now, but I may make a theory in the future. 
We will come back to those promotional arts soon. Right now, let’s look at Frank and Eddie’s houses and discuss some symbolism and mythology.
Frank’s house has sunflowers outside of it. Sunflowers are a symbol of Apollo. Eddie has hyacinths outside of his post office, obviously a symbol of Hyacinthus. Hyacinthus and Apollo were lovers, but Hyacinthus tragically died. Let me tell the story so we have context. (I am really into Greek mythology by the way, it’s always been a special interest since middle school but I am also a Hellenic pagan, you should follow my witchcraft and paganism blog, creatively named @maxiswitchcraftandpaganblog)
So Apollo, god of the sun, art, archery, and LOTS of various other things, loved Hyacinthus, who was a mortal Spartan man. And Hyacinthus loved him too, by the way. The god of the (west? don’t feel like googling it) wind, Zephyrus, was jealous of Hyacinthus, because he also loved Apollo. 
One day, Apollo and Hyacinthus were playing discus (like frisbee but the frisbee is giant and made of metal, kind of like a shield). Apollo threw the discus to Hyacinthus, but Zephyrus blew the discus off course with the wind, causing it to hit Hyacinthus in the head and kill him. Apollo created the hyacinth flower from Hyacinthus’ blood as he died, but in some myths made him a god. (read more on Apollo and Hyacinthus here)
I’m going to draw some parallels here. Frank = Apollo, Eddie = Hyacinthus, Julie = Zephyrus. Now Frank’s and Eddie’s parallels make sense because of the flowers, but where did I get Julie=Zephyrus from? Recall that (WtS) Julie and Frank are supposed to be a couple. Now, (BtS) Julie may or may not like Frank in that way, but she certainly enjoys being close to him as his best friend. Since she is already established as an immature character, it would make sense that she would be jealous seeing Frank get closer to Eddie.
Pause. So WtS, Frank and Julie are together. BtS, Frank and Eddie are together. If these are separate, then what is Julie jealous about? (WtS) Frank has been seen getting closer to Eddie even in the official material of the show. An example of this is him telling Eddie that he works too hard at the end of the “Eddie’s Big Lift” storybook record. So his BtS love for Eddie is leaking into the WtS canon. That is a problem for Julie, who is supposed to be Frank’s girlfriend WtS. So she comes up with an idea to fix this, much like the jealous god, Zephyrus. 
So what does she do? Let’s turn our attention to the “Just So” song demo. This song was never finished with instrumentals, and for a reason. The puppets function as actors in the show, as it is obvious that they have their own free will, and Julie does something that the writers do not expect later in this episode. So the song was never finished because the episode was ruined. 
In the “Just So” song demo, Frank and Julie are about to play croquette bowling. It was supposed to be just croquette, as Frank put on his croquette bow tie, but last minute, Julie added bowling to the mix. 
Wally knocks on the door and interrupts their song, saying that Home wants to play croquette bowling too. This implies that Julie told someone else that they would be playing croquette bowling after she added bowling. I feel like Wally and Home overheard Julie telling Eddie that they would be playing croquette bowling. This would make sense, as Wally often stands by and listens while the other neighbors talk. It is not unusual for Eddie to participate in Julie’s games, either, as we see from Julie playing “business woman in the big city” with him. [add a photo]
The song recording ends before we see them playing croquette bowling together. But I have a piece of evidence to tell us how it ends. Look at this promotional art again.
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You probably assumed that the figure in the back was holding a hammer, but that could actually be a croquette mallet!
It’s covered in some gory-looking stuff, probably from Eddie. Now look at the flower. Whose eyes look like that? Almond-shaped, round pupils. Only one character: Wally. Wally was a witness, which would make sense for him, since he often watches on as the other neighbors do things. 
Julie is holding the flower in front of her, looking innocent. This is a stretch, but I think that this might be symbolism for her saying that she didn’t do it on purpose, Wally saw the whole thing, ask him! And Wally doesn’t know what to do. I don’t know what he does from there.
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Maybe this image is a clue? I genuinely don’t know. Once again, promotional art is not necessarily canon, but we can use the concepts from it in theories.
This next part is also a bit of a stretch. The neighbors having a memory of something like that happening would ruin their “acting” (I think they are just being recorded as they do what they would naturally do). The show can’t have that. The solution? Replace everyone involved. 
Now go back and look in the promotional art section and look at that art of Frank. It looks like Frank is laying among extra puppet parts. They have extras!
And this is why Wally is dissociating in the videos we see when we click on the bugs. They did not replace him, because like the neighbors, they didn’t even notice he was there.
Okay yeah that’s the theory. It was really hard to get this into a coherent Google Doc and gather all the links. I was just rambling to myself about this in my room over and over pacing around for like a week. But yeah here you go, hope it's a good theory, sorry if it's not lol please be nice to me
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peachblossomstudy · 1 year
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a guide to starting a studyblr — 
by @peachblossomstudy​
i’ve been in the studyblr community for many years now (just over four i think!), so i thought i’d make a post with all my advice for anyone lurking in the community thinking of getting more involved. of course i’m not the definitive authority on any of this, please take everything here as suggestions rather than rules!
what is a studyblr?
the term ‘studyblr’ has two meanings: (1) the tumblr community focused on studying, learning and productivity; (2) a blog about your experience as a student/with learning etc. having a studyblr is a fun way to share a love of learning with other, keep yourself accountable in school and find inspiration for notes or planner spreads.
the basics
so you’ve decided to take the plunge. where to start?
url - it’s a good idea to make your url study-themed in some way, whether it includes a variation of the word ‘study’ or references your favourite subject or something else to do with studying or productivity
theme - there are pretty much no rules about themes in the studyblr community! blogs of all themes and aesthetics can be studyblrs, though it may be easier to indicate what your blog is about with a study-related icon. alternatively, it’s quite popular to have picrews for icons to show a bit of personality.
i have made many different icon and header packs, which will be linked on my desktop theme soon!
the picrew i made my icon with is here
introduction post - start your blog with a little introduction about who you are (name or nickname, age if you feel comfortable, pronouns), what you study, any other fun information and maybe even tag some of your studyblr inspirations
content - people post lots of different types of content, including and not limited to:
pictures of their notes, planner or workspace - these are generally the most popular
advice posts made up of graphics
masterlists/masterposts based on different themes (e.g. language learning masterposts)
text-based advice posts (like this one!)
reblogs! the best way to show your love to everyone else in the community
growing your blog
now you’ve posted some content, and it’s time to explore the community a bit more. it goes without saying that growing on tumblr is more of an organic thing, and if you’re coming to studyblr purely for notes then you may want to rethink your reasons for joining the community. nevertheless, validation feels great, and so does making new friends!
try to post regularly - an active blog will always help new people find you, and regular posts will help keep followers engaged
post original content - posting something unique to you will give people a reason to follow you specifically, rather than the same reblogged posts being circulated
that being said, reblogging from others (bonus points for leaving nice messages in the tags!) is a great way to introduce them to your blog. if someone sees your url in their notes often, they’ll be more likely to have a look at your blog
don’t be afraid to interact - send someone a message, send them an ask, reply to their posts, add compliments in their tags! generally everyone in the studyblr community is super friendly and open to messaging, asks and making friends, so get stuck right in
my ask box is always open to new friends! <3
use tags - most studyblr have a tag that they track, and will usually go through and like/reblog any posts that use this tag. find out what tags your favourite blogs track and use them on your posts to help them get seen
i track (very sporadically at the moment) the tag #heypeachblossom
other
now you’ve established yourself, there are lots of other things to do on studyblr! here are some ideas:
get involved in challenges - there are many different challenges to participate in. popular ones include the 100 days of productivity challenge, and the lovely @/myhoneststudyblr has many previous studying challenges you could complete. if you’re into reading, sabrina @/bulletnotestudies and the studyblr w/ knives discord server have lots of great themed reading challenges
participate in events - over the year some blogs will run events such as secret santas or secret admirers, which are really cute and fun to do. this february i ran the @studyblrsecretvalentines​, and i’m hoping to do it again in 2023.
play ask games and tag games with your friends - this is a great way to get to know more people and have some fun!
resources
finally, here are a few useful tips/resources for the more practical side of running a studyblr
your queue is your best friend - you can run up a huge queue of reblogs to keep your blog active during busy study times
i personally use the mobile app snapseed to edit my photos for original content, and find it works really well
canva.com is a great online, free editing program - i use it to make all the graphics for my post header and advice posts
my header and icon packs (that i’ve tagged correctly) are here! i have made other packs, though they’ll have to be found through my archive, sorry
momentum is a popular desktop extension in the studyblr community
lots of people also use forest (or flora, which is free) for cute focus timers
this has turned into a bit of a monster post, but i hope if you’ve read this far that you found it useful! feel free to tag me in your introduction posts, and see you around studyblr <3
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ma1dmer · 6 months
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League of Legends - Viego NSFW
i love writing darker themes, i wish i wasn't such a coward about posting them though
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A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex): he's not done after sex, he'll nuzzle your neck and press kisses to your shoulders mumbling about how gorgeous you are, how beautiful, what a lucky man he is, he'll kiss behind your ear and if he can get you to go for another round he'll absolutely try.
B = Body part (Their favourite body part of theirs and also their partner’s): you are perfect in Viego's eyes ,you are the air he wants to breathe and the sun that shines in his life, he loves you as you are, he'd kiss the ground you walk on honestly.
C = Cum (Anything to do with cum basically… I’m a disgusting person): there is nothing better for Viego than marking you ,he'll cum on your face and then kiss you, he'll press down on your throat until bruising appears, he looks at those markings fondly and with pride.
D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs): Viego loves you, that's no lie, but he also wants to ruin you, he wants to see you as no man or woman has and will ever see you, he is not a good man, he wants you debauched and ruined for others simple as that.
E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?): i can definitely see him as someone who fucked around a lot, making promises and breaking hearts until he found the one.
F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying. Will probably include a visual): anything where he can look at all of you, he wants to be able to look at every single shift in expression you have, the slack jawed pleasure, the way you throw your head back , the furrow of your brow when you cum, everything.
G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc): i think it depends on his mood, i can't see him as tolerating something like that when he is more  ruined king  than viego, he'd definitely get defensive and angry if you laughed during sex ,thinking you are laughing at him, mocking him.
H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.): he is practically hairless, so he doesn't have to do much.
I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…): he is definitely full of passion, he'll call you every name there is in the book, he'll kiss his way up and down your body, he'll look at you as if you are the sun that shines just for him.
J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon): he doesn't masturbate, he has you, but he would definitely want you to watch him if he does, telling you to watch what you do to him and then pulling you to aid him.
K = Kink (One or more of their kinks): sadism, body worship, humiliation.
L = Location (Favourite places to do the do): anywhere anytime, there could be an army around and he'd still fuck you, have you tell everyone who you belong to.
M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going): viego wants you to return the favour ,he wants you to want him as much as he wants you. call him your king, your one and only, tell him you love him and he is ready to take you right then and there.
N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs): no brainer, but definitely share, viego doesn't share his toys- i mean loved one.
O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc): he wants you on your knees, looking up to him prettily waiting for him ,he wants to see tears runs down your face as he hits the back of your throat and hear your voice wrecked when you tell him how much you love him.
P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.): Fast and rough, he fucks you to claim you, he'll start out slow ,almost sweet, but it always ends up with his hands around your throat and his lips growling softly in your ear.
Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.): he loves quickies, he'll have you anywhere and anytime he wants you and is especially thrilled if you seek him out, the thing is, he is bad at letting them stay as quickies and a quick session might end up dragging for hours if you don't try to stop him.
R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.): yes to both, he'll try out things that come in his mind in a whim and is always ready to fulfill your every desire.
S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…): he is not a human, so i do not think he tires as humans do.
T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?): not really, in his eyes ,he is the only thing you need, and he can please you like nothing else can.
U = Unfair (how much they like to tease): he can't tease you, he simply won't deny you, but that doesn't mean you pleading with him won't backfire into him overstimulating you.
V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make): viego is not quite, viego talks, a lot, he talks about what he dreams about when it comes to you, about how much he loves you and how beautiful you are ,and the closer he gets the more obsessive the things he tells you get, he'll growl and tell you to call him your king, your everything.
W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice): viego definitely has a corruption kink, he'll coax you into trying things you've never tried before, he wants to have your every new experience, and when that is not enough, he'll find something else that is entirely new for you.
X = X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words): i can see him having a very average size penis, but a very pretty one with a pink tip when he was alive.
Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?): Viego yearns, he doesn't have a sex drive ,he yearns ,he longs to touch you, to feel you, he is only alive between the moments you two touch so he is always chasing that high, always needing you.
Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards): does Viego even sleep? If he does he spends a lot of time simply watching you sleep before he drifts off himself, he'll brush his fingers through your hair and burn the image of your face in his mind.
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I turn 18 next year and I’m not sure where I can get testosterone, I’ve looked at planned parenthood’s website but the only one in my state doesn’t offer hrt services 😭 do you have any advice on how to access hrt?
Lee says:
Happy (Very very) early birthday! If you're still a year away from being 18 you have plenty of time to figure this out.
You should start by talking to your primary care physician and ask if they are knowledgeable about gender-affirming care and are willing to prescribe you HRT themselves. If they are not experienced with HRT for gender-affirming reasons, ask them to look into it and refer you to a healthcare provider who is.
While you're waiting for your appointment (often it can be at least a month away even if you schedule the first available date) use that time wisely and go out into the world (And internet) and talk to people! There must be at least ONE other trans person in your state who is on hormones, right? You just have to find ONE other trans person in your state who is on hormones (and trust me-- there's more than just one trans person on hormones in your state! But all you need is one person), then find out where they're getting their prescription from!
Online platforms can be a great resource for shared experiences and advice so I'd just start by googling "transgender [insert hormone name] in [insert state]" until you find the right key terms. You might also be able to find something on Reddit or through Facebook groups.
Additionally, going to trans support groups and meeting people there and asking your trans friends to ask their friends, etc can all be a good way to find a provider through word-of-mouth.
Another thing you can try is contacting LGBTQ+ centers or organizations in your state and seeing if they have any recommendations. Even if Planned Parenthood's local branch doesn't offer HRT services, they may have a lists of trans-friendly healthcare providers or clinics that do, so it could still be worth reaching out to them.
If you're planning on attending college or university, check if the campus health center provides HRT or can refer you to local resources that do. Some college health centers offer comprehensive services for transgender students, but unfortunately most do not.
Many healthcare providers now offer telehealth services for transgender patients looking to start or continue HRT. These services can be particularly helpful if you live in an area with limited access to transgender healthcare. Providers like Folx Health, Plume, and QueerDoc offer gender-affirming care to patients in many states, all through telehealth platforms.
There's more info on starting hormones in this post, and you should take a look at that too.
Finally, I'm guessing that you don't have much experience with adulting which is fine because everyone starts somewhere! I was in the same position as you once. I also started to look into starting T when I was 17 and got everything ready (appointments scheduled for after my birthday, letter of support since it wasn't fully informed consent, lab work done the month before I was 18, etc), but didn't actually start hormones until I was 18.
Everyone has a different path through life, but this may be your first time scheduling doctor's appointments for yourself, signing up for a patient portal, getting your own health insurance (unless your parents support you being on HRT and wouldn't boot your off of their coverage), paying for appointment and prescription and lab work copays, etc.
Since you have a year until you're actually 18, it would be a good idea to start getting prepped for your first dive into the healthcare system as a legal-adult-even-if-it-doesn't-always-feel-that-way and google the basics of having and using health insurance. There's a lot of words you're going to need to learn one day (what's a deductible vs an out of pocket maximum vs an allowed amount etc) and this is as good of a time as any to start learning some of those basics (The advanced level is learning how to appeal denied claims, etc).
You got this anon! You're clearly on the right track by starting to investigate the process of starting HRT in advance, and remember that starting HRT as an adult also comes with adult responsibilities like figuring out how to pay for it! When you're thinking through the logistics of finding an in-network prescriber, don't forget to budget for those things too.
Followers, any tips for anon?
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shellxrls · 29 days
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okay someone asked but I can’t find the post, here’s my tips on shifting.
first of all, it’s all about belief, as long as you fully believe that you can do it then you can (this gets much easier when you’ve done it for the first time cause well, you know you can do it)
you don’t need a script or anything like that!! some people prefer it but it’s not a necessary thing! though for beginners I would recommend it because it just helps get ur thoughts in place!
always be safe when shifting!! make sure to have safe words in place!! but also know that it is not possible to get stuck in ur dr! safe words just make it easier.
use subliminals! but be careful with these, make sure to use ones you trust. some of them can have horrible messages or manifestations in them.
okay so I tend to use a method, you totally don’t have to tho. I just find it makes it easier for me.
I’ll share the method that I use because I’m not sure if I invented it or if it’s just uncommon. I thought of it anyway.
the tv show method
- get comfortable and calm. I recommend guided meditation to ground yourself!!
- put on your favourite tv show, and really concentrate on it for a while, make sure you’re fully invested in the plot and that it’s what’s taking up most of your mind.
if any other thoughts go through your head that’s fine!! just let them pass.
- when you feel ready, imagine that you’re watching the show in your dr
- visualise your dr, the things around you, the sounds. try to feel the feelings that you might be feeling. notice things.
- say affirmations if you would like to. or count to one hundred. Or just keep visualising.
- when you feel ready to shift, close your eyes
- concentrate on the sound of the tv show and say affirmations
- visualise and affirm until you feel that you’ve shifted
- open your eyes when you are certain you’re in your dr!!
good luck <3
- rafe shifter
ANON BABE THANK YOU SO MUCH. if i’m gonna be honest, all this talk of shifting is making me want to try again sooo badly. i’m so grateful that you guys are giving advice and stories as well bcuz it truly motivates me sm !! i might start creating a visual diary/moodboard for now and then when i get back from my spring break trip rlly try with the intent to shift. the tv method also sounds great so i might try that when i do intend to shift.
although i haven’t shifted yet, i’d love to give my take as well bcuz quite a few ppl have asked for advice, and i think it wld be nice just to have the perspective of someone who has been rlly into shifting, but hasn’t quite yet achieved it !!
try to do basic research initially just to get a proper framework of shifting and have enough knowledge to keep up with the main linguistic terms (e.g script, cr, dr, etc). i’m not sure what the best current resources available for that is, but i know amino used to be great for finding shifting communities, and i bet tumblr also has good resources. although don’t overload yourself, it’s good to get diff perspectives but remember shifting is largely a personal experience and so ultimately whatever you choose to do has to feel write for you. for example, as rafe shifter said not everyone has to have a script, although some do find it rlly helpful as a resource.
for new shifters, don’t be discouraged if it doesn’t happen immediately. i know a lot of ppl shift to get out of a bad situation/mental state, but i personally think a large part of the energy it takes to shift is mental, and so to achieve that you should try to take care of yourself and nurture your mental health as much as possible— the more you focus on caring for yourself and your mind, the stronger it’ll get and the easier it’ll be for you to shift <3.
now for my own experience, i personally used to use the pillow method and the raven method the most, although looking back i feel like they were limiting bcuz due to the sleepy sort of state i used to be in it wld make it difficult for me to truly visualise my dr. however, one method i’d highly recommend is the estelle method (i’ll explain it in a sec), it sounds kind of strange but honestly it was the closest i’d ever been to shifting and i truly never recovered r from that fraction of a second where i literally felt myself in my dr. i can still picture it to this day and its own of my biggest shifting motivators <3.
ok anyways, here is the estelle method explained:
Step 1: Get in position. You can lay stand/sit/lay you want as long as you're comfortable.
Step 2: Play a song. Preferably something you associate with your dr or something that lets you feel connected to it. While this song is playing you’re going to imagine slow dancing with someone from your desired reality. It can be anyone: your s/o (i recommend this one lol) best friend, enemy— anyone.
Step 3: Imagine. I recommend closing your eyes for this to truly be immersed. You don’t have to actually dance, but play out the whole scenario in your mind and rlly let your imagination loose, try to imagine the landscape and the scents, anything you can. When the song ends, imagine the person from your desired reality letting go of you and saying "Y/N, it's time to go home." After they say that, they should lead you through a ‘door’.
Step 4: Affirm. Once you are inside the door, you are going to do "I am" affirmations (I am shifting to my desk reality, I am in my desired reality, etc.) anything that’ll help cement your belief really.
Step 5: Finished. When your vision goes black, you can open your eyes. You should be in your desired reality.
i think it’s a very beginner friendly method, it’s great for visualising esp if you have a song that you strongly associate with your dr and you can even have fun with it bcuz i find it’s not as exhaustive as other methods !!
remember to be safe and take care of yourself darlings !! feel free to pop into my inbox with questions for me (or rafe shifter anon if she doesn’t mind) about shifting as well, i’d love if we could have a whole shellxrls shifting community lol.
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queenofcoquette · 1 year
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being succesful on your own terms
hey loves! today i want to talk about success and achieving success. recently i’ve been thinking about what success means to me, and taking steps to be succesful on my own terms, so i wanted to share that!
what does success mean to you?
the first step is always defining success. everyone has a different definition because we all have different goals that we strive for. i want you to think about the following:
what does success look like right now in my life/how can i be succesful right now?
what does success look like over the course of my whole life/ how can i be succesful in the longterm?
for example, i have a lot of goals for right now. right now success means for me to get good grades, do good athletically, being healthy, launch my Etsy shop, start playing guitar and singing. that is my success for right now.
but in the future success means other things: getting into my dream college, getting my dream career, staying healthy and happy, starting a family.
i’m being pretty vague for this post, but i have it more planned out than that- so make sure to be specific. it might help to make bullet points to be organized.
carving your own path
once you know what you want it’s time to think about how you’re going to get there, both for your goals now and your goals down the line. during this time it’s good to create an action plan of what you can do now to be succesful and to be succesful in the future.
research. one thing lana del rey said in an interview that really stuck with me was basically to research people you look up to and see how they got to where they are now. like if you want to be a writer, research how famous writers started off and became succesful. i think this step is really important in providing insight into how to achieve career goals, goals on getting into good colleges, etc.
small habits. the next thing is thinking of small habits that can get you to where you need to be. again, if you want to be a writer in the future devote a little bit of time to reading and writing everyday. so think about your own goals and the habits that will bring you closer to achieving them.
whats in your control vs out of your control. it’s also important to consider what is in your control and whats not. what’s in your control is the steps you take, the work you put in, but what’s not in your control is how people respond, or sometimes even the outcome.  
plan it out. once you’ve thought it out plan a step by step of how you’re going to get where you want to be. remember, you don’t need to know every little detail because things change, life can take different routes- but have an idea of what you can do to be succesful.
start now. start now by incorporating those small habits and taking little steps each day to come closer to the success you’ve visualized. start small and stay consistent as always.
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ros3ybabe · 7 months
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Language Learning Goals 🎀
because I’m just starting out trying to re learn and familiarize myself with the Japanese language again, it was hard for me to think of current goals I might want to achieve, and what time frame I’d want to achieve them in. I think I will begin posting a monthly goals list because as I learn more of the language, my goals are definitely going to change. Right now I have my long term goals for Japanese and then some short term daily/monthly goals!
🌸 Long Term Japanese Goals -
conversational fluency - I want to be able to have comprehensible conversations with native Japanese speakers, and be able to understand what they say and also be able to speak the language myself
understand Japanese media - I want to be able to listen to music and watch Japanese YouTubers and Anime without subtitles
understand spoken/written Japanese - again, I want to be able to know what other people are saying in this beautiful language and also be able to read it to some extent.
My main goals long term are to travel to different parts of Japan in the coming future so being able to speak, understand, and read japanese are my biggest concerns but I’d also like to have that knowledge of writing the characters and knowing proper stroke order too, just for fun and education!
🌸 Daily Japanese Learning Goals -
Use one type of media as a passive learning tool (music, tv shows, YouTube, anime)
Study Flashcards 2-3 times (currently using my hiragana Flashcards I made on Anki)
Minimum of 2 Duolingo lessons
Practice writing the characters in an app (again, currently re learning hiragana)
1 other app lesson used as a supplemental learning tool (renshuu, Bunpo, LingoDeer, drops, etc)
My daily goals are a bit broad as this is typically what I want to do on a day to day basis for about a month of two, and then I will incorporate using textbooks, workbooks, notebooks, and really dive into the self studying and learning more structurally.
🌸 Monthly Japanese Goals (September) -
Memorize hiragana characters
Begin learning basic vocabulary (~30 vocabulary words by end of month)
Begin studying katakana characters (make Flashcards, use apps, etc)
Practicing speaking and pronunciation skills (shadow speak: use YouTube and some tv shows)
Practice realistic listening skills (YouTube videos, tv shows, anime)
Purchase Genki I and Genki II workbook and textbook + Answer Key and chart bundle
Kept a minimum of a 7 - 10 day streak on Duolingo
Joined Japanese club at my university
These are my current goals for the month of September! As the weeks continue, i will assess my progress and build new monthly goals depending on my current progress levels. I’m really excited to be doing this and sharing this journey with everyone. The biggest thing about why I made this blog the way I did was to keep myself accountable for my goals and that is exactly what I plan on doing; reaching my goals!
I so deeply appreciate the encouragement and support you all show me on a consistent basis! It means so much to have this community to keep me accountable and just help keep me on track with my goals but also remind me to be kind to myself! You guys are absolutely amazing <3
Im gonna post a combined daily update for today and yesterday later tonight!
Til next time, lovelies 🩷🤍
***also, wanted to mention, none of the pictures I use are my own!!! I get them from Pinterest but I use them in my posts to keep me motivated to make my space and aesthetic in real life as similar as possible!
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nobrashfestivity · 1 year
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I hope this does not resonate with some meanness that i do not intend but I feel i should make a brief statement here about who I *Ahem* block.
 I want to say first that most of you are great, real art lovers, people with interesting facts and insights and personal stories that enhance everyone’s appreciation. I’m grateful my followers here are these people, many of you have great blogs that have introduced me to things I didn’t know about,  but there are a couple of things I just don’t like to see here.
Most of these categories are obvious, bigots, hateful speech etc., but something less onerous that does get on my nerves after a while, are people that feel a need to talk about how bad the art is. I know this may seem minor and it’s a free country and all that, but it bothers me on couple of levels to the point where if it keeps on happening, I block the people doing it. I’m sure this is not great offense to them and most of them probably never even notice, but I’ll just explain why, not be grandiose, but to avoid further misunderstandings.
The main issue is a pretty broad internet trend, which is the idea that if you have an opinion, you must share it. There’s nothing wrong with your opinion and in fact i have posted art myself that I don’t particularly like but I find interesting or significant in some way. Thought provoking is a good category itself even if it does not check your aesthetic boxes. But i’d ask people to examine what is supposedly added, outside of ego satisfaction, by showing up just to try to knock holes in something other people enjoy.  I’m not talking here about a discussion. I think discussions are great about why someone likes or doesn’t get something. God knows I have a long list of art I can’t stand and am happy to chat about it. But, what I don’t do is find Jeff Koons paintings on tumblr and reply to them all “Garbage”. As tempting as that might be,  It’s not adding anything and it might be inhibiting to someone from discovering something new they might like, when they have to read random hatred about it. i know it seems like a mild thing but I think it’s good for all of us to remember we don’t hold the definitive stance on art. 
I find this particularly absurd and egotistical when it comes to everyone’s favorite easy target, abstract expressionism. You don’t have to like it! But Mark Rothko painted his last painting over 50 years ago. I guarantee you every learned pro or con is already on the books. Your “My kid could do that” comment embarrasses you, not him. It’s an annoyance to everyone to get these “I’m an artist and...”. Trust me, everyone is an artist, it’s not a special taste license. And, it also brings up the obvious point that, formalistically, your argument on de Kooning has no merit. Basically arguing that the only good painting is the one that really, really looks like the thing it is supposed to represent is, at best, an intellectual house of cards.
So please let people enjoy what they enjoy. I came late in life to certain things  like On Kawara, who didn’t make a lot of sense to me until I saw in person how beautifully he painted. In sense there was a line for me to Japanese art traditions of craftsmanship that I already admired and he was following. It lent weight to his presentation of conceptual art. It became not just the idea but the beauty of the object and that made me love him. 
Mostly, artists are just trying to express themselves and if they don’t do it in exactly the way you prefer, consider chalking that up to a difference in opinion.
As Orson Welles said, “When in doubt, don’t do anything.”
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holdinbacksecrets · 2 years
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assuming they were normal citizens of the world, what kind of ig users do you think svt would be? like who would post stores about you all the time, who would soft launch you, who would only post during anniversaries, who would post cheesy ass things, who wouldn’t post you until y’all are engaged, etc lol. thank you! 😍
i feel like some of these still have an air of fame to them… like some of this shit fans would eat up/they have a feeling of being shared with an audience of strangers
seungcheol: he posts adorable videos of you that make everyone swoon. the most recent is you barefoot at his cousin’s wedding reception dancing in the grass with a glass of champagne in hand. you look heavenly, and his captured ooos and laughter are heart melting. in the corner of every video posted is a little *i have consent to share* because in some clips, it’s clear that you have no idea he’s filming, and that makes them even sweeter
jeonghan: you’re a complete weirdo, and he’s so amused. he doesn’t document all the wacky shit you do, but some of the best moments make it to his instagram
joshua: the only time you’re on his social media is when you’re driving and singing pocketful of sunshine. it’s basically your version of sunday morning
jun: he has a highlight dedicated to everything you bake, and he does wholesome zoom ins with the perfect background music
soonyoung: he’s documenting his life on social media but is respectful of your disinterest in being perceived, so your face is rarely shown. captured conversations are always amusing because the camera is focused on his expressions, and he always :] when you ask if he’s recording
wonwoo: he has a story dedicated to the summary screen when you’re gaming together, keeping track of wins, and adding cute emojis whenever you beat him atta girl
jihoon: he has an anime highlight where you share ratings and recommendations. you’ve probably started an anime commentary podcast together
seokmin: he’s dating a musician (cello player) and has a highlight dedicated to your recitals. every evening of a show brings the same trio of pictures: a flower bouquet held in his hand + i hope she’ll like it, you on stage, and one of him hugging you afterward backstage. so fucking adorable and the captions are so wholesome: “i’m the proudest boyfriend” “🥺🥺😭😭❤️❤️😘🖤🤧😍🫠” “everyone stared at me when i whistled from the first row, but i don’t even care”
mingyu: almost every picture he posts was taken by you, and he makes hearts melt with captions like “taken by my love” or “she did good, huh?” someone stop him
minghao: he met you at a yoga studio because you’re an instructor, and classes at dawn end as the sun rises. he always shares that moment on a monday as vibrant colors consume the sky, starting off his week right, and sends good vibes to followers
seungkwan: he posts pictures of you flipping him off at the dining room table—it’s an ongoing saga—because you haven’t had your coffee yet. we’re two peas in a pod. you film videos of him running, calling out encouraging words, and promising to give him a massage afterward even though he’ll want a donut instead
hansol: he alludes to having a significant other but is never forthcoming. the pieces come together quite easily because of his flirty replies to your comments, and any time he travels the location is the same because you’re long distance. the reveal comes when you’re graduating from grad school, and he posts candids fixing your cap, kissing your cheek, and beaming as he embraces you.
chan: even as a normal citizen, there’s no way this man wouldn’t be dancing, and you always bring meals to the studio, so he posts pictures of the impressive spread before eating. he’s quite public about his relationship. also posts pictures of you strolling through the farmers market, along with posts of you wearing matching bunny headbands featuring green face masks
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echooefrost · 2 months
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TGGTVAV x TGS AU!
Ok so Sage has always been talking about The Gentleman’s guide to Vice and Virtue and I finally got around to reading it and to say the least… I LOVED IT, every part of it! Whilst reading this fantastical tale, I just COULD NOT stop thinking of the Jekyon parallels to Monty and Percy… Just AGRGHHH they are all such big, lovable, queer Victorian idiots! Anyway If you couldn’t tell by the title of this post, I slam-dunked that book into my favorites pile and hastily made another AU. (also,,, SPOILERS! I am warning you. But what are you doing? Go read this book already!) 
In short I’ve basically taken The Characters from TGS and dumped them into the storyline/plot of TGGTVAV, In saying that neither Jekyll or Lanyon are strictly Percy or Monty, if that makes sense? I contemplated this over and over and I just couldn’t cram Jekyll or Lanyon’s characters into Monty or Percy’s. as an example; Lanyon’s personality is a lot more similar to Monty’s than Percy but Lanyon isn’t bisexual (a big aspect of Monty’s character) Yet at the same time both Lanyon and Percy play the Violin, both have dreamy freckles etc. But he just doesn’t fit into either of them, same goes with Jekyll; Jekyll and Monty both share similarities but are both very different, yet not different enough to take the role of Percy. So with all of that confusing explanation, Jekyll and Lanyon remain themselves with a few extra ~touches~: 
Jekyll is going to be sent to the mental asylum in Holland due to the existence of Hyde. Lanyon finds out about Hyde when he involuntarily transforms in Marseilles. 
Lanyon still plays the Violin and brings it on the Tour with him (for the reasons of plot accuracy and me pushing the Violin-Lanyon propaganda) 
Lanyon takes Monty’s position of power (as in his father is an Earl, and sends them on Tour) although Lanyon is rich, racism still very much exists and isn’t a terminated theme.
Before I continue and as a side note: Felicity Does not exist. As much as I wanted to work her into this, I just couldn’t without complicating a bunch of things, and as I said this is an Au, my au and I can do what I want - I do love Felicity but She just wasn’t going to work here.
Frankenstein (still a woman) takes the role of Mateu Robles because I thought it would be fun to play on the idea that Frankenstien created life and that Mateu’s panacea can heal people. After researching and experimenting, Frankestein tried the potion on Elizabeth but it stopped her heart, similar to how Frankenstein's original creation (the creature) ended up killing her love. I thought it would be interesting, that because Frankenstein kind of killed her wife, she created Helena and Dante the same way she made the creature, although they technically aren’t human, Helena and Dante still look and act like humans, and they believe Elizabeth equally as their mother as they do with Frankenstein. (Don’t ask me how a WLW relationship would work in the 1800’s ,,, everyone just thinks that Frankie is a guy {kind of like in TGS} ) 
Queen Lucy is Scipio because a.) We need more female badasses and b.) take ONE LOOK at her character design and Tell me she DOESN’T Look like a pirate queen- I also just think Lucy is a super fun character that I wanted to incorporate here. 
Those are about all the added things/changes - the rest basically just follows the same points of the plot :0 
If I’m completely honest, I probably won’t do much with this I just had an idea and wanted to share it :))
Here’s a little image of them - Also I gave them both slightly longer hair because I looked at fanart of Percy and fell in love. 
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inchidentally · 2 months
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Something that i really noticed with that last video mclaren posted, the way oscar talks when he’s around lando vs how he talks when he’s alone. Like that aussie vs british words video which was probably filmed not that long ago from now, oscar is completely showing his sass and not holding back at all with his thoughts, doesn’t even care what the interviewer finds weird (obviously still in a respectful way, bc he was raised right) But when he’s with lando it’s like he reigns himself back because he wants to relish in lando’s sass instead, he wants to hear his thoughts and he’s genuinely interested in him and what he’s saying. Everyone keeps saying we miss prema Oscar, but prema oscar never left, based on that video he’s obviously still like that. it’s not even that he wasn’t comfortable enough as a rookie or not well settled in yet to show his character in his first year or that he was only following lando’s lead(which he was to some extent) but it’s been an entire season and he STILL waits for lando to speak first and waits for him to finish his sentences with exceptionally long pauses. He just loves hearing him. And even with lando’s tendency to ramble sometimes and oscar wioild still listen to a meaningless ramble from him bc he adores him. Sigh
They’re made for each other(I’m delusional)
OKAY BUT I hear you so much anon and I just want to lead into smth that has been cooking around for me about this since I fully agree w you, the Oscar we see with Lando is curiously different and quieter than Oscar with anyone else.
and I think this comment on the latest video hit the nail on the head?? in a way the person prob didn't think was that deep ??
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bc of speaking the same language to the point of semi-mind reading but now ugh you've got to bring Other People along on your conversations and translate everything..........
so like y'know how Lando and Max F always look a little like they're going to burst out laughing when they have to put on their on-camera personalities in a Quadrant video? when you're around a close friend where you both normally speak in like half sentences bc you don't need to fill in the rest, it gets weird when you have to translate all of that out loud for the benefit of other people watching?
seeing Lando and Oscar's relationship develop over the season and now into the new one with this interview, I'm actually starting to think that's way more the case w them as well. we all joke about the twinning and unconscious mirroring but it makes all kinds of sense that considering how similar Oscar and Max F are in many ways that Lando would have a similar dynamic with Oscar - where it's not always easy to include the general public and have to bring all of us along.
the like, overlapping sentences and watching each other's expressions thing is so similar in both those relationships as well. same as when Lando is in A Mood where he's either hyper or giddy or low-blood sugar argumentative and Oscar and Max are basically following around after him like adults making sure a worn out toddler doesn't smash their head into sharp edges lahflashf.
and with the other F1 Lando friends like Carlos, George, Daniel Alex, Yuku, Max V etc, Lando is fully a gossipy chatterbox and pretty high energy - even when they're filmed casually or candidly. those friendships revolve around F1 and shared activities like padel, golf, gossip or going out/partying. it isn't that guys like Max F or Oscar couldn't easily slot in with those groups, I just think it's more that they're a different type of friendship with Lando. the streams don't usually cross in Lando's life, or very very occasionally. and I feel like he's even said he likes keeping the different parts of his life a bit separate?
so initially it kind of threw a lot of us when he seemed so relatively quiet and less of his usual 'on camera personality' around Oscar rather than seeing his usual teammate Lando Effect of jumping into a bromance, leaning into humor and figuring out a shared activity. and that usually includes lots of social media content together for fans.
but Lando and Oscar never post about when they hang out - even when 'contractually obliged' - and we only find out incidentally or bc someone else mentions it or posts pics. and from what we do find out incidentally, it makes you wonder about what else we're missing. it's just the usual things that a lot of drivers do together but Lando and Oscar prefer not to broadcast it for some reason.
and when you think about it both Oscar and Lando keep a certain percentage of their lives strategically offline already (Oscar way more obv) and it's like they automatically inserted each other into that part of each other's social life rather than a fan-facing one?
like obviously I'm just going off what we can see but they've been pretty damn consistent about it. Lily is obv a major part of Oscar's life and he has this whole set of close friends from boarding school who've gone to races as well as a set of old friends back in Australia - but apart from the occasional post of Lily, we only know any of that part of his life from Oscar mentioning it in passing or incidentally from a post by someone else or a fan sighting. Lando has a whole existence with close friends in Monaco that fans have tried and failed to squirrel out that Lando himself only mentions in passing and never posts about. he posts Martin but goes very shy and doesn't want to talk about him or their friendship in interviews.
and then Lando and Oscar have all these little in-joke moments and watching each other super closely and almost actively concealing the time they spend together that isn't requisite… and then little touching moments like Lando posting Oscar giving him a small smile on lando.jpg as the first slide so that the black heart caption sits underneath. and Oscar staying up all night after Vegas liking comments about Lando's crash and leaving that little papaya heart under the post of McLaren announcing that Lando was discharged safe and sound from hospital. at like 5am and apparently either when Lando was with him or after he'd left him.
idk it's just such a weird case of kismet that Oscar became a serious Lando fan when they were 14 and 16 respectively, their karting journeys both went through Ricky Flynn, Oscar and Max F knew each other in the Renault Academy, their paths crossed in an interview where Lando (who doesn't really talk much about the junior categories) said "not yet" when asked if they'd raced each other. and then Oscar arrives against a LOT of odds as Lando's new teammate and he's got zilch in common with Carlos or Daniel for Lando to fall back on and it's the worst start to the season of Lando's entire career… yet it ends up being the most immediately strong partnership Lando's ever had ?? there's no mixed dynamic to overcome or huge disparity in anything, not even an age difference and they share a double podium not once but twice while Oscar is still a rookie ??
and like, Oscar's in so many ways set up to fit in perfectly with the more low-key friendships Lando has in his non F1 life. bc from what it seems, Lando likes hanging out at home playing games and eating takeout and just chilling quietly as much as he does the glamour of F1 and touring the world and being a businessman. and I feel like he's even said somewhere how he needs to have that balance in his life rather than just being an F1 guy or just being the guy who stays at luxury resorts with famous friends.
so this separate little world that even casual fans seem to pick up on feels like it's because they genuinely fit together so well as people but also happen to make extraordinarily great teammates and I get why Lando keeps bringing up what will happen when they're battling for a WDC with that worried little shadow over his face bc it's one thing to have a bromance buddy teammate where you can shove each other around and laugh and hug off the tension… totally another when it's someone you feel is so similar to you and feel so strange when you're both having to pretend to talk 'normally' on camera and even weirder imagining you both on separate sides of a competition rather than joined together for it ???
like, they wouldn't necessarily have known each other if they weren't teammates and as teammates they're both talking about WDCs in cautious but confident tones and saying how they have 'years together' but also the tension of being each other's biggest competition and measure of success without any of the usual bro-ey fun of being Good Mates or Cabrones bc Lando and Oscar aren't bros and they're not dudes and they don't shove each other around or make loud jokes so how do you diffuse tension when you can psychically sort of connect and the bleed of what you want for each other and yourselves doesn't have that easy delineated relationship boundary bc Lando and Max have had to delicately and carefully navigate something similar and they couldn't just crack a joke or slap each other on the back in a hug and sort it all out bc that's now how they are together they actually talk and they make considered kind and gentle effort and it's too embarrassing to tell people about that unless you feel absolutely safe and chat is unusually chill and idk idk idk the similarities with Lando and Oscar and the complexities man !!!!!
idk as per usual this JUST my brain chewing all of this over and is NOT me thinking I actually know what's going on but it sure helps to offload it here where I know some of us will prob be like 'oh yea I get what that btch is saying' <3<3
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loserdiaz · 1 year
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temptation tuesday
Rules: share something about an idea you have/something that's speaking to you/an au you'd like to see and are considering writing/etc. etc. Basically anything that is tempting you away from your current wips!
tagged by the lovely @buddiearemydads
chimney can't keep a secret fic: so eddie and buck want to propose and somehow chim finds out and he has to keep BOTH their secrets as every proposal goes wrong/plans get changed, and he's losing his mind bc buck and eddie are idiots and he really hates them. and like maybe buck goes to maddie's to ask for advice and he's so excited and only chim is there but he can't wait and he just has to tell someone he's gonna propose to eddie !!!! and chimney is like you fucking idiot why would you tell ME and then chimney walks on eddie admiring an engagement ring and he's just— he's at his limit. these two idiots will be the end of him.
loss of hearing fic for my bthb card! @bigfootsmom gave me the amazing idea of buck suddenly experience hearing loss after a call and just !!!!! i'm so excited for this fic and want to start writing it as soon as i can
the soulmates au i've been talking about/planning with @buddierights that au is going to be so good and ahhh i wanna write it so bad!!!
the grey's anatomy au with bartender eddie and surgical resident buck. if you're watching season 19 of grey's, think mika and helm but make it buddie <33
also!!! bc i love bartender eddie so much!! i've been thinking about a bartender eddie x bodyguard buck working together at a bar and having this kind of banter at work and just !!!! i have so many ideas for that one and i think about it often but i've never written it or started it even.
the astronaut buck au with eddie working at the control center and being buck's only lifeline to earth??? idk if im gonna write that one but yeah <3
astronauts buddie fucking in the spaceship and then having an awkward morning after bc oh shit im in love with you and we just had a one night stand but also there's nowhere else to go and this is killing me, what am i supposed to do now.
brooklyn 99 au?? i’ve been undercover for months/years and i know i told you not to wait for me but i’m still in love with you and it’s killing me
You live across from me in our apartments and we smile when we see each other but we don’t really know each other and oh you’re the stripper at my friend’s stag do/hen night fuck this is really uncomfortable STRIPPER AU
video going viral. buck and eddie are arguing on a call and one patient records them and posts the video. everyone thinks they're a married couple???
free hugs. buck is a firefighter who offers free hugs and eddie takes him up on that after a particular hard therapy session. touch starved eddie. he keeps coming back everyday until buck breaks down and asks him out.
tagging: (no pressure) @cowboy-buddie @buddierights @monsterrae1 @honestlydarkprincess @alyxmastershipper @prettyboybuckley @rogerzsteven @fatedbuddie @destielbuddiepipeline @911onabc @spaceprincessem @the-likesofus @spotsandsocks @elvensorceress @souschefdiaz @comaboybuck @bigfootsmom @lovebuck @dollhousejee @shortsighted-owl @messyhairdiaz @hippolotamus @maygrantgf @swiftiebuckleys @bekkachaos @ebdaydreamer @loveyourownsmiilee @jobairdxx and anyone else who wants to!!
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emblemxeno · 9 months
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Definitive “Feelings On 3H” Post
So I’m making one big post on my feelings on major things worth discussing about 3H and how I feel about it. Don’t feel obligated to really interact with this one much, it’s mostly just for my sake, as something I can just link to and say “go to section X about how I feel about Y”.
The reason behind this is I just don’t really want to actively engage in 3H discourse anymore. I feel as if I’m a broken record at this point. If I have new things to say about it somehow, I’ll say it, but for the most part, I’ll refer people to this if they wanna know how I feel about general 3H talk. 
Story
Story Section 1- General narrative feelings on each route.
Azure Moon is, in my opinion, the most solidly constructed route in terms of writing, character development, and storytelling. It knows what it wants to accomplish and, aside from a few gripes, I will always applaud it for that. Verdant Wind and Silver Snow meanwhile, aren’t bad and I certainly didn’t have a terrible time playing through them. However, the unique story bits in each route don’t justify the gameplay experience you have to work through in order to get to them. Still, the big reveals in each route were nice to hear for the first time, and specifically for VW I enjoy Claude very much. Crimson Flower I don’t enjoy that much at all. Its story is what I can only describe as a static, eye-roll inducing victory march, which makes up for its lack of length with its seemingly intentional negative character development; everyone is ignorant, an asshole, or sad as fuck aside from the CF exlcusive cast. I would give the route props had the game bothered to stand in its foundation rather than flounder and make numerous attempts to depict every perspective as absolutely equally valid and righteous. 
Story Section 2- In trying to appeal to every perspective, the game lacks focus, foundation, and respect for itself.
It should be expected that a game with multiple routes tackle different specific subjects. However, in Fire Emblem, there always, always manages to be a unifying theme or foundational story philosophy-an Aesopian type moral if you will-no matter the route. Alm and Celica learn that their one individual philosophies can’t exist on their own, and that leadership requires strength and compassion of equal measure. Eirika and Ephraim learn that personal wishes must take a backseat for the good of Renais and Magvel as a whole, as their routes in FE8 use their own weaknesses to develop them as leaders and royalty. Corrin’s one constant in the Fates games is that conflict is inherently meaningless and does nothing but perpetuate a brutal cycle of hatred, vengeance, and violence. 
Even in games like FE7 and FE10, where the technical ‘route splits’ are more unconventional, there’s still unifying themes that manage to wrap back around at the end (7′s ‘single-minded pursuit of justice and strength/power to protect can actively hurt you and those around you, especially if you are ignorant to the pain others are going through’ and 10′s ‘people have as much capacity to be good as they have to be evil, they will hurt each other due to petty misunderstandings and bigoted views, however, they are worthy of living as they are because of the ability to grow, change, and aspire to something better’).
3H, to put it simply, does not have any grand unifying theme unique to itself. The closest examples I can think of is ‘It’s worth it to reach out to those around you to share your pain so you don’t become engulfed in it’ and ‘no matter what side you fight for, war makes everyday life a living hell for everyone’.
But to me, both of those things are just... basic truths and story elements present in every dialogue heavy FE game. War has been showcased as being terrible since FE1, where characters were held hostage, threatened to fight for a cause they didn’t believe in, innocent villages were destroyed, there was a literal child slave market, etc. And sharing your pain with those close to you in order to bear life’s challenges has been a constant trope with many FE characters, story significant or otherwise, since at least FE6 with Guninivere (probably earlier if I’m missing something from FE4 or 5). The only difference is that 3H has a fun little song to go with it.
That leaves the specific themes of each route and perspective, but because each leading character is so different from the other, and the writers didn’t want to overtly favor one over the rest, every dialogue regarding these things feels compromised; half baked, or lacking a point. 
‘Crests are symbolic of a harmful power structure but also are a symbol of justice used to ward away threats but also are a tool used to gain social and political capital in order to change the world but also are an ancient power obtained through destruction that must be used with wisdom.’ Four different perspectives from four different routes that the game attempts to depict in a balance in almost every single dialogue regarding them. And this same process is applicable to the game’s attempts at discussing race/ethnicity, xenophobia, classism, religious views, mental health, etc. There always has to be two, three, four, or five sides to every story in 3H, and that results in an exhuasting and stretched thin narrative that, in its attempts to appeal to everyone, ends up lacking substance in every point it tries to make.
Now, that itself would make for a fascinating and meta theme for the game to uphold, where ‘attempts at trying to balance and accept every perspective leads to an ineffective world that desperately needs unwavering, unconditional, and compassionate leadership’ but 1) that would require the game to play up the need for ‘seeing every side’ as something to be deconstructed, and the game doesn’t do that, it’s played painfully straight, and 2) when it’s one major power (Edelgard) vs. three major powers (Dimitri, Claude, and Rhea), the attempt at balance fails no matter what you do. This lack of focus reads to me that there was lack of respect for the game’s story itself.
Story Section 3- “It insists upon itself, Lois.”
Every time I think about the finer details of story bits in 3H I don’t care for, my brain always comes back to that Family Guy scene where Peter talks about not caring for The Godfather and saying that it’s because the movie insists upon itself. Now, that was done for comedy, but for 3H I must say that it’s a perfect sentence to use. 3H insists upon itself. This is in spite of the fact that there’s no one unifying point that it’s trying to convey to the player, beyond what any other FE games was able to do. So to make up for that, each small instance reads like the game beating the player over the head with whatever minute moral or lesson it’s trying to convey.
Crests are bad? Roll out the Edelgard, Sylvain, or Lysithea dialogue saying so. Church is sus? Get Edelgard or occasionally Claude. Nobles are pretentious? Get the sad NPCs or the few actual commoner characters to imply it. War is bad and cruel? Fire the next “Sad Dorothea” dialogue at the player’s face. Interactions feel artificial, ostentatious even. Part of that is because there’s no other way to get these points across due to Byleth being a silent avatar, the other part though? Feels as if the writers were overtly proud of themselves. “Wow, the war means Bernadetta leaves her room more often, isn’t that a sign that it really changes people?” Yeah, no shit. 
Perhaps the most egregious example is the endless instances of the game pushing the idea that there’s “no good side” in war or that “war is a battle of ideals and no one is fully correct” or other moments that want the player to know how deep and Morally Gray the narrative is. It’s cheap and inauthentic, especially when you have a faction like the Slithers. You can’t prop up Gray Morality and have an inarguably evil underground terrorist group. 
To be crude, this game explains things to you like you’re five despite being rated T for teens in a series catered mostly to young adults. I get the point you’re trying to make, you did it poorly, now stop repeating yourself, your final grade is a D+.
Story Section 4- 3H likes spectacle over substance.
3H revels in being showy over being constructive. There’s great moments, but there’s not a great plot. 
For example, Byleth has many flashy moments that show how awesome they are! They’re connected to a goddess, they can wind back time, they have a super cool historical sword, they’re a top tier mercenary, they’re a great teacher, they’re next in line for Archbishop or the throne for all of Fodlan, their Crest is the game’s version of the Fire Emblem!
Cool! What’s the significance behind all these choices in the writing room? Seemingly next to nothing other than it sounded cool. That’s how it feels anyway.
The SotC doesn’t do anything in the story beyond be Sothis’ bones, likewise the Crest of Flames is nothing other than symbolic since it lacks gameplay or story significance beyond “main characters have it”, Divine Pulse has weak narrative justification for what should be a simple gameplay exclusive rewind, the goddess in question is an underutilized character who checks out before part 1 ends, there’s no gameplay basis showcasing that they’re any better at fighting than their students, and every high level position Byleth is granted makes no sense for them to have given what little established character we get.
That’s 3H in a nutshell. Crests don’t matter other than to be a story device. Being noble or commoner doesn’t matter. The hidden technology doesn’t matter. Abyss is a joke. And on and on and on. 3H profits off of being enticing and cool looking for the sake of it, without actually utilizing or explaining any of this flashy stuff that matters for a video game medium. It makes for underwhelming gameplay and artificial characters. Example, for as much as I love Yuri, take a few minutes to read his backstory; it’s batshit and nigh unbelievable. And it’s indicative of the fact that 3H cares more about including things that sound cool than it does about making sense of anything. We see the impact, but never any material significance, which is the opposite of what you want in a detail oriented narrative like this.
Story Section 5- 3H has very gross tropes.
During 3H’s first year of being out, I desperately wanted to stay true to a view that “hey now, just because it’s depicted like this, doesn’t mean we should blast it, it’s just a video game” but, y’know. I grew up. And part of growing up is recognizing the nuanced parts of these kinds of things. 
I won’t accuse the writers of being actively ignorant or bigoted, cuz I don’t know anything about them. But fuck. Fuck, does this game read worse and worse over the years in terms of how utterly terribly it handles sensitive issues.
Multiple brown characters treated like trash by the white/pale majority, with countries said brown characters hail from described as savage and animalistic. Rampant misogynistic tropes, most notably selling women off to be married. Strange, and incessant sympathy for the character starting a war that upends the lives of common people, said character also allowing human experimentation to occur. The offensive and archaic handling of mental illnesses, specifically anxiety disorders, personality disorders, and PTSD in certain instances (IMO only Dimitri and Marianne are done with any sort of grace). And that’s just the explicit stuff! Just the other day I was talking about how there’s incredibly disturbing anti-Semitic undertones regarding the Empire (confirmed to be based on Germany btw) and the Nabateans, something that’s, at times, uncritically repeated by people in this game’s community. This game is mired in terrible allegories and metaphors, which make me cringe the more I think about the real world implications that these lines of thought can have on people in volatile corners of the Internet.
And the kicker is that the writers are so committed to making these things relate to Crests or nobility, as if either of those things are strictly the reason why oppression or discrimination occurs.
The game employs drastic harmful stereotypes, and undercuts all of them by foisting its half-baked unique gameplay/lore toy onto the conversations. It fumbles the ball and didn’t even clean up the mess well.
Characters
I have a tier list of how much I enjoy the characters right here. 
Long story short, when the characters are good, they’re good. Like, holy fuck, love them. But when they’re bad? Throw them away. Can’t stand them. And sometimes characters fall in the middle where I see the good but they’re at times written in ways that piss me off.
Worldbuilding/Setting - More is not always better
First off, when you make a character tell the player “Go read in the library for lore”, you’ve lost me. There’s nothing fun and interesting in 3H as a game for you to read in the library.
Fire Emblem’s gameplay cycle doesn’t mesh too well with the typical JRPG standard of storytelling, so the common solutions to building the world and crafting the stories was 1) make as much use as possible of cutscenes, art/cgs, and narrations to communicate the important details before and after battles and/or 2) make an intuitive inclusion to ‘break the pace’ between maps, such as a home base, in order to supplement what’s already present. Alongside this, support conversations were an ingenious tool to develop the characters and the world at the same time, as your varied and quirky cast can help you infer what their place of origin is like. Plus, the game actively rewards the player for seeking this auxiliary information out, granting extra stat bonuses when you purposefully put characters next to each other.
3H, on paper, understands this well. However, the game has too many minute details for a typical FE game structure to handle. The devs themselves even said the game became a “living creature on its own” and claimed no one on the team knows everything about 3H’s story or world. Ignoring how that’s a serious flaw for a video game narrative, what this ultimately means is that since cutscnes and a standard base can’t cut it, we need more and more and more. Libraries, side quests, tea time, ally notes, gifts, NPCs that exposit at you, etc. The DLC even added another damn library for you to sift through, as if the first one wasn’t a pain already.
And though these little flavor texts, landmarks, and set pieces are fun to read about... that’s it. The game hardly uses any of it. It’s flavor without substance, once again. It’s why half the fucking fandom is confused every other day when you bring up these tertiary details as evidence to prove a point, since the active story is too busy trying to weave the other 600 plot threads together to use any of it. That means, for all of this supposed great details regarding each nation and the important territories, we hardly see a damn thing that’s actually different. More is not always better, and in this case, it’s actively worse for both the game experience and the community experience. Not a good look for a game that the devs explicitly wanted people to talk to each other about.
As a fan of FE ever since 2013, who has gone back to play several of the games to see how they tick, 3H’s methods of describing its setting are just so antithetical to what makes the series enjoyable, and for so little reward. It sounds hypocritical given that I love Fates and Engage, but those games actively set up their glorified bases to be as unintrusive as you want them to be. 3H, however, has its gameplay built around a boring and unintuitive cycle.
Gameplay- Fire Emblem but half the time you’re not playing Fire Emblem
Gameplay Section 1-Monastery
The monastery is the most debated gameplay aspect of 3H, and IMO, for good reason.
It sucks.
Worldbuilding wise, while it makes sense that an important location is the hub for the game, that doesn’t account for how dull it is. 12 months and 4 seasons pass and does the place ever look different? No. A shame, since an improved aesthetic would drastically help ignoring the fact that the place is a bitch to traverse. For as fast as Byleth can run, they can’t outspeed the load times. Quick travel only makes the issue more apparent, as well. From door to door, and from week to week, you’ll endure more load times in one in-game month than an entire playthrough of a GBA FE game.
The other aspects of the monastery gameplay, such as teaching, activities, professor level, and motivation, while freshly fun in a first playthrough, become a repetitive slog in subsequent playthroughs. Giving gifts and lost items, eating meals, planting the right things for the garden, optimizing support point gains, using the sauna, taking care of the statues, etc. This cycle is not something I enjoy in an FE game, and unlike Fates or Engage, I can’t actively ignore it without huge penalty. 
You can skip right to each main mission, but you’d be giving yourself a huge handicap by doing so; not actively teaching students at max motivation in order to maximize skill point gain is a huge detriment in the long term. It means longer wait for better weapons, longer wait for better spells, longer wait for class change, and longer wait for better skills and battalions. Now on Normal you can get away with this, not as much on Hard, and sure the fuck not on Maddening. To me, it feels like sloppy balancing on top of an already exhausting and dull game cycle. Why let the player skip months if you didn’t bother to carefully balance the game so that the players who do skip months could have even a small chance to clear the game? Honestly, it just feels as if they thought “people might find it annoying so let’s just tack on a skip feature”, and that’s disappointing and lazy.
Overall, I hope nothing similar to the monastery’s implementation is included in any future Fire Emblem game. It’s too antithetical to FE’s main gameplay structure, IMO.
Gameplay Section 2-Battles
To be honest, Fire Emblem has never been the pinnacle of balanced gameplay, and frankly I don’t want it to be. It’s a single player game with fun anime sword guys, magic powers, and dragons. So long as it’s not dreadfully easy or overly complicated, I have no qualms about certain classes or characters being better or worse than others.
3H though is a mess. A fun mess, but still a mess. Movement decrease to foot units means you want a mount cuz the game’s maps are big, and the speed penalty for cav classes means you want a wyvern or a pegasus. Physical units do just that (or maybe War Master for Quick Riposte), you get your dancer, have a Stride unit, have your Magic units and warpers where you need them, and congrats! You solved the 3H meta. 
Half-joking, honestly. The game is extremely easy to break, the hardest part is getting to that point (after all, slugging through the monastery is a bigger test of your patience than anything else). Maddening mode, of course, you have be extra careful in the beginning (cuz they probably didn’t play test it cough cough) and utilize your combat arts and gambits effectively, and being extremely conscious of positioning. But, much like Awakening before it, 3H is very easy to snowball. Especially on NG+. That doesn’t mean it’s not fun, but it can get mindless. I don’t personally play that way, but even still, tools such as weapons mostly not being class restricted, Crests, combat arts, gambits, and accessories make the game incredibly simple. It’s a breeze, and only gets harder when certain things are stripped away from you or your debilitated somehow. Again, it’s still fun, because FE is always fun, but challenging? No. Not in a way that I find meaningful, anyway.
The maps themselves? Meh. They look pretty! Lots of small missable details that you wouldn’t see if not for the zoomed in view, that was a neat feature. Not at all useable for actually playing the game, of course, but fun to mess with and to sight see. It does make me resentful, cuz again, we could’ve potentially seen lots of rich, detailed, and varied locations bustling with townsfolk and entering villages to really feel each location. But alas, this is as good as we get.
Anyway, the maps are...fine-ish? Part 1′s maps are seared into my brain, for better and for worse (mostly worse) cuz you have to play them at least 3 different times for all the routes. Prologue through Chapter 5 are either boring, terrible, or both. Chapter 6 is the first map on my most recent playthrough that I say I had fun with in Part 1, then it continues for 7 and 8, then nosedives for 9 and 10, before picking back up for 11 and 12. In short, more than half the story maps for part 1 I find are either unexceptional or plain bad.
Now Part 2? Hunting By Daybreak is atrocious, Garreg Mach defense is pretty fun, Ailell is boring as fuck, Myrddin Bridge and Deirdru are good, Gronder Part 2 ebbs and flows between being awesome and awful, Merceus, Enbarr, and Fhirdiad are okay but tend to drag, Tailtean is alright, Shambhala is hot garbage, CF endgame is pretty fun, AM endgame is okay, VW endgame is awesome, Snow endgame is terrible. I think all routes’ part 2 is better than part 1, but not by much.
All of Cindered Shadows is peak, every map was good IMO.
Paralogue maps I have no opinions on, they are recycled maps with nothing meaningfully interesting about them that I remember aside from Dedue’s, Ashe’s, and Petra’s. 
In short, the battle maps in 3H are okay for FE standards. It’s just pretty fucking insane how many times they get reused, so I got tired of them very quickly.
Fandom
Last but not least, just a shoutout to a very unpleasant community experience. Though it might be the best selling FE game as of now, it comes with the price of having some incredibly disrespectful, vicious, and ignorant fans.
Never have I been witness to or been the target of as much harassment on the internet as I have with certain 3H fans. Entire discord servers made to make fun of groups of people with differing opinions, taking over old blog domains to mock people, deliberately seeking out people who want nothing to do with you just so you can defend your favs, etc. And that’s just on this site! There’s editing wars on TV tropes and the wikis, mods on various sites having to do deleting sprees of 3H discourse, artists being harassed on Twitter, and in general just... inserting yourselves into places and spaces where you were not invited nor encouraged to comment. Some of these people lack basic human deceny, respect, and boundaries, and it’s not cool.
Part of the reason why I’m breaking away from 3H now is because this behavior is something I got wrapped up in too, and I’m deeply ashamed of it. It’s toxic, and not at all something I want associated with one of my favorite video game series anymore. I got real life things to worry about and other games to play.
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Anyway, that’s pretty much it. All of my general thoughts on 3H, localized on one post. Sayonara, Fodlan Discourse, you won’t be missed. 🤗
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