#the grind(tm) never stops | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

tiofrean · 1 year

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OMG I'm rewatching Black Sails and am once again assaulted by how in love with Silver Flint was and how Clueless TM Silver actually was. Like his conversation with Madi? About what he did with Flint? Silver: There is a place near Savannah... where men unjustly imprisoned in England are sent in secret. An internment far more humane, but no less secure. Men who enter these gates never leave them. To the rest of the world, they simply cease to be.

Madi: I don't believe you. I don't believe this. Flint would have fought to the death before allowing it.

Silver: He resisted... at first. But then I told him what else I had heard about this place. I was told prominent families amongst London society made use of it. I was told the governor in Carolina made use of it. So I sent a man to find out if they'd used it to hide away one particular prisoner. He returned with news. Thomas Hamilton was there. He disbelieved me. He continued to resist. And corralling him took great effort. But the closer we got to Savannah, his resistance began to diminish. I couldn't say why. I wasn't expecting it. Perhaps he'd finally reached the limits of his physical ability to fight. Or perhaps as the promise of seeing Thomas got closer... he grew more comfortable letting go of this man he created in response to his loss. The man whose mind I had come to know so well... whose mind I'd in some ways incorporated into my own.

And Madi is just grinding her teeth and shaking her head so subtly, because she KNOWS Flint and she KNOWS that's not why he stopped resisting. He stopped because Silver, dumbass extraordinaire, whom he loved so fucking much it hurt, decided to lock him up on a plantation, had the men and the brawn to do it, and Flint just gave up. He gave up because the only man that mattered to him now wanted him away permanently, and if that was what Silver felt then why would Flint fight a lost battle? If he believed for one second that Silver was telling the truth, he would have fucking teleported there to check whether Thomas is actually alive. But he didn't trust Silver and what he was saying anymore. So Silver's genius plan was equal to being cast aside by him to Flint.

So he gave up and stopped resisting, John, not because he believed you, you fucking dumbass. Now go and apologize.

#my ramblings #black sails meta #black sails #silverflint #long john silver #captain flint #i made myself sad

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dairy-farmer · 4 months

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Tis I! The frenchiest fry! 🐼/ back with my Thoughts(tm).

And Superhero Weirdness Homosexual Tim anybody? I think we SHOULD.

Now you may ask: "isn't that just a long way of saying Homosexual?" And NOPE! I know what I typed. We're being LITERAL here. "Homo" as in self, sexual as in self explanatory. He is very much still Bi as Fuck.

He's just... learned some things about himself.

Namely? That he's REALLY kinda in to himself. And that he'd like "himself" to be IN him. When the chance comes up. Which! It doooooes.

Because time travel, Multiverse, and other such shenanigans occur with startling regularity. And Tim is a Bat. He has... ISSUES with trusting other people around his body naked. Himself though? Once they've done they "we're not evil!" Song and dance?

Well, if he can't trust HIMSELF? Then he could never be naked again.

And they? Are different enough to be not creepy, but similar enough to be trustworthy. Plus! Some of them are Cis Dudes. Lucky bastards. Well... sorta. If you discount the whole doomed timelines, distopian worlds, and deeply bastardy Bruces. Okay, so not LUCKY. Just highly specifically less shit.

And it's ALWAYS a THING. Bruce and Bruce posturing at each other like territorial cats. Hood and hood trying to kill each other. Dramatic screaming matchs between Nightwings. It takes hours.

Tim? He has codes. Standardized questions. It takes him like 5... MAYBE 15 minutes to confirm or deny whether this is an "evil alter self" scenario. Then they have to wait hours? Fuck no.

At FIRST? He would go get pizza. Swap notes. Have them go over his case notes to see if a fresh pair of eyes helped. But like... then puberty hit HARD. And the Tim was actually a Tam. With like... boobs. That she WANTED. It was wild. But she was also kinda cute?

And it occurred to them... they could make out. They did. It was awesome.

It kept happening too. Different selves, coming to his world, being sent to theirs. Making out. Exploring stuff. Until? This zombie outbreak in Central. Some idiot punched a hole into a zombie apocalypse world. They helped contain it. But an older future Alt-Tim was there. All rugged and looking for a cure. Holed up in the labs once he helped beat the zombies back behind a barricade.

Tim helped. Made sure he ate, since he didn't know nearly as much about biology or diseases. Listened to Alt-Tim's fears that a cure would be pointless. That too many had.. had...

What started as a hug, turned into something more. Lead to him on a pull out bed, being gently worked open by callused fingers and a hot tounge, lined by unshave jaw. Gripping unwashed hair like his life depended on it as those fingers FOUND things. As that mouth focused on making him as wet as it could. Was pulled into powerful arms, held close and cradling, as he was nudged open by something blunt.

Speared impossibly slow on something that pushed all the air out of him.

Alt-Tim shaking and sucking in air like the pleasure physically HURT. Head tucked tight to Tim's neck, holding him so tight it nearly hurts. Rocking and rocking. In helpless little ruts, to get deeper. To be more connected. To FEEL the connection to another living soul. Like he wants to crawl into Tim's skin and cry.

Tim's first time is all desperate rutting and crushing heat. He can barely breath. His hole pounded in deep, urgent, grinding thrusts like at any moment they'll be forced to stop. Alt-Tim finds something inside him that light fireworks behind his eyes, something he didn't know was THERE, and rutts and grinds and POUNDS against it until Tim is sobbing.

It's the first time but it's not the last. How COULD it be? When Alt-Tim finds his cure and heads home? Tim is actually sad to see him go. But there are other himself.

He finds he likes the older Him's the best. And the supernatural ones are interesting. On rare occasions there's even more then one of him! Of course, they are Bats. Discreet. He gets a reputation. Prudish. Doesn't date. Uninterested.

It's awkward to explain to people, so he usually just... doesn't.

But. He forgot something. Unlike him, but it happens. Do you think the senior bats would let him be around Unknowns without cameras? Just In Case? If you do, you clearly don't know them.

It could be anything, really, the tips them off. Tim lookin a little TOO excited to spend time with his unknown Alt-Self. They way the older man "leared". But protective instincts rear up. They spy in. Get an EYE full.

Tim, being POUNDED on his own bed. Bent in half and clearly enjoying it. By himself?! The check the archives of past interactions. Is this? Normal behavior? Dear lord it IS? How do you move forward?

Do you demand he stop fucking "strangers"? With their potentially dangerous Multiverse disease carrying bodies? Do you pretend you never saw anything. Do you volunteer? Keep "watch" to insure he remains safe around these unknowns?

So many options! Up to you!

-🐼

yessssssssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!! this is so perfectly horny! the only thing better than one tim is TWO tim's fucking!!!!!!!!

tim losing his virginity to some post apocalyptic version of himself who's been stuck in a zombie wasteland, likely surviving by himself because it's sort of a universal constant for tim to be the sole survivor among his friends and family wen shit goes side ways.

that tim is desperately lonely and seeking comfort and connection with tim who is so very turned on and into this aged version of him who ruts deep into him and punches out gut-deep sounds of pleasure.

it's amazing. tim is not a prude it's just that he's never really felt a deep attraction to other people. there's always something wrong or something that puts him off about them. but other hims?

they just get it. they understand what to do, how to touch him. he loves the older hims the most. the ones with salt and pepper hair, with fine lines from stress. a few lucky tims get actual cocks and tim will be damned if he doesn't touch them and marvel over them.

but the older tims. god the older tims. the ones who have experience and know how to fuck or who are so tightly would up and fuck him hard to work off some stress.

they were the best.

the ones that came a close second were the twin tim's. instead of being timothy jackson drake a few universes had timothy AND jackson drake. identical twins who double teamed tim. and if they were as good in the field together as they were with tim then tim understood why that universe's bruce looked so chill and at ease.

so tim is having a nice good time with fucking alternate versions of himself from other universes. he has come to terms with an accepted that the only people he feels genuine sexual attraction for are himself. and as much as tim may have a reputation for being straightlaced and a prude in his universe, his reputation in the multiverse is VERY different. because other universes and especially other tim's talk.

that might be why that other tim looked so eager to see him. unlike the usual crowd this tim was tall and muscular. it seemed to be more of a mirror verse than an alternate universe but tim supposed there had to be some tims out there that was more frat boy like jack wanted rather than the wizards and warlocks dork janet bragged about. but tim is no less eager. maybe too eager.

because barely a day after that universe is packed up and sent home bruce and the others confront tim about his 'habit'. they try their whole 'its dangerous' schtick but tim was not about to risk losing the opportunity to fuck other tim's. it's one of the few times he and the family genuinely butt heads.

it all comes down to one thing. would they rather he ignore them and continue to do it but just get better at hiding it or would they rather let him keep doing his thing and they could keep tabs.

tim is offering to let them watch if they want and that's a better deal than anyone else in his universe was ever going to get.

#answered asks #asks #anonymous

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queenburd · 1 year

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which of the skip button ending monologues are your favorite and why?

they all cause me pain

The first one feels very Lewis Caroll, very Alice in Wonderland. It's fun to me for that reason.

The pain of the self awareness in "Oh my god, and it's all because of those reviews! Why did I have to fix the problem?" is one that means a lot to me because it's relatable. Desperately trying to please everyone will never work.

"I'll give it all up, I'll give everything up, I just need to know someone is listening, because it means I am alive," also hits hard. I have had dissociative moments that reflect this! Needing to know someone can see you, or hear you, and acknowledges your presence, is so significant as a person with Trauma (TM)

"But they didn't understand the game was never meant to be funny!" is probably the top contender, though. Because even tho the narrator is talking through his ego, enraged (tho he denies it "Im not mad, THEYRE the ones who are mad" like. babe), he's.... kinda right.

"And then, because it was said, because it was spoken, now it simply has to happen! The most immediate desires, every single thing demanded by every person at every moment in time - if someone wants it then it's a crime not to bring it into being? Have we been given to indulging every fleeting whim for no reason other than to do so? Yes, yes!

It seems that this is now the world we live in! It seems that we are a people living in such bleakness and discomfort with ourselves that our entertainment is now our lives! It has come to represent us! It absolutely must speak to who we are as people!

Because otherwise, without our entertainment, we have nothing! Without entertainment, we would have to face inward toward the cruel bleakness inside ourselves. We would turn to look at our deeper nature and find a resounding emptiness gazing back with unyielding aggression.

And so - so because of this - we require that our amusements, and our play things, and our flights of fancy be so impossibly captivating, that they consume all of our attention, turn our heads completely away from the bleakness! In effect, we have demanded that our entertainment be the collapse of ourselves."

There is a level of truth to this--that isn't to say that this is a universal, human issue, but it is 100 percent a capitalistic issue. We live in such a bad way right now that we need fleeting, all attention consuming media as escapism! it's so difficult to have the time to do more involved, more deeply satisfying activities, and when everything is at the touch of your fingertips with tech, and there is a constant grind, it doesn't seem feasible.

it's sad that he's right. it's a great point to make (that I think CrowsCrowsCrows was aware of when they wrote it) and I will never stop thinking about it.

#The Sparrow Parable

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scitydreamer · 7 months

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Across the Obelisk

Sometimes, you gotta take a break and play a video game with a loved one. Then sometimes, you gotta turn that good time into Content(TM) because the grind never stops. Across the Obelisk is a turn-based deckbuilder by Dreamsite Games and published by Paradox Interactive. Four assorted heroes travel across the land of Senenthia to look for a missing princess, who disappeared around a completely…

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ventela1 · 6 months

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Mt Pyre, exterior:

We easily swept through some grunts blocking the way, but were too late to stop Archie from snatching a Red Orb from this elderly couple.

He refused to fight us for it, and it seems pretty important that the two orbs not be separated, so now it's our job to go track him down.

Are you sure. 'Cause if Maxie or someone decides they want it...

Well, I guess I might as well defend it since I've got a Pokemon team. Let's go to Slateport and try to head Archie off! I read on a sign in Lilycove that a ship is still under repairs there.

There's no time to waste.

Of course! I've got time!

Apparently when the legendary Pokemon of land and sea got in a big fight, the presence of these orbs calmed them down. I'm not clear on why the orbs themselves need to be next to each other. This couple is talking like a big calamity will occur just from the separation. But maybe it's so they're both on hand in case of another earth-shaking battle emergency?

Oh, also, I picked this up.

We're working our way over towards Slateport, but I'm gonna make a short detour to Route 123, then maybe Fly to Slateport, and then go back to Route 123 to complete it when we need to do some grinding.

In the meantime, here's the Route 122 encounter:

We FINALLY caught a Wingull! And as much as I love this Pokemon, I pray we'll never need to use it.

Welcome, Mellow! And here's Velvet's summary page, too:

And a couple of quick move updates:

I was hanging on to Endeavor for the combo with Quick Attack, but the strat with Mim is generally to outspeed and try to KO the opponent before they can get him that low. With Guts+Adamant Nature he's always been a powerhouse, but now he has Facade to deal even more damage when he's status afflicted (stacks with Guts). Thanks for that TM, dad.

Trip was able to learn Agility via level-up but we skipped it for now.

In case anyone's confused about where we are, because I don't expect you to pull up a map of Hoenn to keep track, here you go.

This shows us on route 121, just outside of Lilycove City to the right. Down and slightly to the left is the watery Route 122 and Mt Pyre, and the white cursor shows Route 123 just below it.

Here's Slateport City. Everything shown in dark blue starting from Slateport and going to the right all the way to the edge of the map are places we haven't been yet, plus the island on the farthest right outside of the dark blue. We've explored every other part of Hoenn! (*Except for most of Route 123, and Mirage Island.)

Next time: The Route 123 encounter!

#Ventelocke

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maedaeme · 6 months

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(kicks down the door) magni-as-a-recruitable-bg3-companion notes because I have no self control whatsoever. this is so long but (pats a cushion) play in the sandbox with me.

Recruitable in Act 1. Also has a brain tadpole. Joins you because you are his best bet at not becoming a mindflayer, and because he heard at the gate of the grove that a wizard is paying big money to find some sort of weapon, and he is now very interested in finding it. The grind never stops.

General Vibe: local man clearly an assassin and cheerful in a way that makes it explicitly clear he is only faking being friendly. Cunning, but blunt about his opinions to companions the way Lae’zel is, with an extra layer of dry sarcasm. Gives an impression of being eternally up to something that immediately rubs both Wyll and Shadowheart the wrong way. Shockingly persuasive despite this. Or maybe because of this. Who knows. Considers his words carefully. Has connections to Nine Fingers.

Prioritizes personal freedom above all else, including (eventually) yours.

Approves of:

Extorting people for money/reward (‘will you help us?’ ‘not for free’ ‘okay :(’)

Asserting your authority

Taking Overconfident People Down A Peg TM (though if you choose to intimidate them, he’ll offhandedly tell you he'll teach you to be sneakier and meaner)

Shit-talking gods, except Lolth

Consuming tadpoles – explicitly states he doesn’t want any himself (doesn't want to risk being influenced by a Big Brain), but thinks it’s very interesting watching you do it

Lying for personal gain, or, rarely, to protect someone’s feelings

This would 100% include an early chance to lie directly to him, if he catches you – as far as he’s concerned, not trusting him outright is the smartest option. He’s neutral if you keep doing it, but he starts disapproving after a certain Personal Story Milestone because now it hurts his feelings.

Disapproves of:

Rejecting compensation/rewards (‘oh no, helping you was enough.’ Annoyed in the background: ‘I need you to know it’s not.’)

Acquiescing to humiliating demands (ex. licking the goblin’s boot)

Making or considering deals with devils

Making or considering deals with the Guardian

Expressing devotion to gods. Neutral/no disapproval if it’s Lolth. Doesn't approve either, though, so hmm, sir, hmm

Being honest when he feels you shouldn’t (telling nearly anyone about the artifact, being truthful during the ~love quiz~, etc.)

Being touched without Explicit Permission

His personal quest kicks off when you either a) discover a way to the Underdark, or b) find out the Underdark will lead to the Nightsong. He’s intentionally not returned for like. Over a century. Despite this, he’s insistent that you take him with because he has ‘unfinished business’ to tend to.

Shortly after arriving, he will casually disclose the ‘business’ is getting ritually eaten by a giant spider.

Continuing the quest is pretty dependent on convincing him not to do that, considering you will run into Talfae—the priestess (now High Priestess) who banished him to the surface in the first place, and she will be begrudgingly happy to oblige after strongarming him (and the party) into a sort of trial to prove his worth.

Assuming he doesn’t get eaten by spiders, he can either kill Talfae, or drag her kicking and screaming to the surface, a fate she deems worse. He also comes out with a perk he didn’t have before: the ability to converse with spiders.

Making the assumption he’s regained Lolth’s favor, he’ll disclose that he used to be a priestess of Lolth—one of three favored to be a high priestess. They were constantly trying to kill or unseat each other with the understanding that the last one standing would ascend to the title as Lolth’s favored.

Talfae preferred humiliation to killing, exposing a secret and banishing him to the surface instead of giving him the ritual sacrifice he thought he was owed. Per the spiders, he’s found out that she did the same to the second priestess, Xullbaste. In his head, since he regained favor with Lolth after murdering/banishing Talfae, if he can find Xullbaste in Baldur’s Gate and determine what Lolth wants done with her, he can do what he long assumed impossible: become a high priest of Lolth.

Which leaves you with the fairly obvious options: help him do that, or convince him it’s not worth it.

There’s a lot of Additional Trauma tangled in there that he has to come to terms with, including the realization that he does, in fact, want to live, that he does in fact feel fairly terrible and awful in hindsight about a lot of what he did For Lolth TM, that he kind of likes you people and wants to mean something to y’all, and that despite all of it he is Allowed to feel furious and hurt about being lied to and abandoned by the people he trusted and his god. This man needs so much therapy.

THAT SAID, you can soften him up a bit over time. He’s shockingly loyal and fiercely protective of you at high approvals, and is vocally supportive of getting companions out of bad deals and situations—including Wyll, who he (unfortunately) never really gets along with. Underdark/Creche onward, he will express concern bluntly and immediately if he thinks something is about to go terribly wrong for someone in the party.

Absolutely cutting this off here before I get unhinged about his romance and companion interactions but. I HAVE THOUGHTS, MAN. PLANS.

#also want to mention companion magni is more abrasive than tav/durge magni lmao #partially because he would need tav/durge's help to come to some Realizations that he otherwise came around to himself #over the course of like. actually playing him. he was kind of a chill guy by act 3 #not really the group dad. the group uncle trying to get his shit together ig. trying to make the right choices.#mae plays bg3 #honestly i should just return to writing fics to get this out but it seems TOO SELF INDULGENT #also tav magni fun fact: talfae is who his guardian looks like lmao #his feelings towards her are EXTREMELY complicated #POINTLESS POST

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sebnameyourcar · 7 months

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planning your weekend around sports is a sport in and of itself. like today’s only friday and i had to take regular breaks at work for Sebtent TM. then i’m out tonight, will get home at fuck o’clock in the morning, but bet your ass i’ll be awake at 7AM for quali. then into the office again because even though i’m not getting paid the grind never stops. home at stupid o’clock in the evening to make a big fuck off dinner for the Girls TM because i need to learn how to cook properly. then up at 6AM on sunday for the race and i’ll have until 2PM (watching spurs v arsenal in the pub) to get all my college reading done for the next week and then after the match i’m back in the office. you might say Eve You Don’t Need To Do This. but i Do.

#if you’re wondering where in the plan i am right now it’s having the most stupid dinner imaginable before going to the pub so i don’t die #two mini chicken caesar wraps which were waaaayyy too expensive and half a baguette of garlic bread #i’ve been up for too many house already today i’m running on adrenaline and the pesto chicken ciabatta i had for lunch #hours*

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st4rgazerr · 1 year

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January 24, 2023

Hello mfs

I'm making music again. For funsies. I'm still new so im kaka poopoo at it. My friend did hop on one of our beats doe, pretty fire. He uploaded it to his main soundcloud account today. I hope he didn't do it out of pity :/. that would b cringe.

Off topic but my big toe hurts rn. idk why and i think it would be great if it would stop yk.

oh oh oh, i am now nonbinary!! I never felt like a girl enuf but im def not a dude. so im neither. yuh. Having a flat chest helps with that bc i can dress more "androgynous" i guess. But if given the option; i will gladly have big tits. (please give boobies). I start school again tm. Gotta grind this semester. I also need to get a part time job cuz i am BROKKEEE as fuck . esp cuz im tryna get my brother a pc for his birfday. Majoring psych is fun.

OK I think thats it for this entry. Who knows when i'll make another. Hi future chicken.

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crystalelemental · 9 months

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Tumblr’s still horrifically broken today, but just in case this actually posts: finished This Gym of Mine.

It’s fine.

There are some things I do like. The fact I can get a Braixen with Quiver Dance, for instance! That rules. But...

I talked a lot about the issue of random encounters scaling to you, but trainer battles not? Yeah, that...never goes away. To compound, gym battle levels start to scale REALLY sharply, and their solution was a single trainer you can battle repeatedly in front of the gym, who has six Blissey with no damaging attacks, all holding Black Sludge. It is a very rapid leveling system. But it turns the game entirely into this odd back and forth between slow grinding for levels, and then rapid-fire battles. I think I had like four consecutive days of event battles for rank boosting. One of them happened after going to the Badlands, clearing it out, coming back to the event starting immediately. It was supposed to happen after sleeping, so I missed all the characters. Their dialogue showed but I never saw the people involved. Which was great. Then we had to deal with the leader of the riders and couldn’t do other stuff until then, then we had the champion show up, and then...it just keeps happening.

The added frustration is that, eventually? They catch up. By level 50-55, you’re just on-par with trainers again. Which isn’t so bad. Except they very clearly are EV trained, and have moves that aren’t typically learned, and you...do not. You do not have access to basic moves. I could never find the TM for things like Ice Beam (Jynx had to use Powder Snow), Dazzling Gleam (Braixen is now hard walled by Houndoom), or Earthquake (eat shit, Metagross). So a lot of fights that should’ve been cleared with little issue wound up being incredibly frustrating because suddenly, Braixen is hard walled, and they have something that instantly kills it. Which is very, very frustrating. There were other options I could consider in the type that would cover things, but to my knowledge, Slowpoke and Exeggcute aren’t in this game. So there goes a lot of my counterplay.

On the plus side, money stopped being a problem like...instantly. Once I opened the commercial district and had a bit of money? I went from 6k a day to over 11 million a day. Money cap is 1 million. I did this in like two days. It explodes open, and suddenly you can afford infinite items with no issue. Which...trivializes a lot? It’s hard to care about the fight when it’s either getting stomped, or you’re able to just spam items infinitely. Also this game fucking LOVES spamming Zoroark to throw you off. When you’re unfamiliar with the team, and don’t see it there, it’s a lot more effective. It’s completely fucking obnoxious, I kinda hate it.

Moreover, a lot of areas lack any kind of interest? When you do have Repels, you start to realize, there’s like nothing in here. It’s very short stuff with nothing going on. So I don’t really know what to say about the region itself. There’s not much there. Story is similar; there’s too little going on in the broad scale to be entirely interesting, and they don’t have much engagement with your gym trainers like I expected. I know, I know, fan game. For what it is, it’s fine. But it’s not doing much for me as a result.

I think that’s the ultimate takeaway I have. It’s a very cool idea, that I would love to see in like...an actual official game, with a budget behind it. Having something where you engage more with your gym trainers could make them interesting. Having a more dynamic system of building the town that isn’t cracked open instantly for max money every day would be engaging. Having a more dynamic region with more options and less frustration over the encounter levels being scaled would make it flow a little better. It’s an under 10 hour endeavor, but I’m not sure I want to play it again with a different type. It’s interesting, but not super engaging.

#this gym of mine

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thewrongexecution · 1 year

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it is Time. for Fashion.

I have been working on this project. for months. and it is finally. still incomplete on several technicalities but good enough for now. I'm very proud of what I've managed to accomplish. Please enjoy looking at my beautiful child,

Millennia Crowe.

(...Wait, what do you mean "30 image limit?" Uh, gimme a minute to edit these together. This post is gonna be long.)

Gunbreaker

The truest self. The most Millennia of all Millennias. Confident without being cocky, ornate without being gaudy. Black longcoat with silver and gold trim, splash of white for flair, and the Iconic Hat (TM). Very proud of the gauntlets (gold trim to match the coat) and boots (fur lining to match the collar).

That jacket was actually what inspired this whole project. I'd picked up every job and had outfits for each role by then, but the Jacket was a perfect match to The Hat... and Gunbreaker exclusive. Could I get all the rest their own unique look, that looked just as good?

Judge for yourself.

Warrior

Millie's first job. I'd tried Lancer on a different character, but was frustrated by how fragile they were; starting as a tank was partly to alleviate that concern, and partly to skip ahead in dungeon queues. And then I just. never stopped tanking, lmao.

Most of these outfits start from the chestpiece, and this one's no exception. The boots and pants went through a few revisions, but I think the heavy-plate look works well. Those elbow spikes still bother me a little, though; might rework those sometime.

Paladin

Here's our first what-I-call-military-formal outfit; you'll see them recur pretty often. While the jacket is suited to the valiant protector identity, Lenny also likes to antagonize Fray; wearing this outfit while in nominal service to the ruler of a corrupt, unjust society is one of her little jokes.

A lot of coats seem to me to just cut off abruptly in the front, so I was very proud to get those pants with the faux-hem. Shoulda tried for a better shot of the shield, but in most poses it obscures the rest of the outfit. Which is what it's supposed to do, I guess...

Dark Knight

The traditional look was actually too broody for my tastes; I've instead opted for the look of someone who walked halfway around the world without stopping to rest to find you and kick your ass. Postman's Creed (Evil)-type beat. Using the Forgiven's chestpiece is also another one of those fun little jokes.

Not many of these deviate from The Hat, but a more intimidating look that hides the identity just feels right, here.

White Mage

Gridanian jobs tend to lean more outdoorsy. Here, the fur lining evokes White Mage's traditional frills without leaning too far towards femme. Proud I found matching boots.

These days, Millennia gets chills if he channels light aether too much. It's a psychosomatic reaction, mostly, but the extra insulation helps all the same.

Technically incomplete, but the Rose Couverte takes slightly more grinding than I was willing to put in at the time. The hunt for perfection remains never-ending... But it's good to still have something to aim for.

Scholar

My current main! White Mage was my first healer, but I value the ability to preempt damage that Scholar provides. Nothing better than seeing a raidwide fail to touch the party's actual health. Your "real flame" ain't shit, bud.

(...A-hem. Right. Fashion.)

I wasn't sold on the ribbons at first, but military-formal longcoats with gold trim win out every time. Plus, it matches the book. Kinda funny that my two favorite classes still use these specific chestpieces, under the circumstances. What can I say? The li'l lady does good work.

Astrologian

Another victory for pants that look like shirts: that white bit with the triangles? Not part of the chestpiece! There's no good shot of it here, but the boots also have star ornaments that match the ones on the coat.

This one was fun to figure out the staging for. Originally, I was cropping these shots down, but didn't like how inconsistent the sizing was. Had to redo half of them, but I'd figured out proper lighting by then, so it worked out.

Sage

Once, Millie had a daydream of an admiral leading a fleet through the sea of stars, and feverishly assembled this getup in response.

Strange how things work out sometimes. The Manusya/Bonewicca gear was a mainstay of outfits past, but this is the only one in which the gloves survive. On the other hand, I might never have known the Raincoat's fashion potential if I'd never gone to the aquarium.

(Shoutouts to the Eorzean Museum Network, whose passion for elaborate digital projects, despite the conclusions you might draw from this post, far eclipses my own.)

Monk

This outfit originally belonged to Samurai, but I felt the simpler design drew better attention to those fists. Includes matching heavy metal boots, to amp the impact of kicks.

Dragoon

Another outfit where I was aiming for military-formal before I stumbled ass-backwards into this chestpiece while browsing the PvP gear. It just somehow incidentally went with all the other pieces I already had. Still hardly believe it.

Ninja

Nondescript traveler. Dressed well, but unmemorably. Safe to ignore.

I'm not actually that big a fan of the whole mystical wizard direction that Ninja takes; this outfit is meant to evoke its origins in Rogue. I even had Generic Dagger as a weapon for a while- anything with a proper hilt guard just doesn't feel right- but these shortblades better represent Millennia's actual threat level.

Might change the boots for something softer-soled sometime, but I like the way they flow into the pants.

Samurai

Used to have a cyberpunk getup that I was very proud to have assembled, but the vibes never hit quite right. I got very lucky with this year's Heavensturn reward. Also features the #55 boots, another staple of outfits past. Black and gold and so on, you know.

Reaper

I saw the scythe and I saw the chest and I knew I had a winner. I wish the skirt was a little less ornate? But it's like, the only one Reaper can wear that also has pants. So many opportunities for your dress to fly up in these latest dungeons...

Shoutouts to every DRK main with the same chestpiece, and the one Reaper I saw with the same getup but in white. I am shaking your collective hands.

Bard

Leaned into the outdoorsman/hunter look for this one. I debated waiting until Valentione's ended to pose in the amphitheatre, but fame is a mantle ill-tailored to Minnie; she'd rather perform for friends than crowds. Not that I've. ever actually used the performance feature...

Machinist

It may look silly when using flamethrower, but there's no real alternative to the platonic ideal of [Gun]. I'm sure you're all shocked to see another military-formal kit as well.

Sometimes it bothers me that so many of these just use Normal Black Glove, but you don't really need anything fancier if the sleeves and cuffs are good on their own.

Dancer

It is. so hard. to find Dancer-y outfits that actually cover the body. Very satisfied when this one came together.

Having second thoughts on the boots, but most other options were pointier than I liked. Not trying to evoke Waluigi, y'know?

Black Mage

Refined and elegant and big metal boots. Another little joke. Very lucky they released that hat; a surprising number of these pieces only came out within the last few weeks. The Appointed flatcap is fine- you've seen it in a couple outfits already- but the puffier look vibes better in general, I think.

Those gloves were the last piece I got before I considered this project complete enough to show off. They took three days to drop.

Worth it.

Summoner

I wanted a heavier look for Ifrit's melee skills and a draconic vibe overall. The Radiant's chest was my first pick, but ended up too monochrome; this still ticks all the boxes and pairs well with the Archfiend gauntlets.

Gonna need a new outfit if Oracle becomes real, though.

Red Mage

Took me a while to settle on this chestpiece. Used to have a lightly-armored look which had a scarf I rather liked, but there kept being too much brown leather for my tastes. This way, though, I can draw narrative connections to Alisaie. Inspiring and being inspired in turn, kinda deal.

Disciple of the Hand

If not for the utility belt, this would make for a perfect casual outfit. And the gloves, but those're on purpose.

Lenny's more keen on the intricate, high-detail work of alchemy and goldsmithing than the blunt routine of armorsmithing and the like. However, the armorsmithing guild has excellent staging, so that's whatcha get.

Someday, I plan to assemble unique outfits for each Disciple of Hand and Land, but for now I am literally out of glamour plates. Desperately hoping they add more by the time 7.0 rolls around.

Disciple of the Land

Did you know? The Disciples of Hand and Land share the base animations of the Paladin! I've exploited that for the action shot. Please do not chop wood one-handed unless you know what you're doing.

I think at this point the outfit speaks for itself, but that coat serves as a good reminder of how expensive this whole endeavor was. Must've cost about a million gil on its own, and that's with the relative discount of buying the materials and crafting it myself! Let alone all the jet-black dye I still haven't bought. I used to have savings in the seven digits...

Blue Mage

Didn't think I'd forgot, didja?

This one's a little special. Millennia uses the guise of Azuro as an escape from the pressures of being World's Savior; this outfit is deliberately gaudier than the others to better create a separate sense of identity.

Sometimes I wonder if using an Allagan outfit on a Meracydian job is in poor taste, but it's already being exploited for bloodsport, so...

...Uh. Azuro?

Whatcha... Whatcha doin' there, bud?

?????

Thank you for reading.

#you will Look at Millennia or there will be Consequences (i'll cry)#millennia #ffxiv #gpose #undescribed #condolences if the readmore fails. this post is Big.#my own wardrobe may be done for now but I'm adequately overconfident to offer my aid to anyone trying to Fashion for themselves #hit me up if you wanna

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a-bit-too-much-of-a-pokemon-fan · 1 year

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Just beat my first Nuzlocke of Pokémon SV, specifically Violet. It was really fun, as I always hope for a Nuzlocke to be. Let's talk about it.

The difficulty is reasonable with my ruleset. I used level caps, so I never went into a Team Star base, Titan battle, or Gym battle with a Pokémon overlevelled (except for a couple times I accidentally made one go one level over right before the battle, fight me). I do use items in battle, which I had to rely somewhat heavily. I also used Terastyllization, which I know some Nuzlockers don't do.

The difficulty for me came more from the sheer lack of encounters you get. I count 36 including your starter (you can use the Team Star bases as encounters if you lure an aggressive Pokémon in from outside). Platinum, the first game I Nuzlocked, gives you 52 by my count, 33% more.

I had a total of 36 Pokémon, two of which were shiny clause'd in. I lost 12 over the whole run. Not bad.

The Elite Four is a real interesting case here for one reason: you have access to your boxes between fights. I made a unique team for each battle and ultimately used 16 Pokémon over the five battles. Did that make it easier? Oh yeah, definitely. Next time I will take in a team of six to take on the gauntlet.

Encounters had to be handled differently from past games, and I think I took a lazy and possibly cheap route. I basically entered a new area, saw my first Pokémon, decided if I wanted it, and if I didn't, re-positioned, charged in with my eyes closed, and took what I got. I might want to pick a stricter system next time.

TMs! I was disgruntled when I saw that TMs are single use only again, but when I actually played the game and found so many TMs just by exploring, I decided that the change was fine. I used a few TMs, which were helpful. I will say that crafting was more limited than my vanilla run because I was battling so far fewer wild Pokémon and just never got some materials.

The 400-Pokémon-strong regional dex comes in clutch. There were so many Pokémon to possibly encounter. It makes routing encounters more difficult but also means each playthrough will be that much more unique.

Grinding is so much less unpleasant than previous gens, oh god. Before I started hacking rare candies into my DS game runs (grinding is cringe, rare candies w/ level caps are based), grinding was absolutely miserable. There were really only a couple points in Violet where I had to stop my momentum to either grind out Tera raids or send a mon out to auto-battle for a while.

Mandatory Exp All is good here, actually. Cuts down majorly on grinding, and you can easily stay in level cap because you have access to your boxes at all times. Oops, my Skeledirge hit level cap way before the gym? Into the box he goes. Boom, easy.

Overall, I had a really good time and I'm looking forward to my next run down the line. I'll find ways to make it harder next time. I think I'll wipe almost immediately if I don't use any items, so maybe only 3 items per battle? Something like that.

I'm glad I chose to make my first ever run of Violet vanilla. It is so much fun catching all the Pokémon that Paldea has to offer, so I'm glad I didn't deprive myself of that just to do a blind Nuzlocke. I also got to experience the progression in my own way, for better or worse. If you got this far into this post and somehow still haven't played Scarlet or Violet at all, I highly recommend a vanilla run first before you Nuzlocke it.

Thanks for reading!

#Nuzlocke #pokemon scarlet and violet #pokemon sv

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1358456 · 2 years

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Pokemon Yellow Exploration Run Part 1

Hehe. I really wanted to try it, so... here we go. Divided into parts because the grinding parts take up a lot of time and I don’t want to do all that in one sitting.

Here we go again.

So the Yellow Version’s opening shows Pikachu surfing. And if I recall, if you do have Pikachu with Surf, the overworld sprite uses the surfboard Pikachu...

And same for Fly. We shall see... perhaps. Let the experimentations commence!

It’s only fitting, then, that my name is Dr. Red.

And the rival is just some schmuck from the hick-town of Pallet.

... What happens if I just choose to leave immediately instead of picking up the Eevee ball...

Ah. One of the very few times the game stops you from going off of the beaten path.

Subject Alpha is prepared. But the equipment is not. So for now...

... Until all of my stuff is up and ready. Huhuhu...

Grinding away for a Butterfree for the totally-Rock-type-Gym whose first guy doesn’t even have a single Rock type, AND future uses!

Beat Brock, rush to Cerulean, skipping as many trainers as possible, force my way through Nugget Bridge, forget that I used up all Confusion PP while in a fight against a Hiker who has 3 Geodudes, and...

Well. Some things never change. And now Butterfree has fulfilled its mission, which was to Sleep Powder an Abra for Teleport for this glitch abuse.

Beat up Misty by Transforming into her own Starmie, and then fight my way to Vermilion City, and skip Lt. Surge!

And now that I got HM01 from a captain who got seasick on a ship that hadn’t even left the harbor yet, now I get to see the ship leave. And it will never come back. Or so you’re told, anyways. We’ll be back.

Technically there’s a glitch-proof way of getting back here without the ship leaving, which is to throw a fight and lose onboard SS Anne so I get teleported to the Pokemon Center, which then skips the scene where the ship leaves, therefore no one stops you from coming back here. But that’s boring and requires me to throw a fight. So... no.

Now to go to a gambling hall where a kid is apparently allowed in, that’s very clearly operated by the yakuza of this world. It’s even called Rocket Game Corner.

Giovanni. The First Chairman of the Rocket Clan. No dynamic intros or epic boss theme in this 2D not-animated game.

With the Silph Scope here, I can go to the Pokemon Tower, get a Pokeflute, wake up and murder a couple of Snorlax by getting Mew to Body Slam (TM08) them, and rush to Fuchsia City for the Safari Zone. All with only two badges. ... And I realize that without beating Lt. Surge, I don’t get the Thunderbolt TM, which is a huge detriment. AND I don’t get access to Fly, which I do need for Cinnabar Island shenanigans. But that’s a future problem.

So. Enter the Safari Zone. Immediately try to leave twice. Save. Reload. And turn back around to leave and...

The game no longer realizes that I’m already in the Safari Zone. So if I just leave and wander around somewhere, 500 steps later...

I’m stopped by a magical PA system in the middle of nowhere and recalled to the Safari Zone. Leave the building again and...

Welcome to Glitch City. Population: you. It seems that this iteration of Glitch City doesn’t have a lot of exploring room. Sometimes you can go far enough that all you see is water, and if you open up the menu, you’re standing on water. But this time, no. I’m only permitted a tiny area for movement.

Looks like the game’s time maxed out thanks to Glitch City. It was at “9 hours” (thanks to the 10000% boost on the emulator) before going to the city, and now it’s maxed out. ... And of course the max time is 1 minute less than 256 hours. Always 255 in the old games, since that’s the maximum number you can fit in 2 digits of the Hexadecimal system (FF = 255, 100 = 256). That’s why in RGBYGSC, there are 255 Pokemon data slots! But in RGBY there are 151 Pokemon, leaving 104 Missingnos! And in GSC, with 251 Pokemon, there are 4 glitch Pokemon slots. ... I guess 3 slots, since an egg takes up one of them.

And I see that the game tells me which Gym I should be challenging one after the other. I physically can’t access Blaine without Surf... unless I can levitate. ... I will be experimenting that next.

For now, time to enjoy an activity in Glitch City.

Looks like there’s nothing in this iteration. I guess the game used the Cerulean City’s Gym water asset for this spawn. The first time I came to Glitch City, I caught a Tentacruel. Which is why in my actual games, when I RNGed a Tentacruel, the nickname I gave it is GlitchCity.

Well, to get out of this city, all I need is Fly... oh. Well, good thing I still kept Abra for Teleport. Time to Teleport to the last Pokemon Center I’ve been to, realize that I did NOT go to the center in Fuchsia City, and warp back to Lavender Town! ... F*ck. I have to walk all the way back there again.

Next time.

#pokemon yellow

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millennialdemon · 2 months

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It's hard to explain but Black Clover feels very much like Boruto to me, at least in terms of story structure and leaving me feeling like absolutely nothing has happened over the span of 52 episodes. It's just inconsequential arc followed by inconsequential arc with no overarching story? I’m not saying every arc of Black Cover has to be advancing Asta’s goal to become wizard king, a story can be about more than 1 thing, blah blah blah, but the only thing that has happened to one of the Good Guys TM in this story is Fuegoleon (a tertiary character) being injured in that abysmal zombie invasion arc, and even then that only mattered to any of the other characters in the story for 1 episode.

Maybe what I am actually trying to articulate is there being no compelling stakes in Black Clover, and maybe that is why it feels like I am watching a borderline episodic anime most of the time. Asta and a random selection of his dumbass team mates go on a mission, they win by trying really hard and never giving up, maybe other people from other teams show up to help and have a cameo. Asta learns how to swing his sword even better-er, and maybe one of his dumbass team mates devolves into crushing on him (Noelle), or learns something but doesn’t actually, functionally change much about how they behave (everyone else). Sometimes Yuno shows up and reminds the audience that he and Asta are totally rivals, by saying it out loud to Asta, who confirms it to indeed be the case. Tomfoolery at their dumbass base occurs for a few minutes and the Black Bulls are back at it again on another mission after being given a vague debrief by the most lame king ever conceived.

But what if a member of the Black Bulls died in one of the multiple fights against the Midnight Sun these past 50 episodes and everyone stopped being chibi funhavers for more than 10 minutes? What if Magna or Luck lost a limb in a fight because they kept pushing forward when their captain told them to fall back, and we could see there being consequences to inexperience or insubordination? Similarly, what if Yami paid for his laid back approach to leadership, and put a task upon someone who really, genuinely wasn’t able to do what he vaguely insisted they probably could do? What if magical knights in the Clover Kingdom actually had a code of conduct, and could be summoned to an internal court hearing and be banished or released from their position for brazen misconduct?

I’m a bit of a harpy, sure, and I certainly don’t love the Black Bulls, but my wishing injury and death upon the protagonists in this story isn’t just for the sake of malice. Unless its Gauche, in which case it is.

It’s mostly because death and loss make things happen. They make characters change course, literally and emotionally, and seeing that it is possible for our heroes to lose, whatever losing entails, would make for a better viewing experience. Black Clover doesn’t have to be a grimdark Berserk-core fantasy story to appeal to me, but even Naruto, very early on, had our protagonists grappling with death and sacrifice, and surprising each other, themselves, and the audience with that they were willing to do to win or save their team mates.

I don’t know lads. When I watch Black Clover I am usually hoping something bad happens to our protagonists because I’m bored to tears. The Black Bulls will embark on another mission at the behest of the most lame king ever conceived, and maybe they will be roughed up a little if someone formidable shows up, but they will have an easy magical recovery over the span of a day or two, and then it is back to the grind. None of the friends they make along the way will die, and if they are injured, don’t worry, they’ll be fine next time they meet again. Our ragtag group of idiots will always prevail over agents bent on evil and revenge by simply yelling that they will never give up, and perpetually pushing the limits of their abilities to no narrative consequence. And then we hit the reset button and do it allllllll overrrrrr againnnnnnnnn!

#:Black Clover #watching this for me is just.#*waits for something to happen to change the status quo. waits for something to happen to change the status quo. waits for something to hap

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