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#which really sucks because there are SO MANY good romance games but the most well known one is this half hearted thing
bonny-kookoo · 10 months
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Jungkook
𝐄𝐯𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Just a game
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Every year, he joins the old tradition of traveling, where his ancestors have once ruled the skies. Every year, he meets familiar faces and new ones he's never seen before. Every year, he watches how his brothers find their mates, build their families, and introduce new generations to stories as old as time. But this year, something might be different. This year, there's you - a treasure worth more than he could ever offer.
Tags/Warnings: Dragon!Jungkook, strangers to lovers/mates, mentions of folklore and traditions, modern fantasy, romance, human?Reader, Fluff, Courting, MC kinda wary of kook at first, but he's cute give him a chance pls
Additional Chapter Warnings: reader has some internal struggles, slight angst, fluff?
Length: Short (because tumblr eats long drafts these days)
A/N: I'm not done force-feeding you my dragon boy yet. Also thanks noni for the content ideas for this AU, I'll definitely use them well!
-> Masterlist
⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅
He's waiting for you to approach him, and you know that. But you're pretty much terrified of doing that- especially considering how many gifts he's already received from all those pretty dragons around him.
Every dragon learns a craft from their parents when they're young. Be it woodworking or carving, braiding, knitting- every family has something they're good at. For Jungkook's, you've learned that he's a born protector. He's not necessarily good at any delicate handcraft, but is more gifted in anything involving physical strength. He knows multiple self-defense sports according to his friend Jimin, and due to him fully embracing his dragon blood, he also knows his own, and other's, instincts very well, and is able to almost sense if someone poses a threat just by nods language and instinct alone.
Meanwhile you grew up without a functioning family. You only had your father who had to work most of the time- so you basically grew up all by yourself, and never really learned anything you could use right now to impress him.
He's going to participate in the hunt this year, and traditionally, participants will receive tokens of good luck from admirers or family. You know he's waiting for you to give him something, anything really since that would be your way of courting him as well- but there's nothing you could give him.
You suck at everything.
Compared to what you've seen others give him as an offering, your own gift feels pathetic, like an admission that you're just not fit to be a good partner for him. But you know that giving him nothing at all might confuse him- it might give him the wrong idea, could make him think that you don't like him after all, which wouldn't be true at all.
It's just that the more you start to like him, the smaller your confidence shrinks.
And you don't know what to do about it.
⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅ ── ⋅ ⋅
You watch how he gets ready for the hunt, lanterns all around lighting up the scene. You can see the way some older woman paints his ink-free arms in runes for protection, while other younger dragons are watching, swooning and trying to see if he's wearing any of their tokens.
He's not, from what you can see.
You could just be cool and give it to him. You know he likes you enough that you could give him a handful of dirt and he'd keep it safely in his pocket during the entire hunt as to not loose it. But you want to impress him too, as impossible as that might be.
But there's nothing you've got that could do that.
He seems to look around, searching for something, when an elder calls for everyone to get to their starting spots. Your heart is racing, your eyes are stinging with unshed tears as you grip the clumsily braided bracelet, before you finally jump over your shadow.
If you don't do anything, you might loose any chance of potentially being with him- and it's just not worth it.
"Jungkook!" You call out, and he immediately turns towards you, as if relieved to see you. "I, uh.." you stammer, before you simply grab his hand, slap the bracelet in it before closing his fingers around it-
And running away to hide, because that was the most embarrassing thing you've ever done.
Unbeknownst to you, he himself is a bit caught off guard for a second, before he looks at what you've given him.
The braiding isn't very neat- it's bigger and tighter in some spots, and there's knots here and there where they shouldn't be- but it's clear that the wooden beads are handmade, and from the way you've tried to create a pattern (and the fleeting sight of your fingers covered in bandaids), he realizes how much effort you've put into it.
It makes him smile as he slips it onto his wrist, tying it tightly with the help of his teeth so he won't lose it later.
He gets to the starting point assigned to him, sleeveless top hiding none of his actual tattoos, nor his toned physique. It's just a play this time, not a serious hunt- that'll be later, in a few days. Tonight, it's just so the participants can get the layout of the woods ingraved into their minds, to become familiar with everything before actually seriously racing for their own mate.
He's not invited you yet. Has not given you a token of his own yet- his necklace being merely a way to impress you, but not an actual offering of more than just fleeting interest.
Maybe he won't invite you at all. Who knows?
But when you see your clumsily made gift on his wrist, and his eyes on you having easily found you amongst the spectators, you feel like he will.
You feel like he's made up his mind already. You feel like he knows exactly what he wants now that you've made that step towards him.
He wants you.
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Meet the Writer Tag!
(Thank you so much to @mysticstarlightduck for tagging me! Sorry I took so long lol)
This is me!
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(I don't normally wear this many accessories/jewellery lol. But I wish I did! I love it sm)
Three Fun Facts About Me:
I have never been in a relationship before. Ever. The only experience I have in that department is through other people's stories, not really my own. And by that, I mean that I'm used to watching my friends/people around me getting in and out of relationships, and listening to songs about romance and love and heartbreak... but not really relating to them due to not having any of those experiences myself (but it's alright, tho. It'll happen when it happens! In the meantime, I always have my made-up ships from my writing lol).
My favourite book growing up was "Matilda" by Roald Dahl. I thought Matilda was such a cool girl growing up lol. And lowkey relatable in a lot of ways. No, I wasn't a child genius. But she kind of fits into the archetype that I always found comfort in due to being that kind of person myself. Smart/intellectually curious, bookworm, introverted/independent, genuinely kind and has a heart in spite of being seen as cold by others (another example of this is Huey from Boondocks. Been rewatching some episodes of that show recently and wow... forgot how crazy it was lol. It's good, tho).
Christmas is my favourite holiday! 🎅❄️🎄I do get why some people may dislike it, I guess (like, my younger sister isn't a fan, and she's explained why... I get it. The over-commercialisation of it takes a lot of the "specialness" out of it, you know? Distracts from the actual meaning behind it and all. Plus, it can suck if you're just feeling sad and lonely during a time of celebration for everyone else. Aside from that, technically Easter is more significant if you look at it from the lens of which Christian holiday is most important). But I love the joyfulness and festiveness. Makes me feel all jolly and cosy inside. Plus, I love singing Christmas carols. And presents. And Christmas movies. I just love Christmas lol.
Favorite season:
Autumn. Or fall, as some others prefer to call it. That's when my birthday is!!
(Second place is summer because that's holiday season. Plus, that's when my sister's birthday is.)
Continent where I live:
I live in the UK, so Europe.
How I spend my (free) time:
Writing (duh)
Writeblr stuff (tag games, making OC playlists, answering questions, communicating with followers and having discussions with them about writing, etc)
YouTube (mainly watching videos... but I do want to start making videos myself at some point. Stay tuned for that, I guess)
Studying/school assignments (I'm in university)
Listening to music
Singing
Watching movies/TV shows
Reading
Eating lol
Are you published?
No. It'd be cool to be, though. Pretty sure I've mentioned this at least once before, but I want to self-publish the Stephanie Smith saga once I'm done with it.
Introvert or extrovert?
Introvert. 100% introvert lol. I feel most comfortable within myself when I'm by myself. As a kid, I was so painfully shy that the thought of going up to someone and asking a simple question would terrify me lol. As I got older, though, I was super duper lonely, and I realised that I had no real friends because I was keeping myself all closed off in a tight shell, so I'd literally force myself to open up and become more social and make friends with other kids. I practised it, like how you do with any skill. Now it's not so bad. I'd say I can carry a conversation with someone fairly well, even if I don't know them so well.
Favorite meal:
Ooooh.... this is hard. I love most foods lol.
I think I'll go with something a little bit more traditional. I'm Kenyan, and one of my favourite meals that I've grown up eating is chapatti and stew (any kind of stew, or soup. But my mum would usually make this stew with kidney beans. That was a big hit growing up). Haven't had it in almost a year, tho.
Aside from that, I love pizza. And Nandos.
Tagging: @clairelsonao3, @exquisitecrow, @mister-writes, @winterandwords, @mjparkerwriting, @e-everlasting-g, @erieautumnskies, @annethewittywriter, @writingwithfolklore, @ashwithapen
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kaija-rayne-author · 10 months
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Bear with me here. I only started playing DA games a couple months ago, so still a huge special interest for me.
Perspective is such an interesting part of these games, and I love how they juxtapose that against current events and characters' personal goals/needs.
Let's say you're the bodyguard of someone you really respect. You fail in your job to protect. You're doing your damnedest to save people who need to be free. You're a freedom fighter, because you care, deeply.
Your protectee is murdered, but you survived. I would imagine this would be something that could piss you off.
You imprison the perpetrators in the only way you can.
Then because it was such a big magical undertaking, you pass out and slip into uthenera for thousands of years.
You wake up, a bit groggy, find out how weak you are (which, to someone who has never been lessened in power is awful) possibly panic a little and fuck up.
You see you fucked up, while dealing with some pretty massive mental illness issues (PTSD, Depression, anxiety, survivor-complex) just for starters).
The entire world feels like a bad dream. Like it felt for people seeing the alternate future.
Humanity, a species you last remember as 'beings setting up tents in mud, selling bone beads, who stank a lot' have somehow flourished and enslaved the very people (or the descendants of your people?) you gave so much to free.
I don't see how, given that, at the beginning of the game Solas could honestly feel any different.
It'd be like waking up and finding out some sort of creature you thought of as vermin (sorry human lovers, perspective here) was running the world and harming your grandkids.
And worse, because of how you imprisoned the murderers, it actually tore the world you were trying to save apart, dooming said grandkids.
Except, familiarity can breed caring as well as contempt. He learns over time, as he's repairing his strength and healing his mind, that these 'tranquils' are still actually people. If romanced, you even fall in love with one of them!
Aaaand, you're probably also (originally) a wisdom spirit with any spirit's ability to demonize. Into Pride in his particular case.
It's a miracle he's not even more stand-offish with people.
Pride can blind us to a lot of things. In many established world religions, pride is bad. It's a deadly sin in xtian mythology.
And Solas is both wisdom and pride. Two sides of the same coin.
It's warped into his very being.
His character growth arc from who he is at the beginning of the game, to who he is at the end is so well written.
I hope Dreadwolf continues his growth arc in some way. I really love growth arcs. He might even have a redemption arc.
I think it's utterly delicious when authors play with perspective like this. It's really well done with Solas.
I only wish I felt more of the other characters were as well written so I could analyze them, too. But honestly, most of them really aren't well characterized. On a professional level, I'd send them back to the author with a gentle suggestion that they do some more character development & much needed writing for them.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Note that I base all my analyses on the base game and DLCs. I haven't managed to afford the books yet. (Being poor sucks.) So there could easily be information I don't have access to. And wasn't there a show? Was that any good? (I struggle with passive entertainment like tv shows.)
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neu-apostolisch · 3 months
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i feel like the conversation gets derailed when people hyperfocus on "but it's an interesting plot!” and bg3 the game, when the point—at least the one that was originally made in the complaints on here—was that it was odd that they agreed that him ending it all in Act 3 was The Right Ending, and the implications that has when you consider how they treat gale versus all the other characters, as well as how they use their treatment of their characters to make comments about those social issues in real life. people weren't upset that they were presented with that rp choice or that such an ending even exists for him; they were upset by the comments of the creators and how they would never say such a thing for gale's mirror, aka a certain vampire. you brought up good arguments to that anon and i don't mean to discount either of your statements i really don't, but people were upset by what the creators specifically said which was yeah in many ways that is the right ending. sorry for continuing to discourse and vent in your inbox lol this isn't directed at you i just liked reading your thoughts so far because you said it better than i could have. i just really don't like how "but it's interesting and not every story has to be happy" and "you're just too attached to gale" get thrown out as rebuttals when that's really neither here nor there and doesn't address the actual issue being raised.
hello! thanks for your thoughts. and yeah, the discourse on this topic has gotten pretty…difficult to engage with, in a sense. that’s what prompted my first post on the topic actually—eagle eyed readers of my posts might find another one where i complained about the discourse only to follow up with a long winded treatise lolol. but i did it because i felt the conversation was lacking a specific viewpoint, so be the change you want to see in the world and all that. i’ve actually really appreciated the responses from everyone on the post/follow up! :)
as a proud galemancer i deeply feel the frustration of all of us. on a personal level, this sucks. i love our wizard boy and he deserves better! the complaints and anger make sense to me. the writers treating him so glibly is rough, but before i talk about it i always try to remind myself of what IS there—which is a really interesting story about a gentleman with some complex flaws, motives, and goals. the writers talking about which ending is “right” cannot take that away, and you should feel comfortable disagreeing with the writers!
to my fellow gale enjoyers and galemancers—i would encourage you to maintain a critical lens but also to continue to enjoy and mine out the richness that is there. sure, that’s a rosy and maybe naive view, but don’t allow the frustration to infect your enjoyment of an amazing character. i am not saying to settle for less, but if you can’t think of gale without despairing at his treatment, you should step away from the conversation for a moment to refresh yourself before you get too stuck in the bog. it’s healthy to remind yourself why you’re here—because you think a wizard is really really cool. he’s got one of the most fulfilling and interesting romances in the game, the unique scenes with him are gorgeous, and he’s an incredible character.
i actually have additional criticisms about how they handled other characters in this game. it’s funny, but a common knee-jerk reaction people have when they read criticism of something is that the critic must not like the writing or the game, so they automatically jump in to argue on that point. on the contrary, a lot of criticism comes from a place of genuine support and appreciation for writing, game design, and narrative structure. but you’ll see a lot of backlash from people misinterpreting that idea or taking criticism personally, so that’s why i’m always careful to state my positives and that i truly love this game. it’s as much a reminder to me as it is a declaration to others. i’m not here because i want to hate on larian. i’m here because i want to chat about stuff to the internet machine and maybe people like you and the other anon(s) will say some interesting stuff back to me.
the right kind of discourse is actually healthy for a fandom because it keeps ideas flowing and circulating, and lets us commiserate together. however, i might just be relaxed because people have been really civil to me so far hahaha.
anyway, thanks again for your ask! hope you have a good one.
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Whump Intro
Hi, hello! 
Um, I’ve been avoiding this intro bc I am a shy awkward hermit that usually just lurks and likes stuff, but that doesn’t really work on Tumblr so here I am! Plus I wanted to use Whumptober to force myself into sharing my writing and figured it might be useful to introduce myself first.
You can call me starlit, or anna, or hey you, I don’t really care lol. She/her pronouns. I love reading fantasy & fantasy romance, writing, and playing RPG video games when I have the time (usually fantasy based-are we sensing a theme here? 😂)
Before we get to more about me nonsense-
Acknowledgements!
Shout out to @i-can-even-burn-salad
For beta reading for me and then being brave enough to share her stories with me. And for sucking me into Tumbler lol. And for talking to me all the time and making me laugh. And for being such a great person. <3
I love her writing and stories so much. Please, please, check her writing out. It's worth it, I promise! Bring tissues though!!
Best internet friend ever trophy, where is it? I need to send it… oh, there it is. Here you go, Elli! 🏆🎉💜
I haven't had the opportunity to check out many other blogs yet, bc someone has such an extensive back catalog 👀 😂 but tagged below is the one I have read. I devoured Traces in one day because it was so good. Highly recommend!
Traces by @whumping-in-the-wings - Thanks for writing such a great story! Can't wait to see what happens next :)
(Obligatory disclaimer: heed the warnings. They are well-tagged.)
I've got my eye on several other blogs once I have a little more time. Hope ya'll like spam likes/reblogs/comments, bc I'm a bit enthusiastic 😂
Ok, back to me, I suppose. Under the cut 🤣
I tend to use emojis excessively, but don’t expect me to know the meaning of them beyond face-value expressions. I shamelessly claim elder millennial status as an excuse (which means I’m 18+, obviously).
I’m audhd (combo autistic/adhd), but I didn’t find that out until earlier this year, so I’m still very used to tiptoeing around people and holding myself back out of self-preservation. Working on that though, bc I’m tired of that shit. 
Erm, also… fuck is my favorite word. If you don’t like foul language, I might not be a great fit for you. 
I joined Tumblr about a month ago, so I am still learning and ask for your patience. (I will probably be learning for quite some time, tbh) If I’m doing something wrong, please let me know so I can fix it.
Asks are welcome, although not sure what you would ask me lol. With asks, keep in mind that I’m literal as fuck and context is everything :D
As is fairly common from what I’ve seen in this community, I’ve daydreamed whump for as long as I can remember, and it’s nice to:
1. know what to call it 🥲
2. find someplace where I don’t feel weird about getting it out of my head and putting it on digital paper. Well, not quite as weird haha.
I’m super nervous to post on here, but that’s what I’m here for, so… deep breaths 😶
Likes: 
*Fantasy whump 
Magic w/ consequences
Captivity
Torture/punishments 
Restraints
Dub/non-con 
Emotional whump/angst 
Defiant whumpee
Breaking whumpee to the point of hopeless despair before building them back up again
Revenge against whumper 
Creepy/intimate whumper 
Named characters 
Recovery arcs, bonus points for romance <3
Eventual Happy endings after copious amounts of suffering
I write what I like, btw. I have written explicit romance previously, but I’m not sure if I will here.
I will try to be diligent with my warnings, but as those are new for me as well, I may miss some. Please let me know if I do and I will fix it! (within reason, don't ask me to tag something like sadness. that's a typical emotion. extremes like depression, yes. sadness, no.)
* Disclaimer: I will only ever write fantasy. I prefer to read fantasy as well, but I have made exceptions when I get the tropes I want :D 
Squicks: 
I’m willing to try most anything once. 
In general though, I tend to avoid cannibalism, major character death, hard-core conditioning, whumper redemptions, bad caretakers 
I’m excited to join the community here and looking forward to participating in Whumptober! I have no idea how well I’ll keep up since I only decided to write for it 3 days before the event, but I’m willing to try 😅
Even if I can’t keep up during October's events, I do plan to finish the storyline and there will be a happy end :D  
Fuck, this got long. Sorry!!!
See you all around! 💜
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dvar-trek · 25 days
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February Romance Roundup
what a fucking month! most of these books were bad, but the good ones were so fucking good that i got scared to read anything else in case i had to knock them out of the top spots. mostly what i did instead was learn too much about real hockey players. i, uh. i don't want to talk about what my wikipedia history looks like right now. ANYWAY!
the best of:
there's a tie for first place. sorry. it's my roundup and i make the rules.
Season's Change by Cait Nary- book one in the Trade Season series. if i can convince you to read one hockey romance book, please let it be this one. the yearning. the fucking tenderness. fuck. a veteran player (who is Going Thru It after having been harassed off his previous team) catches feelings for his roommate/teammate, who is. definitely for sure straight don't even worry about it. they help each other, like, grow as people and rebuild their lives, and it's funny and fond and it made my fucking chest hurt. it is really nothing like the captive prince trilogy, but the vibes are the same. i always read my faves multiple times, but i don't even want to tell you how many times i've already re-read this book. i am so fucking soft for these characters i can't even tell you.
Unwritten Rules by KD Casey- bounced off of this twice before i got sucked in, and then it rocketed to the top of the list. another one that is so fuckign tender. two guys who love each so goddamned much, but break up because one of them is entirely unable to stomach the idea of anyone else in the entire world knowing that he's gay (like, including other gay people), and the other one is suffocating under the pressure of not being able to be out to even his family or closest friends. and then a year and a half after the breakup, they see each other again and it is. exquisitely painful. and they have to decide how to work through it. yes this is another sports romance. don't @me. (also, pro tip, pretty reliable way to make me cry: give me a story with people who are so fucking in love, but the love isn't enough. whether or not it has a happy ending, i will cry every time i talk about it forever.)
the rest of:
loved | liked | okay | didn't like
hockey
 ●Contract Season by Cait Nary (second book in the Trade Season series. obviously had high hopes, considering, as discussed above, the first one wrecked me, but it is simply not as good. country singer and hockey player who hooked up one time get outed. in order to try and keep this from torpedoing their careers, they agree to pretend to be dating for the cameras. the plot had some weird back-and-forths, like, they both just kept fucking up the relationship in the same ways over and over. also, one of them was named Seamus, went by "Shay" for short, but spelled it "Sea". authors, please do not fucking do this. i have 25+ years of practice reading the word "sea" and it was so much work to get my brain to read this with the intended pronunciation.)  ●Game Changer by Rachel Reid (book 1 in the Game Changers series. i had high hopes for this one too, because book 2 of this series is one of the most beloved stories in m/m hockey romance. however. it's not great. closeted hockey player fucks his way into a relationship for the first time in his life. but then after like, 2 fucking months, the boyfriend is like "if you don't come out, you have no integrity and also i will need to break up with you because i'm suffocating" which! the narrative treats as being the straightforwardly correct opinion! like, i'm sorry, queer couples have been dealing with not being out, or not being out to everyone, since forever. and the disagreement is not handled anywhere near as well as it is in Unwritten Rules. very difficult to take it seriously. idk. the writing is. fine. still on the waitlist for book 2, but 😕)  ●Winging It (2015 edition) by Ashlyn Kane and Morgan James (i'm giving myself credit for this even though i read the 2022 edition last month because it is essentially an entirely different book. the sex scenes are hotter than in the new edition, but it is otherwise weaker in every way. i give you permission to just skip this one.)  ●Crushed Ice by Ashlyn Kane and Morgan James (the newly released Hockey Ever After book 4. not as good as the first 3, but still basically enjoyable and funny. just features way too many things that are extremely unlikely. this one is about an incredibly uptight veteran player and his rookie who is. uh. well, his nickname is Trouble, if that gives you an idea. loved the characters, did not love the romance.)  ●Road Rules by Brigham Vaughn (nothing really wrong with it, but also nothing in particular to recommend it. novella-length story about best friends/teammates/roommates who start sleeping together even though they are both straight. and then it takes them basically the entire book to figure out that they're probably not straight, and also that everyone already thought they were dating anyway.)  ●Hockey Guys by Sarina Bowen (these books feature very different characters, but have basically the same premise (closeted nhl player starts an ill-advised secret relationship with another man that they maintain is casual even though they catch feelings way too fast) and the same weaknesses (incredibly awkward and unnatural dialogue, and sex that's still hot enough but pretty formulaic). every time i start a sarina bowen book, i think it's going to be so much better than it is. i don't know why i'm still doing this to myself either.)     ○The New Guy     ○I'm Your Guy
sports that are not hockey
 ●Dirty Players by KD Casey and Lauren Blakely (two baseball short stories in the same universe as Unwritten Rules. first one is about players on rival teams in the same city that have long-standing sexual tension. second one is about players in different divisions who have a one-night stand, and then end up traded to the same team. it is incredibly rare ime to find original romance novellas/short stories that still have good pacing, especially if there are sex scenes, and these both fucking nail it. not exactly groundbreaking works of fiction, but top marks for what they are.)     ○Dirty Slide     ○Dirty Steal  ●Top of Her Game by M. Ullrich (y'all i tried so fucking hard to give this a fair chance because i know how embarrassingly little femslash i have on these lists, but i only made it halfway through. which is better than i did on any of the other femslash books i tried to pick up this month. it's not even that bad, it's just not any fun. at all. Kenzie is a rookie soccer player who ends up on the same professional team as Sutton, her idol/celebrity crush. Sutton already has a girlfriend, and also has a bad habit of falling for rookies who worship her, but ? it's different this time ??? because Kenzie's not like other girls????? i don't know, man.)  ●Playing for Keeps by Riley Hart and Neve Wilder (story time: my mom grew up in china during the cultural revolution. foreign literature and anything that wasn't communist enough was illegal, and having it in your possession could get you arrested or worse. but my mom had a classmate whose dad had been a bookseller, and had a secret personal collection of great literature that he couldn't bear to part with, including shakespeare, tolstoy, dostoevsky, and verne. and this classmate used to smuggle in books that she would lend to my mom for one day at a time, and then return them before her dad noticed they were missing. so my mom read a lot of classics really really fast. the way she finished war and peace in one day was, in her words, by "skipping all the war". similarly, the way i got through a mediocre gay (american) football romance series was by skipping all the football. anyway, these are fine, but the writing quality takes a dive in the third.)     ○Rookie Move (rookie player ends up on the same football team as his older brother's best friend, on whom he has a long-standing crush. they get assigned to be road roommates—which, side note, football players make hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars a year, there is no way they make standard-contract players have road roommates—and start having casual sex, which obviously leads to no complications or emotions whatsoever.)     ○False Start (mid-career player gets traded to the city his ex used to play for (and still lives in). ends up moving in to his spare room until he can find a new place, and they start having casual sex, which is always a good idea, and of course leads to no complications or emotions whatsoever.)     ○Illegal Contact (rival players who grew up in the same town have hate sex that gets very intense and possessive very fast. and. as you might guess. definitely leads to no complications or emotions whatsoever.)
everything else
 ●String Theory by Ashlyn Kane and Morgan James (i'm just gonna link you the goodreads description because i honestly don't know what else to say about this book. it's fine. the sex scenes are nothing special. there's a fair amount of therapy-speak. honestly not sure how these writers produce romances of such incredibly variable quality.)  ●His Leading Man by Ashlyn Kane (tbh i have the exact same comments as above. here's the summary. nothing major to complain about or compliment.)  ●Winner Bakes All by Alexis Hall     ○Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake (single mom competes on what is, for legal reasons, not the great british bake off. about what you expect from an Alexis Hall romance. sweet, so fucking funny, and a little awkward. the characters that suck really fucking suck, and the characters that you like are imperfect and lovable. doesn't quite measure up to my other Alexis Hall faves, but it's been a rough month. i'm grading on a curve.)     ○Paris Daillencourt is About to Crumble (takes place on the following season of not-bake-off. uhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. this book is very funny and well-written, but i found it so incredibly painful to read. the pov character has the kind of undiagnosed, untreated anxiety that results in him constantly crying and apologizing profusely for how much he sucks, while continuing to make life very difficult for the people around him. when i got past the halfway point and he still wasn't in therapy, i seriously considered stopping. if you are a better and more patient person than i am, you may still love this book.)  ●Roommate by Sarina Bowen (two guys in a small farm town rent a house together and fall in love. simply not very good! i don't think the author knows anything about the jobs she gave her main characters. it also does the thing where they both know they're into each other, but they won't just be together because ??? hand-wavey reasons ?? and then for other inexplicable hand-wavey reasons, they decide to just go for it. this is infuriating to me.)
thank you for participating in this roundup of highly variable quality! as a reward, please accept this special-edition photo of polwygle.
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Mangas/Webtoons to read as you wait for Brutal: Confessions of a Homicide Detective to update
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⭐= Highly recommend
⚠️ = Warning for uncomfortable content
❤️ = Romance
❤️Garden of the Dead Flowers❤️
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Synopsis:
Mila has always been very close to her grandfather, a sweet and caring man who sees the best in everyone. One night after following a cat, Mila gets sent back to the past when the Dutch colonized Taiwan. Confused and scared, her entire world is turned upside down when she witnesses her once lovable grandfather, now sixteen, brutally murder a young woman. Stuck in the past with no way back, she must navigate a 1940s nightmare and dig up some family secrets, like weeds in the garden. (Romance not between Grandfather and granddaughter)
Why you should read this: Great twists and the MC is very likable. The story is also enjoyable. The grandad is unhinged which is also great to read. Although there are "I can change him" vibes, this might not be for you if you really can't stand that.
⚠️Prison Lab⚠️
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Synopsis:
Eyama Aito, a high school student, is the victim of daily bullying. At his wit's end, he is introduced to the "captivity game," where he must choose a single person to hold for a month for a chance to win a large sum of money. Giving him a valid reason for revenge, he chooses Ya Kirishima, the ringleader of his bullies. The only rule? Do not kill her.
Why you should read this: Revenge fantasy. If you are into " I don't care if two wrongs don't make a right, I just want to see blood," this is for you. No one is the good guy, and everyone sucks. This story is very dark and psychological. Like, really, REALLY dark. Probably the darkest on the list. This is the only story I would put trigger warnings around.
⭐Shen Ze⭐
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Synopsis:
Xu Shenze is your normal everyday teenager. Well, almost normal. Ever since he was a child, he has had the same strange dream of a shadow, a dead town, and an impending message of death. As the shadow slowly took over his life, his parents meet a gruesome end, turning his world upside down. Now, all Xu has left is to find that town in his dreams, a place they claim God once lived, and discover the truth. Will you also join him in this nightmare?
Why you should read this: This has the best art and incredible visuals. The story is very Silent Hill, and I suspect the franchise greatly inspired it. The MC is competent, intelligent, and easy to like. He's antisocial and a little awkward as well. This story has ghosts and many gripping mysteries. I would recommend this webtoon the most out of everything on the list. Very Junji Ito.
⭐Cesare⭐
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Synopsis:
Angelo da Canossa is an angelic young student during the height of Renaissance Italy. Befriending Cesare Borgia, the future inspiration for Machiavelli's 'The Prince,' the question becomes whether Canossa can remain innocent or will be drawn into the politically evil world of Florance? The main message? If you do fall, at the very least, one must be well-dressed. Even Satan can make an entrance.
Why you should read this: The fashion and the political intrigue should be enough to draw anyone in. If you are a fan of brutal history, you will enjoy this manga. The storyline can keep your attention, along with well-rounded characters. Out of all the stories, this one has the best writing.
⚠️Funouhan⚠️
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Synopsis:
In a park, surrounded by cats, sits a strange man with red eyes. He's eccentric, handsome, and the type that makes a shiver go down your spine. You can request that he kill anyone you want, and he can never be prosecuted because he never does anything "illegal." Equipped with a strange power, those he helps will always come to regret it.
Why you should read this: Attractive apathetic male lead with a melodramatic and dark plot. There is clear thought put into each plot, and the story is more serialized than the others on this list. Definitely, a manga that makes you roll your eyes at humanity. There is body horror, so leave this one on the shelf if you really can't handle that.
⚠️From the Red Fog⚠️
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Synopsis:
This work is a story about a boy, Rwanda, whose mother is a vicious murderer, set in England at the end of the 19th century. Rwanda, who has long been confined in the basement, grew up and left the house after a specific incident. Eventually, he arrived in the town and was picked up by a nursing home staff member and decided to live in the facility. But peaceful everyday life is only dull for Rwanda... (description taken from Mangago)
Why you should read this: FANTASTIC storyline. Although it's a bit on the edgelord side. Beautiful art. Mommy issues. Also, it's in Victorian England. This work is closest to Brutal in terms of content.
⭐Versailles of the Dead⭐
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Synopsis:
Marie Anotine's twin brother, Albert, is the only survivor after the carriage travelling to France for his sister's wedding is attacked by zombies. Taking on her identity to keep the alliance alive, Albert marries Louis XV and navigates the court while hiding a dark secret underneath.
Why you should read this: I absolutely adore this manga. I would also highly recommend this on the list. The art is beautiful, and the storyline is very engaging. Albert is a delight (and closest to Hiroki Dan in personality), and who doesn't love a little of Rococo France. Plus zombies. French zombies. There is gore, so a tiny bit of a warning there.
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thespacelizard · 5 months
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for the ask game, shen 26 and 41, rizeth 30 & 55 (because i cant resist my Feelings over him), zeth'rinn 42 and viz 48!
fox you love giving me questions that make me have to dig into character lore for these boys. making me do work smh :p
26 - Guilty Pleasure
Ooh. hm. i don't know that Shen feels super guilty about any of the things he enjoys, but probably his upcoming addiction to serial romance novels would qualify. yes they're not that good, yes most of the plots are the same, yes a lot of them are just thin excuses for erotica but dammit if they're not compelling.
my self-indulgent headcanon is that if Obedience the Series existed inside of Obedience-verse, Ashenivir would be its number one fan
41 - What’s their morning routine like?
He's had different ones over the years. When he was at the Shrine, he had morning meditations/meditation dances, and yes the Shrine sucked but he does miss having those. (we're gonna work through those issues in arc 4 don't you worry).
At the Arcanum he's usually up early, works on some studies for a bit before breakfast-call, then tries to get to the dining hall early enough that it's not too crowded so he can enjoy peace and quiet and food.
Despite this, he's not necessarily a morning person: he's bad at Going To Bed At A Reasonable Hour ft Just One More Chapter. The fact that drow only technically need 4 hours of reverie to function saves his ass.
…can i also interest you in Married To Rizeth Morning Routine, which very often features sleepy kisses, making tea, and kneeling to drink it whilst Rizeth strokes his hair at the kitchen table, or on the couch? Because. That is. everything to me.
30 - What was their adolescence like?
Bad. If we're talking literal teen years, Rizeth was a terrified kid not yet taken to House Velkon'yss. His original House were very minor, and he was acutely aware of how easy it would be for someone to just murder all of them for their assets. Like they were nobility enough to have to adhere very publicly and strictly to Lolthite tenets, but low-ranked enough that they had very little in the way of protection. It wasn't a very stable environment to grow up in.
If we're talking 'loose drow/elven definition of teens' - also bad. He got sent as a consort to House Velkon'yss in his early 20s, which was technically a trade-up, but he was basically just there to be a fun treat for the Matron and the elder daughters to play with. He spent as much time as possible hiding with books, and learning to shove all his feelings deep, deep down. I think he had some 'friends' at Sorcere, as much as he was willing to risk being friendly with anyone. I haven't fleshed all of it out, but I think he did fall for another boy there, and it ended with him being cast aside for the other boys benefit. Or death. I haven't decided.
There are in fact more reasons than just Elian'la being a bad ex that he's got so many hangups around intimate relationships.
i will also say that I do imagine that when he was sent to House Velkon'yss, it was more of a 'the Matron saw him and went "i want him, give him to me"' and there wasn't really a choice. I kinda picture that his mother was much more of a performative Lolthite than a religious one, and really did just want to keep him safe and alive.
55 - What’s your character’s core trait? What’s their best trait? What’s their worst trait? When happens when these all interact with each other?
Ooh, this is good. I'd say Rizeth's core trait is probably selfishness. Now hear me out: not in a bad way. He's just very protective of himself, wants and tries to be as self-sufficient as possible, and has a hard time trusting things relating to him to other people - that includes work things as well as emotions.
His best trait is his protectiveness. People don't often see that because of how cold he comes across, but he's very protective of all his students, and obviously of Ashenivir. He might be strict on classwork, but he also has zero tolerance for bullying in his classroom, and for parents who try and start shit with him, other teachers, or other students. If you fall under Rizeth's protective umbrella, he will defend you with all his heart - even if he sounds like a bastard doing it.
Worst trait is the same as the core trait, but flipped. He closes himself off because he doesn't trust anyone but himself to care for him. He doesn't leave space to let anyone in, even when he needs help. He brute-forces his way through difficult health, emotions, and work because he's convinced he's the only one who needs/can do it.
All of these interact to make the Rizeth you know and love - a protective idiot who needs someone like Ashenivir to grab him by the heartstrings and say 'hey, dumbass, it's okay to let people care about you, alright?'
42 - What’s the dumbest thing your character’s done?
the thing he did in OSHA game that pissed Jarlaxle off, which was:
find out that there's Something Up in Mythen Thaelas
find out that Jarlaxle/BD have lost all contact with the city
get expressly forbidden from going to find out what's going on there
lie to a group of BD agents that he had permission to take a group there
use the knowledge Valas gave him of the local area to sneak said group into the city, which was overrun by Elvrae and her mind-control staff + several hundred Lolthite cultists
get stuck in said city until OSHA showed up to save his ass
48 - What was their lowest point? What was their highest point?
Vizaeth's entire life is a low point :p
Probably the period of time when he was Xunhrae was the worst, before he figure his gender out. He was a wreck, not only self-destructive but completely willing to take everyone down with him. I mean…he still kind of is, but he's more self aware about it now.
His other low-low points are things that have been in fics, namely, all the times where Pharaun wasn't giving him attention, or otherwise wasn't prioritising him. So after Pharaun slept with Rai, and after what happened with Nalfein in like lovers do, those were all devastatingly low points.
I still think his highest point was Pharaun vivisecting him. The person you see as basically divinity walking putting their hands all over your guts? God, the only thing better would have been if Lolth was there to watch.
(send me character questions for this game!)
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@master-of-the-aus
Okay, I'm gonna try to articulate myself as best as I can even though I havent had a good nights sleep in three days AND I only slept for 4 hours last night. But this is just me ranting about the MID romances this show has:
Okay so like, i know you're asking about the most recent episode, but honestly no future episode of TOH can elevate it above MID tier. The things that will always keep it Mid in my eyes are:
Lumity
Huntlow
The weird ass tendency to fuck around and waste time like with that dumbass body swap episode and that budget eating asshole Mr. Tibbles.
A complete lack of forthrightness by NOT trying to condense this story into about two seasons worth of story. Animation is super expensive - not even a studio like Disney will let you suck away their money for something not on brand.
Under utilizing the disability themes when it comes to Luz - specifically how her position as a magicless being in a magical world would effect her negatively. Hunter said, in so many words, that if it wasn't for Belos he would not have had a future on TBI. There's clearly some discrimination against magicless beings that's never really explored, which would have been much more interesting than wasting hundreds of thousands of dollars on a plotless body swap episode and that Mr. Tibbles leech.
I've already talked to death about Lumity. And for Huntlow... well I think it's funny that people are NOW trying to parallel them with Caleb and Evelyn The Wild Witch.
Which doesn't work because it was LUZ who enticed him with magic he hadn't seen before, just like Evelyn did with Caleb. Not only that - it's pretty much confirmed at this point that the Witch Caleb ran away with was a Clawthorn.
You know, the family Luz is heavily associated with because one of the family members is her guardian and mentor. This specific family member also happens to be the most powerful wild witch on The Boiling Isles. So it doesn't make sense that Willow, a girl that is not under the guardianship of a Clawthorn and whose identity isnt heavily associated with wild magic/witches (like Luz is), to be the one who parallels Evelyn. Also it's heavily implied that Caleb ran away with an expecting witch... and that directly parallels to Hunter (aka the grimwalker that looks the most like Caleb) running away with Luz - who is expecting her Palisman to hatch.
LIKE... insanity. Absolute Insanity to even SAY Willow parallels Evelyn. ALSO - Flapjack was Evelyn's Palisman. And who was the first person to introduce Flapjack to Hunter? It sure wasn't Willow!
MOVING ON...
His first positive connection with someone was with LUZ and not Willow. He literally defies the man who gave him everything for Luz - do you know how crazy that is? That Hunter would take on punishment from a man he knows is merciless just for A WILD WITCH? And the majority of this fanbase think it doesn't mean anything. VIOLENCE. NOTHING BUT VIOLENCE IN MY HEART.
They made Luz OOC in Hollow Mind just so Hunter can hide out at the school for a whole week - a whole week without telling any of his friends he was there. I am not sure why this was necessary, no matter how much i ruminate on this point - it just doesn't make any sense to me. Anyways, they do that dumb thing where Hunter knows Willow - a girl he played one game with (and i guess talked to in between the timeframe of ASIAS and Hollow Mind) - better than Gus who has known Willow for years. I could be more forgiving of this if we were actually shown Hunter is good at seeing through illusions and if Gus was actually out of it - but Hunter is not good with illusions because he fell for the Belos illusion AND he couldnt tell if a staircase was real or not.
LIKE... MID... VERY MID. WHY? Why does this show have the most mid romance? Did they put him at the school just so they can have their Huntlow content? Instead of putting him with the Clawthorn sisters - adults who can keep him safe and teach him wild magic (ya know... the subject he's interested in), so he can better defend himself and not rely so heavily on a staff, they put him at the very VERY unsafe location at the school just... so they can have their Huntlow moment i guess?? MURDER AND VIOLENCE.
Literally if Lunter was the endgame pairing this show would have been S tier... I'm also gonna add that if AmWillow was tweaked a bit to where they were a rivals to lovers pairing then this show would have been a masterpiece. Hunter and Luz already have THE set-up for a great enemies to lovers romance.... you just show that same love to AmWillow and you would have got a money maker of a show.
But nOoOoOo we have to deal with the most MID romance options on the list even though Luz and Hunter parallel past lovers who are deeply tied with the main villain... it makes me want to rip apart my drywall with my teeth.
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dulcewrites · 1 year
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Considering Aemond is characterized as dutiful, perhaps religious, in the show, contrary to how he's portrayed in the books, how do you think the show runners will approach his relationship with Alys? Like, in the books he's more envious of the privileges Rhaenyra's kids have despite being unlegitimate, whereas in the show we can add to that the Faith's idea that bastards are evil, treacherous, whatever. So there's that. (And she even is RELATED to Lucerys, the kid he killed by accident. Something I liked but even if it was justified in his mind for his eye it was sorta underhanded, and his first kill, so I suppose it will affect him in some major way) (also not implying Alys cares about any Strong or alleged Strong at all, but I doubt this wouldn't cross his mind) Anyway, how will that even go? He's betrothed, he's dutiful (in a certain fucked up way), he's losing the Riverlands, he shouldn't fuck things up with the Baratheons, it'd offend then (in the books they were irrelevant in the long game lmao because Borros was such a shitty coward). She's a witch, a true bastard, doing base work. A romance sparkling? A babe? The level of respect he seems to show her, by the end? That seems too far fetched. They'd have to make Aemond spirall, or develop Alys really well (and even then it might be inconsistent) especially considering the screentime. They're will be many more important characters (Black allies) appearing in season 2, and Aegon, Jace, Baela, Mysaria will have more focus now. I just don't see how it could happen without it kinda sucking and either going oh he's forsaking it all or oh she's bewitched him. Because, again, screentime.
I will say, I feel like I might have said this before in the tags of something, but while I do think Aemond does take on the responsibility of following his mother’s orders. I don’t think his dutifulness is necessary natural if that makes sense. We see spurts of Aemond doing things he probably shouldn’t: going into the dragon pit in ep 6, going to claim Vhagar (which of course worked out by he always could’ve like… eaten or something lol), and the three strong boys speech right after seeing vaemond being beheaded for saying the obvious.
Also I think it is not hard for Aemond to look like the “good” child when he is mirrored against Aegon, the “bad” child. And Helaena, through no fault on her own or even Alicent’s most of the time, has a strained relationship with her mom. Then of course we don’t know how daeron is with them. We can assume by stuff in the book that he is well loved by everyone and his family. But he is not around at the moment. So yeah Aemond may have a special relationship with his mom but like… special to a fault.
I personally think based on how they set up the bastard situation for Aemond in s1, on top of some things ewan has said about characterization, I could see it being an actual love story. Not a love story without some strife ofc, but love nonetheless. To me much of Aemond (show Aemond’s) ire for Rhaenyra’s kids comes from how everything has spiraled for him mom, and of course his eye. Now I don’t think he is pro bastards (as a whole) by any means but considering the bastards he knows up until alys, I get why. To me they have painted it so far as less of a “these bastards have my or my brother’s birthright.” And more “these bastard (and their mom) put me and family through shit”. If anything we saw more of that energy towards his relationship with Aegon than the strongs. I think them having Aegon play a part in the bullying about the dragon was central to that.
Just bc he shouldn’t fuck things up… doesn’t mean he won’t. I think Alicent and Aemond are good parallels to each other. They are people who can take a lot on the chin, till they can’t. By the time alys and Aemond meet each other, this is what has happened in Aemond’s life
- he killed a kid (by accident in this context)
- that in a roundabout (daemon is a pos) way leads to his Nephew being killed and his sister going into a deep depression
-who knows how his relationship with will be with family
- his brother/brother’s dragon gets injured, he is asked to step in his place
Now I think all of these things mean he is not gonna be in the most… normal headspace. I think some paranoia about daemon is gonna seep in. Hence why I see them continuing with his attack on harrenhal. Ewan made some really interesting comments about unconditional love, and feeling out of place in his family at times. Idk just the overall tone gives off “but he WILL meet someone who gets that” vibes. It will change him. The same way getting Vhagar changed him.
This is so long winded I’m sorry. But as for how will they go about it. I personally like the idea of Aemond, insert quote ewan said about Aemond seeing enough, first being interested alys/sparing her bc he wants to know how he will die. Alys, thinking she is scaring him, tells him about battle above god’s eye. It all goes from there.
I don’t think much is far fetched with this show. They have shown they can give adequate time to things so we will just have to wait and see. Also I think just based on s1 it is safe to say the writers are intrigued by Aemond as a character. He will get his, and in turn so will alys 🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️🤷🏽‍♀️
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@organized-chaotic-disaster Ahhhh gotcha gotcha!! I didn’t know there were any games with poly options tbh, that’s really nice to know 😭 and yeah, I imagine it must feel really jarring to have everything just take a complete 180 like that, with everyone ignoring the past romantic tension. Some kind of acknowledgment of it would be nice, but yeah, unfortunately I don’t see that ever happening 😭 so we’ve gotta rely on headcanons and fanfic, which sucks And thanks for responding to me!! I wasn’t really expecting a response tbh, but it’s really nice to talk about stuff like this ;v; I really enjoyed reading your thoughts!! Like I said, I didn’t know any games had poly options, so I learned something new o:
[original post]
No problem! I'm usually an absolute mess about talking to people myself - despite always wanting to - but, I've committed to doing what I want on this blog in particular and I want to talk about my favourite things with interesting people! So it was actually a pleasure to swap words with you!😊❤️
And yeah, I'd love for that to happen with OL but, I do understand why it likely won't be a thing.
On the topic of other games with polymance options though!
So, as I formerly mentioned. The game FH, or Fallen Hero is my primary example of a well done poly-capable romance route that's built into a good story driven game. It's a text-base 'build your own story' series that has a word count in the hundreds of thousands per book [steam link here] and is, in fact written by only one person!
It's, of course, the exact opposite type of story of Our Life, mind you😂and deals with a lot of dark subjects regarding mental health, dehuminization, trauma and morality/ethics. So, it's best to keep that in mind before choosing to play it. I would personally rate it at an 11/10 on a quality chart though! It's an absolutely superb game and the creator spends years putting their heart and soul into making sure each path you take is fleshed out and organic and that all your choices matter. They do actually have a tumblr here too, if you want to look into it more [fallenhero-rebirth] just be mindful that it might have spoilers.
As for other games with poly-romances, well... Unfortunately, most of those are purely in the 'R-rated maturity' kind of space. They're either dating sims with a heavy sexual focus or just straight up p*rn. Which is why I don't really include them so much, since it's kind of defeating the point of what I'd want poly-routes to be in, which is genuinely normal and story driven games like OL. Many of these games are simply PWP and so I wouldn't really consider them at all, unless you just wanted something spicy and exciting (which is absolutely cool! I'm such a ho, I have so many of these games honestly lmfao).
Overall, your best bet is really just searching for them😂it's not surprising at all that you didn't know they were an option because, truthfully, there aren't that many out there. I have heard the names 'Creme de la creme' and 'Tally ho!' thrown out there though, so maybe give those a peak and see if there's anything worth playing? I know nothing about them, honestly.
Personally, finding new games only partially scratches that itch for me, tbh. Only because it's not fulfilling my desire to have that polymance in the other games I wanted in the first place lol. I totally agree that it sucks having to live off of headcannons opposed to legitimate official content🥺Man, what I wouldn't give for that OL polymance... Still, at least looking into other games gives us an outlet and allows for some validation😭
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saw your post about the IF market being more saturated now compared to when t/w/c blew up! as someone who was pretty disappointed by book 2 and 3 but wants to get more into IF, do you have any recommendations?
IFs are difficult to recommend because they're like books, ya know? What are you looking for, what are you into, etc.
However, I am armed with links this time around so hopefully this will help.
First of all I think you can just take a look at the Choice of Games website, as they have demos of all their own games and their Hosted Games. The demos are usually like 2-3 chapters, so you get a decent feel for the stories.
Second, you can also check out the itch.io platform and look for interactive fiction on there. These IFs are usually based on Twine and not ChoiceScript, so they will look very different. They're also usually "true" indie, in that they're not published or hosted by anybody but the writer putting it on itch.io. These have demos usually, and are often WIPs, so I don't play many of these until they're finished, which can take years. But! They're often passion projects, so I'd say the better ones are generally on par with or better than most CoG games and much better than Hosted Games (in my subjective experience!!!).
Finally, you can check Dashingdon, which is a private site for hosting various ChoiceScript based demos. It's difficult to navigate and isn't really meant for browsing, more used as a way for authors to show demos and WIPs, but it does have some filters and most demos include blurbs as well. Biggest thing is probably finding out the status of a game, as there's no linking back to the author unless they include it in the demo.
From there, it's usually just about reading the blurb, trying out a demo and see if you like the writing style or not. That's generally how I find new things to read.
As for my personal recommended list, it's pretty short, because most IFs I've read aren't bad per se, but they're a bit forgettable, so even if someone else might enjoy them, I just can't remember anything about them lol. I've put a few of the ones I've liked in the past below the cut.
Finished
Heart of the House: Gothic horror romance with emphasis on the gothic horror. I don't think I managed to survive this even once? But it's good and I love Dev. Tally Ho: Silly goofy story where you play as a butler and have to juggle people being absolute idiots around you. Very funny and lighthearted but has a surprising amount of variation. Rory is bae I love kissing his dumb ass. Jolly Good: Cakes and Ale: Standalone sequel to Tally Ho, but now you're the thembo noble bumbling your way into success. I haven't actually finished it because it's a OVER MILLION WORDS, but I know it'll be a blast, and I even bought the DLCs for it. YEAH. INTERACTIVE FICTION DLC. Choice of Rebels: Uprising: I only played this once ages ago and it's the first in a series that never got a continuation? So it ends without a real conclusion and that sucks, but I remember thinking it was good and heavy in a way that felt refreshing for the time. An older CoG game, with actual simulation of leading a rebellion, so it's a bit more technical than the others. The Passenger: Finished as in it's complete, not that I finished it myself. I played this first when it was only a demo, and I remember enjoying it. You play as an eldritch horror. That is all. It was gross and spoopy and fun back when I played it, but I haven't gone back to see if it's as good as I remember it being.
WIPs
Guenevere: The IF that got me into IFs. It's SO good. It'd be considered limited by today's standards as you can only play as a woman who is a somewhat established character in folklore and romance only 3 (4?) people. But it's really well-written and dramatic and feels like an approproately epic tale. And you get to cuck the shit out of Arthur<3 Mind Blind: A friend recommended it to me and I enjoyed it! Don't know much else about it, though. It can be a bit heavy in spots, which I recall I found that it clashed a bit with the joking writing style, and you play as a deeply underpowered individual in a world of essentially superheroes, which can be a turnoff. I remember it having a great selection of ROs though. Speaker: Urban fantasy road trip type beat. I remember enjoying the writing style and the characters, plus the plot felt fresh and actually had a presense in the story, which isn't a guarantee in IFs. You play as one of two siblings who together can foretell the future (your sister sees visions, you're the only one who can interpret them) and you try to stop something horrible from happening. Pretty much all ROs are kissable winners. A Tale of Crowns: Middle Eastern high fantasy where you play as the new ruler of a kingdom. It's quite popular in the IF world and pretty good! I haven't played it in years because as I mentioned, I don't like playing and replaying WIPs every time a new update drops, but if you haven't played it before, it's good to go take a look. Very deep lore and it's clear the author has a Vision and isn't just faffing about smacking their Barbies together, which I always appreciate in an IF. One of the few times the PC feels like an actual character in the world. Also all ROs are hot as fuck so 10/10 GOTY.
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flaringfoxsoul03 · 10 months
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Hello hello!! I was wondering if I could request a romantic matchup for Obey Me, if you're ok with that of course.
I'm a trans man (he/him), demisexual and bisexual, I'm an INFP-T and a Cancer sun + Virgo moon. I see most people describe me as kind and gentle, and I do my best to be a good support, sort of the "mom friend". Though I also tend to be overly critical of myself and others, though I try to keep my thoughts to myself. I'm also a bit of a perfectionist, I get burnt out of things if I'm not immediately good at them, and I like having a daily schedule I keep to.
I love drawing, sewing, crocheting, baking and sometimes reading. I like repetitive tasks with a high reward, so I really enjoy hand stitching and shiny hunting in pokemon. I also enjoy journaling out my thoughts, and in past relationships I've often written out my own short poetry and sent them to my partner when I've been thinking about them.
I get nervous around loud people and big crowds. I like staying home most of the time, as that's where I'm most comfortable. Though I do like quieter places like cafe's, libraries and walking in the woods. I struggle with anxiety and ptsd, so in a relationship I need to feel safe and seen/heard, I wouldn't do well with someone untrustworthy or emotionally cold.
I think my biggest love language is words of affirmation, though I also highly value quality time and physical touch. I'm not very big on gift giving, as I don't really see the need for it since my partner would be all I need, really. I'm not the best conversationalist, but I do my best to make sure my partner knows I'm there for them, and I want to be reassured that they're there for me as well.
Appearance wise, I'm about 5'3" in height. I have a tannish skin tone close to Mammon's, I have short curly hair which is colored dark brown, and I have medium brown eyes. I often dress in dark academia fashion.
Some things I like: animals, high fantasy (like d&d), collecting gemstones and stationary, the colors green and yellow, pokemon but especially the pokemon that often get overlooked like maractus, dark chocolate, vanilla cake, tea of any kind, iced mochas
I don't think there's many things I outright hate, but I don't like playing scary games or watching horror movies, and I'm allergic to long haired cats but still love them anyways.
I apologize for getting to this so late! Just so much has been going on for me, nonetheless I wish to grant you a matchup of an Obey Me creature! Is demon, angel, or man? Let’s go check it out!
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I match you with…
Solomon!
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Hear me out, humans aren’t all that bad. Just the majority of us suck. Imagine living with humans like that for thousands upon thousands of years. Solomon is problematic at best and disastrously devilish at worst, not someone you’d initially want to date after hearing and first meeting said sorcerer. But I promise, it’s a beautiful slow burn romance~. All the trials and tribulations you’ll go through together and become more united than the jumbling mess he first left you in
He may not immediately show it off, but he’s definitely is heartfelt and emotionally connected to himself, but not very well with others before you arrived in the Devildom. I’m pretty sure, hun, first talking to you required nabbing your phone and talking to you to get on Lucifer’s nerves (spoiler: it worked very well). I bet, since your mom friend instincts kicked in, you knew he was instantly bad news. It took the second year of the exchange through texting after the first year ended to finally end up with this guy. He’s far too complicated for his own good to be matched up with him immediately, but eventually (with a little help from Asmo mostly because he was done watching you two squabble with all that potential love in the air without being recognized also everyone else was begging him to finally get his Masters together) you come together and form a new relationship that you navigate not so seamlessly, but it’s with him
You both are into a lot of the same things, especially after you introduced him to some of your favorites like Dungeons and Dragons (spoiler: explain it’s a board game to Lord Diavolo next time you try to bring it up after the last disaster and how Lucifer still isn’t over it) and general high fantasy related things, it allows Solomon to incorporate its odd methodical challenges into his experiments. He loves gifting you gemstones, but he likes to turn them into little hide and seek games with the gemstones every time he does get you one, makes it much more interesting and fun for the two of you
It’s canon: never let this man make you anything, and I mean ANYTHING. Your shady sorcery man can make purple soup without the food coloring purple. Just tell him you favorite restaurant to get said food, trust me, you will not get far in teaching this man to even use a coffee maker. Rumors have it that he once made the coffee maker at school to float up and away from him, the Little Ds had to go retrieve it because it was stuck on a chandelier
The immortal being we call Solomon is not all that wise. Emotionally speaking, he’s still trying to reconnect to something he’s detached himself for anyone else other than a select few for thousands of years. So of course, he’s slow to know your emotional needs right away, but he’s not stupid to not see your obvious tells. He just didn’t know what they mean at first, so his first reaction is to poke and prod. He’s just that curious, not actively trying to make it worse, but that is unfortunately where it’ll head to first. Don’t worry though, he’ll develop and method that works for the best for many scenarios after he causes this whole fiasco. I mean, every location scenario when you’re coming down hard in the feels? He’s got at least three default plans to try so you’re not feeling so terrible anymore
Solomon tries very hard to keep your love and good side, though he’s not very good at it at first. But he believes you’re his piece he has been missing for thousands of years. His teasing yet mischievous loving nature has you falling head over heels for the shady wizard. He feels grateful for withstanding trials and tribulations for your relationship to flourish into the beautiful magic he couldn’t recreate even if he tried
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And follow ups are:
Simeon
And
Satan
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Surprise update! I’m so bad with consistency! With bunches of love, that’s all folks!
~Fox
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amisbro · 1 year
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I always wanted to ask this Question
How many people that have been in the UtaPri fandom genuinely don't care about the character routes in the games? I'm actually serious about this question and let me tell you why Tomorrow is going to be January 7th and it will be my 9th year associated with UtaPri despite not being as connected to the fandom as I used to be and I remember how I got introduced to the series...it was literally a gif of Ren from the Anime and then that got me interested in the actual Anime part of the franchise. HOWEVER... What this didn't make me do is become as interested in the Otome/Visual Novel games as a lot of people might be in the fandom but that was more because the songs in the Anime actually got me interested in buying the songs and then also playing the Music games of which I own all 3 games. Like the idea of the Romance in the series (and yes I get it that it was an Otome first) wasn't a bad thing so...I get that but I also know that the biggest draw for me when I watched each episode was whatever song they were going to play in it. Why do you think that ,to this day, "Crystal Time" holds the record for the longest time I ever played a song on a loop (it was 3 weeks for anyone that doesn't know)? The other thing for me was always going to be this What characters did I see myself the most in and honestly...yeah we know already who that was right? The characters whom (currently) don't have any actual character routes in the games which sucks but eh...what can you do right? The best thing really is try to watch when they WERE in the Anime and see if you can figure out WHY you relate to them so much (which I did) and then you're good. Now does this mean that ,if/when HEAVENS get routes in a UtaPri game, I'm going to detach from them? NOPE! Here is what it WILL do for me It will either confirm or bust the ideas in my head about the backstories of the different members (of which...I had a lot of theories trust me) so there is that...but simultaneously I don't NEED or crave that content from them to love them more than I already do you know? I know that sounds odd but trust me my mind works in mysterious ways...hell ask me how much I love reading "deep dives" from twitter about characters in EnStars and the answer for that is A LOT but I'll try to explain that later down the line. So this brings me back to my original question If you were someone whom ,like me, came into the UtaPri fandom through the Anime and later the Music games then I have to ask you this: Did you ever feel like you needed the game routes to really embrace a character or were you satisfied enough with what you found out through the Anime series itself? Like I said for me it was more about the Music at times...well until Season 4 and then we know what changed and its been that way since 2016 (arguably even 2014 when I saw S2 for the first time). Let me know fam and I'll talk to you later :-)
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carcharsaur · 11 months
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finally finished something else to put in my got damn tag, let’s go gamers
norn9: var commons an interesting game, charming and understandably a classic from the vita era, but over-ambitious and kind of unfocused and bloated, with a few rough spots
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without spoilers, I legit think my perception of this game got really skewed at the beginning based on the play order I did... I would not recommend kakeru first HAHA
I think best off for overall plot elements would be something like: Senri -> Heishi -> Sakuya or Itsuki -> Masamune -> Kakeru -> Akito -> Ron -> Natsuhiko -> epilogue but the only one that is super super required is natsuhiko last, I think. I definitely think them putting kakeru on “recommended” was a MISTAKEEE it left me so dazed about stuff playing it first
part of the game’s problems is just that right there... too many damn routes! a lot of them had endings that felt really unfinished, and there’s a fandisc being localized later this year for the first time but! ideally a game should stand on it’s own merits rather than needing a sequel to feel properly resolved v_v that said, I am rather excited for the FD regardless because I’m invested now lol
on a positive note, I loved all 3 heroines! they’re all characterized distinctly and thoroughly, helped by them all being voiced which I love love love to see in this genre. it helps their characterization a ton, and makes me so much more attached to them. they interact frequently, and have each other’s backs in the stressful situations they find themselves in, rather than squabble over things which was really good. I struggle to pick a favorite from the 3, they all have different charms points and mild frustrations for me. mikoto got the most tears from me overall, I adored koharu and her well-executed (imo) neurodivergent vibes, and I could relate too well to nanami’s emotional wall she builds around herself and her, well, PTSD? T_T haah
my fav pairings for each were: Koharu and Senri, Nanami and Heishi, then Mikoto and Natsuhiko!
-getting into spoilers now-
I also really loved this game’s setting/world lore! it was really interesting, but at the same time it almost feels like the premise of all this would’ve been better served with something that’s not a romance game. it feels like the background and over-arching issues should have had more time and development rather than being brushed over in the course of 10mins in most routes... I know it’s heretical to say for otome games but that’s how it had me feeling. by the time you get to the epilogue it makes thematic sense that the love is an important part but it really, really, does not set that up and build on it well before then so I was left kind of wishy-washy on the game in the middle. I dislike comparing games like this; but the scenario director’s later work, Even If Tempest, handled the romance being integral to the overarching plot much better. though that also was a linear single-perspective story rather than 3 POVS with 3 routes each. orz
getting into more critical things now, the age stuff was a little weird and I just. ignored it most of the time but if that’s something that’s uncomfortable for you (16-17 yr old MCs getting with 20+ yr old guys =_=;) then yeah I strongly do not recommend. they don’t mention it too much but when they do it’s just. man was this necessary. man why did you make nanami 16 when she acts more maturely than the other 2 girls... though that might be the PTSD more than anything AGH. speaking of, I disliked that all of nanami’s routes either have the potential to, or just do straight-up mistreat her... not much to be said about it other than it sucks! it’s not unrealistic but well, forgive me for wanting my romance games to be a bit more idealistic unless they’re going for full tragedy/thriller/etc.
also I think 2 of the routes could’ve been straight-up dropped and had almost no impact on the overall game. ron’s just had... virtually no insight into him other than how awful he is which is like. a matter of taste I guess but god it was more boring than it was shocking or appalling. mundane in his slimy-ness? just magically fix your horrible mans by erasing all the memories that make him who he is. and when he wakes up, he’s somehow the same dude but without all the sadism? wateverrr -_-
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and then masamune, I really really like him as a side/support character, and in a bubble I like his character too, and I LOOOOVE his voice actor but man. his dynamic with koharu was uncomfortable. not outright bad but just not a good vibe even if she was never uncomfortable with him it doesn’t sit right. and despite being one of the more ‘important’ characters to the overarching story his route had very little about that stuff in it.. ended up feeling pretty lacking. extremely ironic considering his whole power is being able to see the past of people (and objects?) he touches with his right hand (WHICH ONLY GETS USED ONCE?????). I ended up liking his bad end MORE than his normal end because it focused more on koharu’s relationship with mikoto in a way I liked, even though it was still a tragic circumstance.
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they’re just good friends : )
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my other least favorite route, which I admit at least has important plot and character and background information, is sakuya’s. I was enjoying it somewhat until he straight up ASSAULTS mikoto in a way that was too visceral and realistic for me, immediately made me want to dumpster him and the lack of real consequence or even anger from the MC in response made him irredeemable to me and I was sick of him by the end. even as a side character he chafed me rather than his overprotective comments being funny or... anything else. common yandere L
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on the other hand, I think my fav character overall is heishi. his bad end is a little... huhhh... but I try not to judge too hard on those because most feel like insane non-sequitur anyway.. it felt ooc for him even with his emotional instability. I did enjoy that it was longer than basically every other bad end, though. most are throwaways but his felt like there was some real effort behind it, at least in regards to the decisions nanami brings herself to
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but anyway, I could understand people not loving his route or being frustrated with the route it takes with his genki-seeming character. but I find his struggle to control and suppress his negative emotions out of legitimate concern for those around him relatable and compelling! regardless though, when he’s a supporting character he’s MVP for me, no doubt. I didn’t expect him to grow on me so much!
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alright after all that I think I’ve run out of steam and thoughts for now...
other than, the epilogue being about robot love was cute! love giving even robots the power to make their way through life: really cute! but the shit about rebirth and exact dna.... man nah. good and bad I guess. I had a mostly good time though
masamune go bald in 5 years
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coykoii · 2 years
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Hiii!! :D I’ve been thinking about a certain question circling around my brain and I have to talk to you about it, I thought the ask box would be a nice format for it!
I’d looooove to hear your thoughts about favorite characters from most —> to least and why! I feel like i’ve heard SO many mixed thoughts about literally each and every one of them (like how the fandom is divided in 2 parts, one being - Ryan has no personality, and then the other worshipping the ground he walks on) so it’s really intriguing to hear all about it, especially coming from a writer that does a hell of a good job writing them! <3
hiii lovely!! <33 the ways in which I love to rank things??? So thank you so much for asking me this!! Altho I am quite JUDGY help xxx also I’m just gonna do the counselors lest I end up w all the hacketts at the bottom bar Travis 🤭
9. Jacob
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Tbf I don’t dislike any of them! I just like Jacob the least, mainly because if it weren’t for him, everyone would be on their merry way home xxx also his infatuation with Emma just isn’t it for me! his personality also feels v two dimensional aside from a few times near the end or if he turns? but I’ll blame the writers for that TY!! arrogant + desperate + self centered = number 9 for me x
8. Abigail
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Honestly I hate to put her this low because she’s just like me 💀 I love that she loves to draw and that she’s artistic and shy but again very two dimensional! Also why is she only in like half the game, I would’ve loved to see more of my girl! It’s like her main point was to develop that romance with Nick and as soon as he’s gone, she’s just a background character? Rude. Give me a reason to care more about these characters, please and ty x
7. Nick
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Controversial opinion maybe but I don’t hate Nick! In fact he was my fave until he disappeared on us for half the game 😭 maybe I’m just a sucker for the sweet athletic nerds who can cook? Help. He turned into quite the dick when bitten but i think that goes to show what exactly his insecurities are? Joking about getting all the ladies but then with Abi, it showed how much he hoped that she liked him because he really liked her too and the werewolf bite took that hope and made it negative and aggressive. But aside from that, we barely got anything from him other than the romance and being the poor soul who got cut out too soon XX (the fics of him however are godtier at giving me everything i needed)
6. Max
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There is something so endearing about Max! I love that he’s so intuitive and funny with his dry (and sometimes confused) tone xxx also him and Laura have such a healthy relationship, even when they were trapped in the jail cell?? Things I love to see!! Protective, loving, nervous about his future bc he was rejected from college? There’s a personality there! Honestly it just sucked that we saw so little of him :/ give us more max, and not just as a rampaging werewolf trying to kill emma xxxx
5. Ryan
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Ryan falling in the middle so true! Every game needs a brooding loner tbh and I think that he definitely has more personality than most of these characters! I like his monotone, I like his one liners, I like that his ass has quite the bank account xxx sometimes he did annoy me though! like him seeing the ww out the window of the radio hut and literally saying nothing? his refusal to be open minded when they were talking to Laura about Chris? sir. he redeemed himself by the end for me though, thank u! now stop playing hard to get and give dylan your phone number—
4. Emma
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Emma is honestly so fun for me! I like her snark and her influencer habits amidst a horror game are very entertaining 💀 not to mention how many times she’s been chased and nearly killed during this game? she’s a survivor thank you! her friendship with Abi is sweet and I think they balance each other out really well (aside from the obvious part where she was a bit of an ass for kissing Nick, even if it was some backhanded scheme in her head). she’s smart and doesn’t like seeing people sad (unless ur Jacob so sorry to you) so she’s a winner in my book 😌
3. Laura
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Laura being in the top three as she should!! Do love how capable she is of anything that she wants to do. She’s very much a shoot first, ask questions later kinda gal but it’s out of love for her bf and tiredness of being caught up in this shit xxx very smart, very resourceful. plus her wanting to be a vet is so good to me specifically. her and max calling each other honey also gives a big boost of serotonin! all in all, love her, would marry her if she wasn’t taken ty!
2. Kaitlyn
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My GIRL. My 5’1 fave xxx Kaitlyn honestly has a dad joke sense of humor and I live for it even if I have to look away 💀 but also she’s so??? good at everything????? ma’am spare some of those shooting and mechanical skills for the rest of your friends bc it felt like she was the only one who knew how to properly do anything. very hot to me as well, not the point but also the point. i like her take charge attitude and i like that she would jump out of a car that’s like 20 feet in the air to save her ass from a werewolf 😌 her and dylan are also the best of friends, I don’t make the rules?? like why not have Ryan kiss them both bc I would xxx final girl so true of her!
1. Dylan
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Dylan ‘herd of bears? yeah I’ve heard of bears’ Lenivy as number one, who’s SHOCKED. He’s the most well developed out of all the characters with the most personality and has made me laugh out loud at the dumbest things xxx his dry humor + sarcasm + protectiveness + cleverness with the duality of also doing dumb shit? pure 10/10. I like how seeing both versions of Dylan, the one who got his hand chopped off and the one who remained bitten, didn’t change how much I liked him as a character. Hilarious that i didn’t like him in the beginning of the first playthrough like you fool xxx anyway love him, hope that he’s happy and living his best life and sharing earbuds with Ryan on their way home 😌
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