#Cut copy and paste

[rocketbirdie]

Cloud Strife

1 in 3 chance for each played 7 to create a Planet card when scored.

[clansnaphance]

Because of local weather conditions, I'm extending the reprint event until Jan 20th.

You can get these and all of their respective recolors if you head on over to my skin shop:

[waywardsalt]

man just about every new little bit of that new totk book i see just makes me feel more and more rabid

[miirshroom]

Elden Ring (Shadow of the Erdtree) vs. the definition of Bad Writing

Pondering the question of whether something can be called bad writing when it is intentionally "bad". Like, good fiction writing is engrossing - it evokes emotion and can through linguistics alone paint a very vivid sense of space and atmosphere. Any emotion - joy, anger, sadness, etc. So if bad writing is the opposite, then it would be writing that causes confusion about what emotion should be felt or is structured in a way that breaks the suspension of disbelief.

But what if causing confusion is the intention? While in fiction writing it is desirable to provoke an emotional response so that the reader becomes invested, this is a lot like the goal of propaganda - an appeal to strengthen a certain point of view and evoke sympathy for it. The main difference being personal scale compared to a society scale. Some fiction stories focus on showing how a single person is the hero of their own story and others split the viewpoint between multiple characters for a window into the fundamentally different personal philosophies that cause them to be in conflict. If the point of view of 9 demigod characters are presented via the themed zones of the map and NPC interactions and each make a propagandistic emotional appeal, then which is the player going to empathize with?

It's a confusing choice, requiring extensive research to weigh the options. And I mean, both in-game and research into real-world dog whistles, snake oil, and other esoteric nonsense that can help identify the types of crackpot ideas involved with each faction.

But critical thinking is hard compared with just gravitating towards the character that a person projects onto most strongly based on surface aesthetic. And if that character later has character development due to the status quo changes in a way that the reader DOESN'T personally empathize with, then that's bad writing. How dare they change the precious blorbo Miquella, he should have remained a sweet innocent child and forever stagnant in the narrative. Or otherwise, he was robbed of his role in the narrative to grow into a powerful and beautiful saviour.

However, a different truth is revealed after stripping emotion from the situation: this is an expectation of a YA fantasy solution in an adult fantasy story - expecting a lone perfect child saviour to carry the weight of the world and be victorious where experienced but flawed adults fail.

Alternatively, the objection that actually Miquella is a wise adult cursed to be in a child's body ignores a fundamental facet of the narrative - Miquella knows that he has not grown to his adult form and seeks to remedy this. He KNOWS that he is undercooked and not finished developing. So it comes to this: either Miquella's worth is reduced to his ability to produce offspring by sexual reproduction (thus requiring him to become a biological adult), or he was intent on become an adult because stories operate on metaphorical levels and his child-like ignorance of the rules of magic that govern the Land Between is making him terminally incapable of devising a functional plan to bring his dreams to fruition. Unfortunately, that ignorance also extends to the conditions of that metamorphosis being faulty. Miquella was doomed by the narrative from the moment he was presented as a child prodigy and above critique.

Oh, and also the general theme of Shadow of the Erdtree is that it is bad on purpose! But in that second way of deliberately trying to break suspension of disbelief. Observe a few ways that this surreal design logic is worked into the environment:

Helpful developer hints for things like "hit the weak point" that players would have figured out anyways quite quickly

Forest populated by 20 wolf packs and not much else

The Scorpion-spiders are a badly designed chimera creature that is even anatomically inaccurate in how the stinger is rendered. This after the accurately rendered wildlife (crabs, crayfish, tortoise, Golden Eagles, etc) of the base game

The red flesh mushrooms are comically cartoonish - the 3D render being a nonsense version of a Fly Agaric (that doesn't even match the item 2D portrait). Compare to the more accurate Fly Agarics embedded in the 3D render of the Melted Mushroom.

Piles of the broken Rosus statues scattered about the entrances to Catacombs in place of the more subtle directional guidance of the base game

The soul item colour coding convention is entirely broken - an orange item is more likely than base game to be something generic while any plain white soul item could be a unique armour or weapon

The way that you can walk too far in a direction and break the great rune to drastically change the worldstate in the middle of some random fields that don't even look like significant checkpoints

The design logic is disjointed and seemingly contradictory with the main game for a simple reason: it is a dream of the past. A dreamworld with barely enough Order to hold it together. The Shadowlands is a parallel universe to the Lands Between in the similar way that human imagination has invented explanations for how the world works in fanciful ways that run parallel to the scientific explanations. Paying attention to the differences in the environmental storytelling reveals the sense of wrongness that saturates the DLC, like waking up from a dream and realizing that in hindsight the rules of reality in the dream were simply wrong. It isn't even a new concept to have a deeper dreamworld to a surface fantasy world - this concept is used in both Wheel of Time and the Realm of the Elderlings and probably other fantasy settings.

The idea that dreams influence the reality of the real world can explain seeming inconsistencies. The "Mother of Fingers" is a retcon in-universe in that she did not exist until someone imagined it so, and then retroactively she has always existed since some vaguely defined primordial era. Somebody dreamed up Metyr from some misinterpreted observation and invented Finger Creeper constructs in homage to her. Like how people knew that unicorns and basilisks existed and created art of them for centuries with the belief that this is a thing that is totally real, and now digital constructs of them exist in fantasy computer games.

If the Shadowlands is a dreamland and Marika originated from here, then it follows that Marika was a dream woman fashioned by the Fell God of Fire - her soul did not exist in the Lands Between until crossing the boundary between the waking world and the dream (the Gates of Divinity), overtaking the physical body that holds the Elden Ring, and transforming it to the image that she was designed to have. Messmer is all of the base serpentine nature that Radagon (who is himself said Fell God of Fire) forced out of sight and out of mind in his pursuit of becoming Marika. So Messmer is a child of Marika because he represents everything that Radagon suppressed in the Shadowlands in the process of embracing the identity of Marika. But just as the base serpent breaks through Marika's seal of grace on Messmer, this is paralleled in Marika struggling to maintain her identity until that of Radagon overwhelms her once again.

Miquella brings the perspective of a boy who has recently pushed his own dream girl-self off a cliff. This is a drastic shift of his character, in the sense of character development. It's just not character development in a positive direction. It is literally tied into defeat of Mohg, Lord of Blood that Miquella's story requires an understanding of causality. Trina being discarded by Miquella is an effect. What is the cause? A wounded Miquella decided that he needed to discard pieces of himself in the Shadowlands to become a god. How did Miquella arrive at the Shadowlands? Mohg helped him there. How did Mohg "help" Miquella? By kidnapping and traumatizing him into not wanting to inhabit his own body - allowing Miquella to fall into a sleep so deep that it is indistinguishable from death. The Shadowlands is not a place for good well adjusted thinking to end up.

So in conclusion: bad writing is writing that lacks the self awareness to know that it's bad. The Shadow of the Erdtree knows that it's in the dead timeline where rejected ideas go to burn out and diminish. The writing of Shadow of the Erdtree may be uncomfortable or upsetting, but it is actively trying to be these things. Miquella's dreams and nightmares have a depth to them that is beyond anything that the player can guess from looking at his aesthetic in isolation and without considering the full cause and effect of events surrounding him. The writing is going to seem most nonsensical to people who accepted Miquella's goodwill and genius on blind faith.

[eclipsecrowned]

why is mobile tumblr getting. Worse.

[totallovestrucksimp]

Marian and Larry fic request - I love in episode 1.09 (the scene when Marian is trying to stop Larry from delivering the letters to her aunts) how Larry immediately plays along with Marian’s story.

Can you write another time (or times) where without verbal communication they immediately backed the other’s story up?

Been in a bit of a writers block recently, so I hope this is good.

Takes place in between when Larry bumps into Marian after his lesson and when Larry tells his father about his lessons

Almost caught in a lie (Thank goodness for you)

In hindsight, Larry should’ve known that he was going to cut it too close to the charity event. Timing has never been his greatest skill (frequently reminded to him by his family) Today however, was an important day for Larry-or more specifically, his mother. His family had been invited to a charity tea hosted by Mrs Fane, which was apparently a big deal for their rise in New York society. He had agreed to meet up with them at Central Park where the tea was to be held, but  lost track of time while studying with Mr White. Not that his family could know were he’s been-as far as they’re concerned, he’s been meeting up with some friends at the Metropolitan Museum of Art for the past hour. Cursing himself, he paces through the streets of New Your with his things in a hurry.

Finally, he arrives. Peering over the large crowd of people, he spy’s his well poised father and sister speaking to Ms Brooke. Walking closer, he hears the backend of their conversation.

“-it’s not so hard, once you get a feel for it. Watercolors are really just like any other art medium.”

“I think I’ll stick to painting, but you’ve given me a bit to think about. Where did you say you painted them?”

“The Metropolitan Museum of Art.”

He freezes. Oh no.

Gladys perks up at this. “Oh! You must’ve seen my brother there, he went there earlier with his friends. Did you see him?”

He sees Marians face falters slightly, and it’s clear that she’s confused. Before she responds, she sees him from just behind his father, eyes meeting.

Marian, please.

He must’ve conveyed his pleading on his face, because she completely switched gears once she saw him.

“Y-yes! I remember now. He talked for a brief moment but I didn’t want to pull him away from his group. Must’ve slipped my mind.”

God bless you, Marian. Larry thinks to himself. For saving my skin. Now I just need to find my watch- he pads his pocket,only suddenly remembering his work folder in his hand.

Damn, I need to put this somewhere before I talk to them. But where?

“Tea sir?”

Larry nearly jumps out of his skin as a nearby footman loudly offers him a drink. Loud enough, in fact, to alert his father as well.

“Larry, there you are. We were beginning to wonder if you’d arrive on time.”

He eyes him up and down. “What’s that in your hand?”

“It’s, uh-“

“My water colors!” Marian says immediately.

“I forgot them at the Metropolitan, and he offered to go back get them for me. Isn’t that right?”

As long as I live, I will forever be grateful to you, Mrs Brooke.

“Of course, you can have them back now.” He hands he the folder.

“Oh look, Mrs Fane is about to give a speech.” Gladys says as she points to a group surrounding the woman.

While everyone’s focused on the speech, Larry takes the opportunity to whisper in Marians ear.

“Let my family take you home. Then we can talk when I walk you to your doorstep.”

She smiles. “Deal.”

***

“So I’m assuming you were not, in fact, at the art museum?”

Walking farther and farther away from the Russell home, Marian and Larry walk arm-in-arm to the Van Rhijn household.

“No, I was studying with Mr White in fact. I lost track of time so I couldn’t run back home and give my things to my butler. But thank you for covering for me-twice.”

Marian hands over the folder. “I’m glad you’re not giving it up, but you really should tell your family soon. I’d hate to think what would happen if you were caught in a lie again.”

“Then you would cover for me again, wouldn’t you?”

She smiles. “I wouldn’t be a very good friend if I didn’t Mr Russell.”

“Please tell me if you ever need a favor. I certainly owe you a few by now.”

“I will keep that in mind. Good luck Larry, I wish you the best.”

She smiles brightly at him as the butler opens the door for her, signaling that he needs to leave before he becomes a topic of conversation for the family. Walking back home, he smiles to himself.

A very good friend indeed.

***

Got a Marian x Larry Gilded age fic request? Submit it here!

[legilimensims]

time for yet another coping session ✨ i'll be mean and feefees will be hurt.

i'll try to be brief but ask my bestie and she'll tell you that where i'm concerned brief = 20 minutes ranty audio message.

nah this is gonna be long and i'm not even adding a read more cut. i don't care if i clog your dashboard. stuff needs to be said.

it's funny how i wake up in the morning feeling blue and devastatingly dejected because of the orange bozo being reelected, and as the day goes by i get angrier and angrier until i reach spitting mad levels. i'm angry because i feel betrayed. as an admirer and a defender of president biden (it's not a secret) i feel enraged at how he was treated. how he was betrayed by his electorate.

everything good biden did these past 4 years is gonna be undone because you stupids let the criminal rapi*t win. AGAIN. this is what i can't comprehend. you guys chose to reelect the guy you fired in 2020 because he was a disaster - you elected biden to rescue the country, he DID...and now you brought the old guy back?? the guy you had to save the country from??? after everyting biden did to save your ungrateful asses??? like wtf man. the stupidity, the logic escapes me. make it 👏 make 👏 sense 👏.

i'm mad and i'm not even american, i'm italian. so you'll probably be like "girl why do you care? what's it to you?". well there's a whole world outside of the USA, MAGA is an international movement and many italians embrace that ideology and idolise trump, far-right politicians currently in power included. this means i'm gonna be directly fucked by the result of this election for a multitude of reasons. for example, the right to abortion in italy has been at constant risk, the ultra catholic prolife associations are up giorgia meloni's ass (our fascist PM) and they are salivating at the prospect of a trump no exceptions 50-state abortion and contraception ban so they can replicate it here.

i have spent these past 4 years in the cesspool that is now twitter/x fighting extreme far-right propaganda, italian MAGAturds, fake news, russian propaganda, the 2020 big lie...only to now have trump in power AGAIN, with his slimy couch-fucker VP jd vance, fecking marjorie taylor green possibly in homeland security? the woman who 4 years ago tried to impeach biden even before he was sworn in office??? jewish space lasers marjorie? that uneducated, conspiracy nut blonde TWAT?

i've CONSUMED myself for us as a collective, for a better propaganda and conspiracy-free world. nobody made me do it, i chose to because I CARE. i've fact-checked disinformation into oblivion. for 4 years. and this is what i get. the party with a president who tried to overturn an election and incited an insurrection to stay in power, is back in the white house. everything i and others did was for nothing. you legitimated the big lie. you legitimated january 6th.

i get my fecking trump wannabe salami-kisser VP dressing up in a black dress suit with a red tie as an omage to his orange yam jesus, to mock the opposition. women getting r*pe threats on social media. after everything this is what i get. it's their gloating that i can't stand. my ego can't take it. people are gonna die and they're gleeful about it because they have defeated the "woke virus" and "owned the libs" and the "zecche comuniste" italian for "communist ticks" it's a dispregiative for left-wingers. all achieved with YOUR HELP.

and don't even start with "but the gRocErY pRiCeS and iNfLaTiOn and palestine" nah fuck you. with trump everything is gonna be worse and you actually had the balls to risk the lives of women, of immigrants, of the lgbtq+, and the bpoc community, ukrainians & palestinians, for what...for putin's puppet's false promise of cheaper eggs and gas? for "teaching the dems a lesson"? fuck 👏 you 👏 all the way to HELL.

i've always said that the left will be its own ruin, both in the usa and in italy and i keep being proven right, and the problem lies in us the electorate. time to stop blaming our own dem parties and start to realise that being a left-winger is hard, that the left has many nuances and this means we can't always get everything we want and we gotta compromise. when you have a fascist political candidate on one side and a not so perfect but competent and decent candidate on the other, you don't like them, but the other guy is a FASCIST...you have to compromise. you didn't and you've made the same mistake the italians made two years ago.

those on the right are lucky they have no such problems, they only need to hate everyone who isn't a white, cis, straight, christian individual (man) and they'll all ride in the sunset together forever.

instead of playing the blame game and saying that you were forced to not vote/vote another/if only it was another canditate/if only this/if only that blah blah excuses excuses, start to man-up and accept the responsibility of your shitty self-sabotaging choices.

you've fucked around and you'll find out, enjoy and appreciate joe biden & kamala harris whilst you still have them in the presidency, you ungrateful backstabbers. you've had it so good these past four years and don't even realise it.

and just to be clear, i do believe there was fraud in this election. numbers not numbering, musk and russia interference and all of that, but i don't wanna be a conspiracy turd. hence this ⬆️

time for bed so i'll leave you with a quote:

"Setbacks are unavoidable, but giving up is unforgivable. We all get knocked down, but the measure of our character is how quickly we get back up" - Joe Biden.

time to fight bitches.

[surpriseroundtellyourfriends]

This is a bit of a random duo, but I’ve been thinking about them.

Naven and Isabella. Specifically how their powers would react to one another.

I think Naven and Isabelle touching would cause them both to explode on the spot, lmao

---

Naven, carrying the memories of thousands: wait you said your power doesn't just copy memories, but steals them?

Isabella, suddenly carrying the memories of thousands: UHHHHHHHH

[octoooo]

Splatfest :)