#and its something i actually want to commit to

[yothatshitgas]

The Dress | Part 2

Note: Work of fiction.

This is part two. Part one. I lowkey want to turn this into a whole series but thats just a commitment that I'm afraid my job wont give me time to do. So I'll stick to oneshots for now. __

“I get first shot,” Azzi said, flashing a grin full of challenge and charm as she strutted toward her spot near midcourt.

Paige didn’t argue. She just stepped aside, lips twitching with amusement as she watched Azzi settle in at the edge of the sideline logo. Azzi set her feet like she was lining up for a real game. Her shooting form was textbook perfection, even in a casual round of horse. The ball arced through the air with beautiful rotation and dropped through the basket - all net, no hesitation.

“Alright, your turn,” she said, casually stepping back with a smug glint in her eye.

Paige retrieved the ball, dribbled it twice and walked to the exact same spot. Her gaze locked in on Azzi the entire way. She didn’t break eye contact as she pulled up, raised the ball above her head and let it fly.

Azzi’s eyebrow lifted, “shot got better,” she said, a teasing tone in her voice, “guess rehab gave you time to fix that weird hitch in your release.”

Paige jogged after the ball and passed it back with a smirk, “jealousy isn’t a cute look on you, Az.”

Azzi caught it, already turning toward the wing, “I was hoping you’d miss,” she rolled her shoulders, “got some hard hitting questions I’ve been saving for years.”

“Oh yeah?” Paige followed, hands on her hips, “like what?”

“Well,” Azzi said with a shrug as she lined up a corner three, “you’d have to miss to find out.”

The ball left her hand in a high arc and dropped through the net again.

“I never miss,” Paige shot back, eyes narrowed playfully as she chased the ball down for her turn, “you, on the other hand, are looking real nervous.”

The game picked up intensity. Corner threes. No look bank shots. Over the backboard tosses. Behind the back layups. Both of them trying to outdo the other, digging deep into their bags like it was a championship skills challenge instead of a friendly shootaround. They were trash talking and laughing through the effort, but their focus was razor sharp. Neither was willing to give the other an inch.

The scoreboard of their silent game was stitch at zero.

Until Azzi paused near half court. She spun the ball in her hands, glanced once at Paige and squared up.

“Alright, lets see what you really got,” she said, and launched the ball.

It soared through the air in a perfect arc, Paige followed its path with wide eyes, heart thudding as it hit the glass then dropped through the net.

“Seriously?” She groaned.

Azzi just grinned.

Paige walked to the half court line, cradling the ball in her hands. She took a long breath, then dribbled once, bending her knees as she stared down the rim. The shot arced high, hanging in the air like it was deciding whether or not to give her grace. It clipped the front of the rim with a heavy bounce and veered sharply to the left. . 

Clang.

Azzi’s voice rang out, sickeningly sweet, “H.”

“Alright, alright. Let’s hear it. What is this hard hitting question you’ve been dying to ask?”

Azzi’s grin softened into something else entirely, something more careful. Paige recognized it, it was actually a look that she personally hated seeing on her. It meant Azzi was thinking too much, but then it changed again, her smile turned more honest. It had Paige feeling flustered, a slow heat crawling up her neck and to her cheeks. She looked away too fast, suddenly aware of how loud her heart felt in her chest.

Azzi stepped forward, closing the space between them like she had every right to. Her voice was quieter now, “Paige,” she said, treating the older girl’s name like a well kept secret, “how come you never asked me to come to UConn?”

“What?”

“You heard me,” she said, “answer or you get O.”

“Look, it’s not like I didn’t want to. But you were so set on UCLA, you talked about it like it was the only place that made sense. I didn’t want to get in the way of your dream,” Paige paused, swallowing down the hesitation tightening her throat, “I wanted you here. I did. I still do.”

“You really didn’t think I’d drop everything just to spend the next four years playing next to you?”

“You shouldn’t have to,” came the reply and without thinking, her hand reached out and found the other’s, “that’s what I’m trying to say. Why would I ask you to be a shadow when you could be great on your own?”

Azzi laughed softly, gaze flicking down to their intertwined hands before drifting back up, “you’re thinking too highly of yourself again, Bueckers,” there was that smirk, “what if I came here to steal your spotlight?”

A breath caught in her throat.

“God,” she murmured, lips twitching into a slow grin, “that’d be so hot.”

That response earned her a shove, a gentle one but it was playful. Azzi scoffed and pushed away, retreating a few steps before snatching the ball back up, “come on,” she called over her shoulder, “it’s getting late and I still gotta beat your ass.”

“Confidence looks real good on you, Fudd,” came the reply, “kinda into it.”

“Kinda?” Azzi repeated, raising a brow as she walked back toward her next shot.

A shrug, then a jog forward. That dumb, happy smile was back. The same one that hadn’t left since the first shot of the night, “fine,” the blonde relented, “very into it.”

The game resumed, and with it, the air between them shifted back into one that was competitive, playful but still laced with something that hadn’t quite settled just yet. 

After that first question, the rest stayed easy. Safer. Azzi kept her tone casual, her questions framed in the comfort of familiarity. She asked for updates, the kind that sounded routine but between the two of them, it carried more weight than either of them let on.

O - “How’s your mom?”

“Still thinks I don’t eat enough.”

R - “The knee?”

“Better. Stronger. Rehab was rough but sitting on the sideline was harder. I just wanted to play, the court was so close yet it felt so far.”

They moved through those topics like old friends slipping back into rhythm, passing the ball between them as naturally as the conversation. But, then came one that landed a bit different. A little too pointed to be casual.

S - “Did you ever date anyone?”

Paige blinked, caught off guard, “what?”

Azzi turned like she hadn’t just dropped a question that reached back through years of distance and silence, “you know, in those two years we weren’t talking, anyone serious?”

There wasn’t a clear depiction of jealousy in her voice. No. But there was a trace of pure curiosity, it was vulnerable almost. Like Azzi didn’t actually want the answer, but needed it anyway. As if knowing wouldn’t hurt as much as a continuous wonder.

“No,” she said after a moment. Simple.

“Why?”

Paige looked up, a slow smirk forming on her lips as she cradled the ball in one hand, “that’s another question, Az,” she said, dribbling once, “you’re gonna have to wait your turn.”

She stepped back to the top of the key and rose into her shot, the kind she’d taken a million times in every gym from Minnesota to Storrs. Her form was clean. Shoulder square. Release smooth. But the ball hit the rim, rolled indecisively for a moment, then dropped off the side.

Miss.

It bounced twice on the hardwood before Azzi jogged over and scooped it up, still grinning.

“I’m gonna start thinking you’re missing on purpose,” she teased, making her way to the same spot Paige had just vacated. She took the shot as if it was second nature and the ball sailed through the net without even grazing the rim.

She turned, victorious, “there, another try.”

Paige chuckled under her breath, catching the rebound as it bounced back in her direction. She walked to the top of the key again, shoulder rolling back with ease as she prepped for the shot. Only, she didn’t take it. Instead, Paige let the ball roll off her fingertips.

“Ask me,” she said.

Azzi blinked, surprised but she stepped forward, eyes locked on Paige’s and asked again, gently this time:

“Why not?”

“I’d never wanted anyone else more than I wanted this girl who lived thousands of miles away,” she said, “someone I only ever saw once a year, but she lived in my head like she’d moved in, rearranged the furniture and left her sneakers at the door,” Azzi’s breath caught slightly as Paige stepped closer, hands finding their way to her hips with familiarity, “when we agreed to focus on our stuff, I thought I was doing the right thing. Choosing the grind, the game. The future. But the longer we stayed apart, the louder it got. The voice telling me there was something I wanted just as much, maybe more than basketball.”

Azzi tilted her head, her voice barely audible now, “and what was that?”

Paige smiled, slow and shy, “yeah,” she murmured, brushing a thumb just above Azzi’s hipbone, “I wonder that too, Az.”

[nordsea-horizons]

hey, i just checked out your nixie island and like... how? you've probably been asked this before, but how on earth did you get so good at it? did you follow tutorials for terraforming? follow inspiration pictures? i always get really stuck terraforming and end up spending hours on one small chunk. how fast do you usually work on things? like.. just how!

hi, thank you for visiting nixie🍃 its def a hard question to answer, bc the main thing is just practice i think? ive done so many islands in this game its only natural i’d get better and better at making my ideas come to live, i promise you i did not start out like that at all! however i do have a few things ive actively done, since i also like challenges in themes and terraforming projects. So i can at least share that!

• making a plan ahead of time, a drawing or just in your mind(or an inspo picture from anothers island maybe) - and having a focus point! like if you wanna make a viewpoint you set up the whole build around that one tree in the distance that you wanna be able to see in the end and make sure you build everything else around it with that goal in mind(in general doing a small test build of layout before commiting has helped me a lot)

• checking out da’s with the kind of terraforming you want and looking at the creators maps! it can be hard to see how a build is made by just walking on an island but you can see a lot of the actual layout from the dream address map! for example on nixie i did a sunken landbridge..

so if you wanted to do a similar thing you could take inspiration directly from the way i made the double inclines or maybe the amount of space needed or whatever gives you trouble? (for my first forest island i had to do this for a sunken pathway bc i just couldnt picture exactly how much space i needed to clear in order to fit in everything)

but also just give it a go without holding back! you can always take it down again after all? all my final posts never reveal how many times i had to redo an area or that one time i ran out of space and had to move the entire build two spaces forward and almost ragequit animal crossing😅 it really is something you can practice and everyone works differently! and for massive builds and stuff like that, there were likely a lot more struggle than it seems behind it✨

[thepeaklegendoffirstgen]

He was a man of schedule: punctual, calculated, and committed to routine. Any impromptu change usually earned a deep scowl on his face. That very scowl was etched into his features right now as he stood waiting at the station.

But the moment he saw you waving, it softened,just a little. Sublime in its own quiet way. Still, his tongue didn’t hold back.

“Sorry, something came up last minute,” you offered, trying to sound apologetic.

“That’s why I told you I should’ve picked you up from your place,” he shot back, unimpressed.

“Grumpy as ever,” you teased, slipping your arm through his before he could say more. “Come on, hurry up. I’m just glad we’re back in Japan and actually have time to explore.”

He didn’t respond, just walked in stride beside you, silent and steady.

As you boarded the train from Tokyo to Kyoto, you both found your seats. You were eyeing the window seat like a child, and Gun was already ready to lecture you on being childish, but then he noticed something.

The man sitting next to the aisle seat had been eyeing you. Even as Gun stood right there beside you, the guy’s gaze lingered, too long, too bold.

Gun didn’t hesitate.

“Take the window seat,” he said firmly, not waiting for discussion.

Once he sat beside you, his attention immediately turned back to the man. Clicking his fingers once to get his attention, Gun leaned forward slightly, voice low and dangerous.

“Got something to say?”

To call Gun Park a normal man would be foolish. His threatening aura wasn’t something you simply felt, you found it seep it into your bones. The other man didn’t even blink in resistance. He stiffened and turned away, suddenly very interested in the scenery outside.

You, still unaware of what had happened, nudged Gun’s arm. “Who were you talking to?”

“Everywhere I go, there’s always some pest,” he muttered, irritation in his tone.

You rolled your eyes. “A worthy opponent even on the train?” you replied sarcastically.

“No,” he said, flat. “Just a pest.”

You let it go and leaned against him, resting your head on his shoulder with a yawn.

“I told you to sleep on time,” he clicked his tongue. “Were you up scrolling through your phone all night?”

You nuzzled in closer. “I was too excited. Couldn’t sleep.”

A part of him wanted to shove you off, what kind of idiot doesn’t rest before a long day? But that other part, the one he buried somewhere deep, just sighed. Carefully, he brushed away the hair that had fallen over your eyes. When he saw how quickly you drifted into sleep, breathing softly against him, he found himself quietly running his knuckles across your cheek.

“When will you stop being so damn careless,” he muttered under his breath, not expecting an answer.

🍃

By the time you arrived in Kyoto and passed through the iconic torii gates, the crowd began to thin. You turned to him with a bright smile, “See? Told you this was the right time to come.”

He walked a step behind, casually, hands in his coat pockets. No, he didn’t hold your hand like the newlyweds on your left, or those teenage couples who believed they'd be together forever. He found hand holding… a bit disgusting, truth be told.

But still, his hand hovered just behind your back, subtly guiding you through the crowd. Quietly, constantly, like a shadow that wouldn’t leave. And then, as you reached the altar, you grabbed his wrist and pulled him forward.

“It’s our turn to pray!”

So you both stood side by side, rang the bell, clapped twice, and made your wishes.

On your way back down the steps, curiosity got the better of you.

“What did you wish for?” you asked.

“That you’d stop pestering me,” he said, deadpan.

Your face dropped. You gave him a hard pout and shoved him lightly. “Can’t you be nice for once?”

He found your puffed up cheeks amusing. Of course, he had only matched your playful energy, but watching your reaction made it worth it.

“Come on,” he said, grabbing your wrist, “at least draw an omikuji. Let’s see how lucky you are today.”

You both pulled your fortune slips, but before checking your own, you obviously peeked at his first.

“Ah! You got bad luck!” you laughed.

He pulled your cheek mercilessly. “Have some manners. Check your own first.”

You did and burst into a groan. “Ugh, I got bad luck, too!”

You tossed the paper aside dramatically. Gun, trying not to laugh, held it in for a moment... but then failed. A laugh, genuine and careless, escaped him. You barely remembered the last time you heard that sound from him.

“Give me space,” he said, turning away to compose himself.

But your pride was bruised.

“Nope,” you said, grabbing his chin and turning his face toward you. “Laugh right here. Do it in my face.”

So he did.

And strangely, you didn’t mind. Maybe it was the winter frost. Maybe it was the way the faint sunlight framed his silhouette like a halo, this literal demon, this impossible man. Or maybe it was just this moment, so fleeting, so real.

And before you could stop yourself, the words slipped out.

“Laugh all you want. At least my wish came true.”

That shut him up. His eyes locked on you as you instinctively covered your mouth, as if you hadn’t meant to say it.

“What? Your wish was to make a fool of yourself?” he asked, genuinely confused.

“Shut up,” you muttered, hiding your face behind your scarf as you stretched your palms out to the cold.

He noticed your red nose and the way your fingers trembled from the chill. Without a word, he undid his muffler and gloves. Gently, he wrapped the scarf around your neck and slid his hands into yours, slipping them into the warmth of his gloves with cared precision.

“I’m fine,” you protested.

“Stop whining,” he replied coolly.

You shut up immediately.

And then, without another word, he took your hand in his and tucked it into his coat pocket as you walked away from the shrine.

“Thanks,” you said quietly.

“Someone has to be careful,” he muttered.

“Not just for this,” you added after a pause. “Thanks for planning all this. For making time.”

You leaned closer to him, pressing your weight just enough for him to feel how much the distance had been eating away at you.

He let you rest against him.

“Wanna grab something warm?” he asked.

“Yes. I wish for something authentic,” you said immediately, eyes gleaming.

Ah! Wishes again.

The whole idea of wishes and desires… Gun found it amusing. Annoying. Ridiculous, even. How could people wish for things they hadn’t earned?

But then again… maybe they could.

Maybe the ants who worked tirelessly still hoped for something more. Maybe the weak could still wish for strength. Maybe fools like you could still dream about the simplest, most fragile things.

And maybe, just maybe...someone like him, who thought he was above all that…

Still found himself wishing.

For this.

For more moments like this.

And for you to stay just like this, warm, foolish, and smiling beside him.

His wish also came true.

[homosexual-work-account]

I’ve been rewatching some of the phase 1 MCU films and almost the entirety of Steve’s Captain America trilogy and its made me realise that the partial reason why the new MCU films are complete ass now is that the studio tries to cut most the political ties the characters have, as well as their lack of want to actually have a serious tone; which is strangely most exemplified in Sam’s film (unfortunately)

Brave New World presents you with the idea that it’s a political thriller — even from the name, which is a reference to Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World, which is mostly unrelated to the film besides it’s themes of eugenics and exploitation of the ‘genetically inferior’, which was biologically constructed by the upper class to justify that exploitation. The implication is then that the film could potentially explore themes similar to this, specifically with Isaiah — a character’s whose labour exploitation/abuse was justified using his race, a construct made up by the upperclass to justify themselves. It’s a similar thing to Captain America: Civil War, where the evocation of the Civil War aided the themes of stripped rights for the enhanced and the struggle for extreme control or none at all. It’s a purposeful choice to invoke certain political themes.

And Brave New World just, doesnt? It does to a certain extent — it discusses the abuse that Isaiah experienced due to his race but it just doesnt go beyond that. It’s especially put in a bad light once put in juxtaposition with Sam Wilson — an inherently political character due to his past actions and as a black Captain America — who works with the man who tried literally fucking stripping the rights of enhanced individuals, Ross, who literally has very little difference to the people who exploited Isaiah because he commited the exact same actions that stripped Isiah of his rights back in the 50s. It’s actual insanity that the film tries justifing Sam working with the government when he had been considered a war criminal for eight god damn years (I dont think he was officially un-declared a war criminal until after End-Game) and he works with the man who literally forced him into becoming one. The surface level political commentary it offers around race is instantly destroyed once Sam works with the man who literally enacted those exact same systems of oppression against the enhanced, all because the man ‘felt bad’. I’m actually flabbergasted at the audacity.

The film axes whatever political ties Sam had in the past, in turn destroying all previous character work in order to present a Sam that works with the very same government that he went against because his political ideology was inherently against what they were doing. I’ve not seen much of his show with Bucky, but from what I’ve seen it holds similar ideals to his previous characterisation so this film just shat itself because it was too scared to say anything. I cannot understand why they did what they did with Sam. It boggles my mind.

Comparing to previous films like Iron-Man — a film that addresses the military industrial complex and denounces those who make a profit off war and says that you have a moral duty to do the least amount of harm. While it has its issues, it was a decent commentary — and Captain America; The Winter Soldier — a film addressing unstable governments and how the systems it sets up to protect the people becomes ineffective because of the fascistic ideals built into it, as well as government overreach and surveillance. Hell, even the first Avengers film addressed creating nuclear weapons ‘in case’ of invasion, which creates political tension rather than solves it; which the narrative actually addresses by explicitly giving away the tesseract so they don’t. Many of the other films dont have overtly political ideas, but still have politics affect the narrative in some way — the best one off the top of my head being Ant-Man; which is something that I haven’t seen pop up in the newer projects, though many dropped the ball on this as well back then.

Politics, and in turn the darker tones of the earlier MCU films, has been absent because the films are too scared to actually say anything and alienate the audience. It tries adressing identity politics without having a fucking clue what they’re saying so they backtrack and sprinkle it in between tonal whiplash and funny hijinks. It’s too scared to go for the systems so they move towards character driven stories that rarely address the world they exist in — it’s been two years in world after Endgame, three years maybe and yet its rarely adressed that the blipped happened, the accords are dissolved off screen, the political tension of the existence of enhanced individuals are dropped. They sever the political ties the characters have to the events/structures within their own world and when they try to address them they fundamentally misunderstand why the characters are political in the first place.

[cacaocheri]

this is something I've been debating about posting because the likelihood of me actually finishing this project is kind of up in the air (just because I get distracted easily). but if I started posting more about my Personal Project on this account would that be something y'all would be into. would that be chill. should I make a different account for it. who's to say

[s0fter-sin]

thinking about the way ghost doesn't hesitate to start killing shadows when graves betrays them but soap only takes one hostage

you can almost hear the voice in his head telling him it doesn't have to be this way; they can still talk it out

"i'm calling shepherd"

his first instinct when confronted with betrayal is to play it by the books: to go up the chain. that goes against everything we've seen him do. he bucks authority at every chance except for the one time he's confronted with the barrels of his allies' guns

he wants a peaceful resolution; for the first time we've ever seen, he doesn't want violence to be the answer. there has to be another fix, a solution that doesn't end with him killing the same men he's been working with; his friends

nothing's happened yet

it doesn't have to go this way

but ghost has been betrayed before. he knows the way this ends; either with him six feet under or his enemy

he doesn't hesitate

it's only when they knock alejandro out that soap shoots; when they spill the first blood and cross a line they can never come back from

only when ghost orders him to run and he has to cover his retreat

and somewhere along the line, between civilians’ screams and taunting voices, between his shaking breath and ghost steady in his ear, that naivety is stripped away; his trust turned to teeth that he uses to sink into throats of men he'd have given his life for

"be careful who you trust, sergeant; people you know can hurt you the most"

he's learned the price of trust

just like ghost did

but unlike ghost, he has someone to guide him through the aftermath

"good advice, It"

[mamawasatesttube]

yknow how sometimes dogs will hunt things and be like look i did so good!!! yayyy i got you this!!! bc theres a comedy story in my mind in which krypto decides he likes kon's friends and wants to give them presents too! and. well.

krypto leaves a dead bird on tim's pillow and tim goes oh shit fuck is this an oblique threat that someone's discovered my identity as one of the bird-themed heroes in gotham? but then why's it a fucked-up looking pigeon and not a robin or a rook (if youre like me and like tim taking on the name rook later)??????? and why is it so mangled and burned what does it mean is this a threat of a specific way someone wants to kill me?!?! who could it have been from?! when did someone even break in and why didn't they trip any of my alarms?!?! fuck i have to cancel my plans with kon and bart later shit i don't even know how i got compromised so i don't dare see either of them in public i don't want to risk them--fuck fuck fuck how did this happen i don't understand and why is it a pigeon and

meanwhile krypto is just like. :3c i did so good i am SUCH a good dog i leave him presents :) yayyy!!! i even cooked it for him. with heat vision! yaaayyy!!

so tim phones up kon like "listen we can't meet up this weekend i'm so sorry i think i've been compromised--" and goes on about how he needs to go on lockdown alert mode until he figures out what happened and who found him out and meanwhile kon's just. go back. the pigeon. describe that again.

tim describes the fucked up mangled burnt pigeon. and kon, who has dealt with his fair share of Superdog Presents and thought they'd come to an understanding about "krypto you can't do that you'll DECIMATE local wildlife" and such, just narrows his eyes. turns to the dog bed next to him. goes ……………………….. krypto.

and krypto's like :) wag wag wag :) yes thats me :) wag wag :) im good dog :) he is SO pleased with himself. thats one mystery solved!

this ends in tim, haunted, sitting at the farmhouse kitchen table while ma frets over him and makes him hot chocolate, kon wraps him in a blanket, krypto licks his feet, and lois is just like. yeah. been there. just be glad it wasn't sea monsters.

[mcytegg]

its kinda crazy to me how many people i seen call kab manipulative and treating it was entirely malicious in its intent, yet i see very few people pointing out that derap is also. being manipulative and expecting so much of the people he trusts— like "trust me or you just die" is such an insane test to do and its crazy bc i do nawt believe he'd react well if pangi or zam or whoever tested him like he tests them constantly

im not saying kab isnt manipulative or that shes faultless bc she has done a lot wrong and a lot to hurt the people around her— esp zam. but its interesting bc her and derap just dont seem to be held to the same standards by the wider fandom even though they both seem to default to manipulation and attempted control so they feel secure w their friends and allies.

it isnt done w malicious intent, but they are still hurting the people around them and expecting far too much from the people theyve latched onto. they dont seem to understand unconditional loyalty is something that doesnt ACTUALLY exist, and it is not the exact same as having a friend u know u can rely on consistently no matter what. even having a friendship like mapicc and zam, mapicc and ro, vi and subz, or any of the likes ISNT abt never disagreeing or never acting against them in any situation ever.

its trust built over time and from experiencing lifesteal together. its about winning together, losing together, fighting side by side, and knowing when to stand up for urself and to fight against them if they are doing smt that truly hurts u and/or goes directly against your own morals and beliefs. it isnt abt "youll trust me no matter what and just accept it even if im doing smt i know will upset u", its abt knowing that u can still be friends at the end of the day. that, come a new season, or a new arc, they are still someone u can have fun w and rely on to continue to be themselves w you.

their attempts to force a bond like that will only hurt themselves and their relationship w the people around them in the long run, but i feel like this is a lesson theyll need to learn w time and by experiencing it themselves bc theyre too lonely and desperate to be by someones side currently to realize it yet.

edit : had a funny realization that there is ONE relationship on the server that seems to be exactly what kab and derap are searching for, and its mane and flame. they want and expect the same loyalty from their teammate that flame has for mane. flame goes directly against his own morals and and beliefs bc mane asks it of him, and passively follows down manes path of destruction simply bc theyre teammates. he doesnt even think mane is right, but that doesnt matter simply bc the only thing he cares abt on LS is mane. he likes other people like pangi, pentar, and zam but he would kill just abt anyone if it was part of manes plan simply bc he has no path of his own— he hasnt found himself yet, so hes following mane nd his ideals.

[marblerose-rue]

silly doodle for my fursona since i made her 11 years ago today :-)

[radishrainbowfarm]

I have a vision for the red hood

[likeprongstostars]

ive long ago made my peace with not being credited but damn bro... purposefully hiding my watermark with text feels personal

[ajastu]

this is my monthly bone-chewing allowance.

i NEEED people writing vg critical posts in the main tags to at least stop pretending that they're being smart and doing a proper analysis when they don't even cite their sources. Saying something in a pseudo-intellectual sounding way does not make it true. Like, if you want to commit to criticizing this game almost 6 months after its release, then you've had more than enough time to actually familiarize yourself with the source material, instead of re-chewing the same fictional version of the game that you invented in your own head.

The game is not beyond criticism, so by all means, go at it. But actually engage with the source material. No, reading other critical posts without any thoughts of your own doesn't count. No, breezing thru the game Once without paying attention to a good half of it does not count either.

if you make a point to sound smart while calling the game soft and mindless, i neeeeed you to provide examples. Prove your point!!! Commit!! Because i really don't think we are talking about the same game here. Like, there is a point to the criticism, supposedly. But i fail to see it.

the reason i do not respect most crit takes i see is not because i like the game. it's because theyre saying things expecting you to agree, while not actually proving their point in any way, and oftentimes being straight up blatantly wrong.

On another note. that i am apparently passionate about.

why do people immediately write the game off as 'sanitized' just because it has a hopeful undertone to it? Why are we equating kindness and hope with weakness and childishness?

Like, explain it to me like i'm 12. Why do we automatically assume that having an option to be a dick in a game makes it more complex or interesting? Why do we assume that if your character is not being called slurs every second conversation, there is no difficult topics being tackled in the game?

Why do people feel the urge to rewrite a character that is Genuinely Just A Good Person to make them 'more interesting'??

Someone choosing to see the good side of things is not automatically naive. They are not automatically shallow in their characterization. Why does complexity have to come from the capacity to do evil? from cynicism?

It's not just something i've seen re: veilguard, either. There is a certain tendency to assume that kind, compassionate people are weak and childish, and that they're only that way because they've never experienced any hardship in their life. Why is it so hard to believe that some people experience the world with all its hardships and Choose to remain hopeful? Choose to do good??? I genuinely do not understand this. One is not more complex than the other. They're just different flavors.

anyway. TLDR. 90% of vg critical posts out there are written by people with a skill issue. Do Better. 🫵

[yellllowstar]

you can make songs be about The Character if you try hard enough.

(song is "deep in the ocean" by lemon demon)

[arvoze]

comic practices

[beloskin]

I'm really sad...I have to hunt for clothing that fits me AND is in the style I want, but every single time it's either one-size or expensive....

I'm not in the need for new clothing right, I just want to broaden my choices! but this is disheartening... -_- I'll make a little fashion board and show it to my bestie, he probably knows where to find what I want

[good-beanswrites]

My translyrics for Salamander, written out under the cut :D

This one was much more difficult than the last, but I'm still very satisfied with it! 😤 I'm both sad that my version lost a lot of the fun soundplay of the original, and also waaay more impressed with the lyrics and vocals after digging it like this! I tried to keep it balanced between the original and Fuuta's version, though maybe it ended up leaning more toward the cover, idk. Leaving my specific notes in the tags 👍

Salamander~ Hot's nice, don't you agree? This pa- passion's fine, see?

"But" isn't what I wanna hear, so say "more" loud and clear.

It's heating up all through my mind when I'm with you.

I want a taste, but all this spice may prove more than I can take, (eh?)

Something's on your mind. So spit it out and tell me, don't waste my time, kay?

I'm hooked on this, pass me a dish.

The way I'm starving here without you -- it's a crime

A spicy treat, put on repeat,

Can I get seconds with the same heat? One more time!

Salamander~ Hot's nice, don't you agree? This pa- passion's fine, see?

"But" isn't what I wanna hear, so say "more" loud and clear.

It's heating up all through my mind when I'm with you.

I can't stop anything, although I wouldn't want to stop, oh no --

Take a breath, it's best to cool down or you earn yourself a burn.

I want a bite, I can't help giving in to this new appetite.

Again, again, I want to be on fire when I get to the end.

We live too fast, we burn to ash,

I never handled spices well and it's a crime.

A spicy treat, put on repeat,

Can I get seconds with the same heat? One more time!

I want to burn bright red

I want to burn bright red

Salamander~ Hot's nice, don't you agree? This pa- passion's fine, see?

"But" isn't what I wanna hear, so say "more" loud and clear.

Tell me I'm not alone in my mind!

Salamander~ Look what's happened to me. This pa- passion's crazy

Tell me I'm not delirious, I'm being serious.

It's heating up all through my mind when I'm with you.

I can't stop anything, although I wouldn't want to stop, oh no --

Take a breath, it's best to cool down or you earn yourself a burn.

I want to leave I want to go, but I can never stop, oh no --

Take a breath, it's best to cool down or you earn yourself a burn.