#but the high level concept is there and there's enough that i want to commit to it

[stanwixbuster]

i cant fufking find the post where i said one day i'd make a rotk if game however

[gav-san]

“No Takebacks" 3

Masterlist here

No Takebacks Masterlist

One Piece Masterlist Here

How it began Word Count: 4K

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5

Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10

You are, to put it mildly, a spectacularly clean and deeply informed person.

You bathe regularly. You organize your notes. You have backup plans for your backup plans. You do not cause public scenes unless they are worth it. Unfortunately, this one was.

Because apparently, telling the truth about Lord Velcot’s very unfortunate incident with a spiced pear, a stolen wig, and three goats has consequences. 

Who knew nobles were so sensitive?

The guards chased you down cobbled alleys, and your beautifully polished boots are caked with harbor mud. You duck into a quieter corner, heart hammering, and come face to face with a man leaning against a stack of crates, chewing a toothpick, and watching you like you’re a particularly interesting card game.

"You're in a bit of a hurry," he says. “Ex-boyfriend?”

You eye him warily. "Do I know you?"

"Not yet. But I hear you know a lot of things. And I'm in the market for information."

You don’t have time for this. "And you’re offering what, exactly?"

He jerks his head toward the ship just past the dock. “A ride. Quiet. No questions, except the ones I ask.”

You study him. Weathered. Sharp-eyed. The kind of man who doesn’t waste words or tolerate lies. You make a split-second decision and nod.

“Fine.”

You make it to the ship without being seen. You narrow your eyes at the size. It is beautiful. Stunning, even. A grand silhouette against the horizon, red sails snapping proudly in the wind. You expected something stately, maybe even majestic.

It’s too dark to tell.

“So,” you say, brushing dirt off your sleeves, “you the captain?”

He barks out a laugh. “Me? Hell no.”

You freeze. “Wait. What?”

“Captain’s below,” he says, grinning. “He’ll want to meet you once I tell him I brought aboard a high-value gossip with nice hair and good boots.”

You blink.

“You’re not the captain?”

“Nope. Name’s Benn Beckman.” He offers a hand. “First Mate to the Red-Haired Pirates.”

And that’s when you hear it. The laugh. Low. Friendly. Infuriating.

Shanks.

Your blood runs cold. You know that bounty. You’ve stared at the poster enough times to curse the smile.

You whirl on Benn. “You brought me aboard a Yonko’s ship?!”

“Careful,” Benn says, clearly amused. “He’s fallen for worse attitudes.”

“Worse than me?”

He shrugs, grinning. “You’ll fit right in.”

Frankly, you don’t care. You’ve had a very long day of being chased, betrayed, and slandered over what should have been a hilarious and harmless anecdote involving a pear and a powerful man’s poor choices. You accepted Benn Beckman’s offer because he looked capable, unbothered, and most importantly, clean.

And to his credit, he was.

He helps you up the gangplank without ceremony. You think maybe, just maybe, you’re safe.

The ship, however, is something else entirely.

You step aboard the Red Force and are immediately met with what can only be described as a deeply committed level of nautical chaos. Not the kind bred from incompetence; no, this is curated, almost artistic. Like someone had taken the concept of a functioning pirate crew and given it a bottle of rum, three chickens, and a head injury.

There’s laundry—actual dirty laundry—hanging from the rigging, flapping proudly like the sails of domestic surrender. A pair of polka-dot boxers snaps you in the face as the wind changes. You look up. They wave at you.

Near the helm, two shirtless crewmates are locked in what appears to be a very serious swordfight.

With baguettes. 

They parry with the grace of seasoned warriors and the idiocy of men who have not tasted fear since puberty. One of them shouts “en garde!” in a terrible accent before taking a bite out of his weapon mid-duel.

You catch sight of a chicken. It’s wearing an eyepatch. You blink. It’s still there. It stares back, solemn and ancient, as if it has survived battles you’ll never understand.

The scent of rum hits you next. Not just a scent. A presence. The rum is in the air. The planks beneath your feet creak with the ghost of spilled drinks and bad decisions. You swear the wood itself is tipsy.

You stop mid-step, overcome by the visceral assault of sight, sound, and questionable life choices.

“It’s a pigsty,” you whisper, horrified. Then you blink again, gaze sweeping over the sun-drenched deck, the howling laughter, the chaos woven with joy and freedom. You swallow, shoulders slumping.

“A beautiful pigsty.”

Benn strolls past you like none of this is strange. “Home sweet home.”

You gape at a mug crusted with something you pray is not jam. “You said quiet ride. You said no questions. You did not say I’d share air with feral pirate frat boys.”

“Mm.” Benn eyes the deck. “They’re housebroken. Mostly.”

You side-eye him. “Why does it smell like aging citrus and despair?”

“It’s lemon oil,” he says. “Someone tried to mop. Once. In 2003.”

You inhale slowly, then blink at the sheer volume of abandoned teacups, rum bottles, and suspicious socks.

And that’s when he appears. Barefoot, laughing, and wearing a half-buttoned shirt like it’s a lifestyle.

Red hair. Ridiculous grin. No concept of personal space.

“Oh?” he says, clearly amused. “New passenger?”

You freeze.

This man is everything you go out of your way to avoid. Loud. Disheveled. Ridiculously charming. Probably sticky.

You look at Benn in betrayed silence.

He shrugs. “That’s the captain.”

You point at him in slow horror. “That thing is the captain?”

Shanks beams. 

“Don’t worry, I’m mostly socialized for indoor behavior.”

You almost jumped overboard.

Benn claps you on the shoulder like this is fine and mostly to keep you dry. “Welcome to the Red Force.”

You murmur, “I would like to go home now.”

Too late. Someone hands you a drink. Someone else asks if you’re the new quartermaster. The chicken clucks approvingly.

The ship sways.

So does your patience.

You sigh. “At least I’m not the one who smells like cheese.”

“Yet,” Shanks adds brightly.

You stare at him. Then at Benn.

“This is your fault.”

Benn lights a cigarette like he has all the time in the world and no reason to rush. The smoke curls slowly between his fingers as he leans against the rail, watching the chaos unfold across the deck with the kind of patience that only comes from long exposure to nonsense.

“Yeah,” he says, casting a glance in your direction. “But you’re not boring. So I’d say we’re even.”

You blink at him. Then at the ship. Then at the man dueling with a mop while wearing a long coat and absolutely no pants. You look again at the chicken. It’s still wearing the eyepatch. You could swear it gives you a nod of recognition.

You should leave. That would be smart. Logical. Strategic. But the guards are still combing the port for you with the zeal of men promised a bonus, and your name is now traveling on the wind with the kind of scandal usually reserved for pirates, murderers, and bad poets.

The Red Force may be a mess, but it floats. Which is already more than you can say for your reputation.

Benn doesn’t try to convince you. When you hesitate near the gangplank, he exhales and raises one eyebrow.

“If you’ve got something worth trading,” he says, voice even, “I’ll make sure the captain lets you stay aboard until the next island.”

You weigh your choices. Running into town would be suicide. Turning yourself in would be stupidity. That leaves you with pirates.

“I have information,” you say at last, slowly.

He doesn’t react much, but the air around him seems to still. “We like information.”

“But I want terms,” you add, folding your arms.

His mouth curves, the faintest twitch of a grin. “Let’s hear them.”

You gesture toward the ship, nose wrinkling as someone swings past on a rope, yelling triumphantly while wearing only one boot and a sunhat.

“If I give you something valuable, I want a ride. A clean bunk. And someone has to mop something. Or bathe. Or both.”

He tilts his head, amused. “That’s a bold list.”

“I’m flexible on the mop,” you say, voice even. “But I will not negotiate on the bathing.”

Benn’s hand extends again, steady and solid.

There’s a pause.

Then he laughs. Not mockingly. His laugh is warm and low, edged with honest amusement, like you’ve said something no one else had the guts or sense to say. Like you’re the first fresh breeze to hit this deck in years.

“You want to trade intelligence for soap and a mop?”

“Yes,” you reply flatly. “I don’t care if I’m surrounded by pirates, but I refuse to live like a damp sock in a locker room.”

Behind you, a voice cuts in, cheerful and far too comfortable.

“What’s this about socks?”

You don’t need to look. You already know who it is.

The barefoot, red-haired disaster. Wearing yesterday’s shirt and today’s grin, looking like he just woke up from a nap he didn't plan and liked it anyway.

You lift a hand and gesture vaguely in his direction without turning. “That one. He’s not allowed near my quarters until he can pass a smell check.”

Shanks sounds delighted. “You want to trade for hygiene? That’s a first.”

You finally turn to face him.

His smile could outshine the sun, and unfortunately, he knows it. The hair is tousled, the shirt is unbuttoned at the collar, and there’s a suspicious smudge of ink or possibly rum on his neck.

You meet his eyes and don’t blink.

“You’ll thank me when your crewmates stop losing dice to mold.”

Shanks looks like you just proposed marriage.

Benn exhales smoke and mutters under his breath, “Oh no. He likes you.”

You frown. “Is that a problem?”

Shanks leans forward slightly, eyes bright. “It’s only a problem if you plan to survive.”

You stare at him.

He smiles wider.

You already regret everything.

Benn, in true first mate fashion, steps in before your brain can start planning escape routes. He leans in, clearly entertained.

“And what are you offering?”

You raise a brow, unimpressed. “How about Lord Velcot’s shipping ledger? The one that proves he’s funneling sea stone under a fake spice route.”

The grin on Benn’s face drops half an inch. His posture doesn’t change, but his attention sharpens like a blade being quietly unsheathed.

Shanks lets out a low whistle. “You’re just full of little treasures, aren’t you?”

“I am. And if you don’t clean that table,” you say, pointing at the sticky wooden monstrosity near the helm, “I’ll find another pirate crew. Preferably one with working soap.”

There’s a long pause.

Then Shanks laughs. Loud. Bright. Borderline offensive.

“Done,” he says. “Ride, bunk, and someone will mop. Hell, I’ll mop myself just for the story.”

You stare at him. “You’re joking.”

“I’m absolutely not.” His grin spreads like a man daring the universe to top this moment. “Benn, get this woman a mop. And someone to fight over it.”

Benn sighs like a man who has already seen his future, and it includes too many suds and not enough peace.

“You’re going to be the death of me.”

You tuck your notes back into your coat and follow them onto the deck.

Later, you sip tea in the sun and watch as Shanks dramatically splashes soapy water across the boards in what could only be described as a barefoot, interpretive dance about the concept of cleaning. He’s shirtless. There are bubbles on his nose. It’s unclear whether any actual cleaning is happening, but morale is up.

You smile to yourself.

You may be trapped on a ship full of chaos gremlins, but for once, you are in charge of the mop.

The crew likes you immediately.

Unfortunately.

You hadn’t planned on charming them. That wasn’t the goal. You were just trying to barter your way out of political fallout and away from the kingdom of cursed pears. But apparently, sarcasm, a visible disdain for clutter, and the ability to identify seven kinds of mold growing under the deck planks is downright hilarious to pirates.

They howled when you called the crow’s nest a sweaty crypt. They applauded when you slapped a dirty plate out of someone’s hand with your notebook. One of them tried to give you a chicken as a sign of respect.

You had no idea what to do with that.

They start calling you Doc, even though you’re not a doctor. Or Boss, depending on the day. Someone tries “Mom” once. You draw a knife without breaking eye contact. It never happens again.

You wish you liked them.

Truly.

But they’re filthy. Every last one of them reeks of salt, stale liquor, and the ghosts of forgotten laundry. You’ve seen things. Unspeakable things. A cup being rinsed and reused without soap. A man blow-drying his armpits near the lantern. Someone—probably Yasopp—eating something he dropped on the anchor chain and declared “still good.”

You considered setting the ship on fire once. Just to start over.

The only one who seems halfway civilized is Benn Beckman.

And he can’t be trusted. Because he listens to Shanks.

You learned that the hard way after you sat Benn down and politely explained your list of basic human decencies. Clean linens. Sealed storage. A fireproof filing system. You even wrote it out on proper stationery. Benn nodded with grave understanding, the picture of cooperation. Very calm. Very reasonable.

Five hours later, you opened the door to your freshly “cleaned” quarters.

Shanks was inside. Shirtless. Reclining across your cot like he had personally conquered it. He was drinking from your emergency rum stash with the smug air of a man who knew he shouldn’t be there and had every intention of staying anyway. In one hand, he held up a mop like it was a weapon, a trophy, or both.

“I mopped!” he declared, proud as sin.

“With what?” you demanded.

He pointed to a bucket. The contents were murky. Brown. Possibly sentient.

Beckman leaned into view from the hallway, chewing the inside of his cheek like he was deciding whether to laugh or flee. “He tried.”

You had nearly thrown yourself overboard.

Now you keep a spray bottle of industrial-grade disinfectant on your belt like a sidearm. The crew refers to it in hushed tones as blessed firewater. Some say it burned the sins off their souls. Others claim it just smells like lemon death.

You don’t care. You use it liberally.

You sleep with your back to the wall. You wear gloves when touching anything communal, including dice, maps, and whatever horrifying substance Lucky Roux calls “stew.” You keep an eye on Benn at all times.

But sometimes, when you catch him watching you with that slow-burn smirk, with the sharp glint of humor behind those steady eyes, like he knows exactly what kind of chaos Shanks dragged aboard, you wonder how long you can keep up the wall.

Because even if he is dangerous… He did refill your soap. And label it.

Now you’re drying your gloves over a barrel as the Red Force drifts lazily into port. The sun warms your back. The spray glistens on the ropes. For a brief moment, it almost feels like peace.

Shanks sidles up beside you, barefoot again. Pretending not to stare. Failing.

“You don’t have to leave,” he says.

You don’t look at him. You glance toward the docked ships in the distance, then down at his shirt. It has three stains. One is definitely jam. One might be ink. The third remains unidentifiable and probably deserves its own bounty.

“You’re wearing yesterday’s crimes,” you reply.

“But I smell like today’s breeze.”

“You smell like bad decisions and damp rope.” You flick a speck of something off your skirt and turn away. “I’m staying at an inn.”

“You could stay in my cabin.”

“I’d rather be arrested.”

He laughs, soft and low, like he enjoys the chase. You don’t look back.

You do not stay onboard for long.

Not because of the danger. Not because of the pirates. Not even because someone tied three spoons together and declared it a revolutionary navigation system while two others cheered like they had just solved gravity.

No.

You leave because you genuinely fear contracting a yeast infection from prolonged exposure to whatever biological terror is festering below deck.

You make it eight days. Eight heroic, disinfectant-soaked days.

By then, you have seen things. Terrible things. A sponge used for both boots and dishes. A sock employed as a makeshift coffee filter. Shanks, offering you a drink from a cup that had visible algae blooming like it had dreams.

You had stared at him in silent horror.

He leaned in, entirely too casual, and murmured with that maddening grin, “Don’t worry. I’m naturally fermented.”

That was it.

Something in you snapped. It wasn’t loud. It was surgical.

Within the hour, you were off the ship, pacing the harbor like a woman possessed, armed with a checklist, a full coin purse, and enough rage to fund a small revolution. You did not say goodbye. You simply shoved a note into Beckman’s hand and disappeared like some shadow-born avatar of responsibility and bleach.

The note reads:

Thank you for the ride. Please tell your captain that if he ever tries to flirt with me again while smelling like smoked socks and mystery fruit, I will file a formal complaint with the sea itself.

P.S. I hired a battalion of cleaners. You’re welcome.

P.P.S. Burn everything in the galley. Start fresh.

Two days later, the Red Force is crawling with uniformed, appalled, and absurdly expensive professionals. They come armed with scrub brushes, industrial gloves, and what may or may not be a priest. Holy water is applied liberally. Possibly exorcistically.

Shanks finds the whole thing hilarious.

“She paid for this? Really? That’s so generous.”

Benn doesn’t say much. He lights a cigarette and stares out at the sea. The note remains folded and tucked in his coat pocket, a faint crease at the corners where he keeps unfolding and refolding it. He looks like a man who saw the hurricane coming and let it dock anyway.

Because he knows.

You will be back.

Eventually.

After all, you still owe him information. Unfortunately, he still smells like cedar and is quiet competent.

You and Benn Beckman keep in touch.

Much to your ongoing dismay and your intense, justified distaste for his crew.

It begins with letters. They arrive without ceremony, sealed with a wax stamp that looks like someone crushed it beneath a boot. The pages inside are warm with the scent of tobacco and smugness. His handwriting is steady, economical, infuriatingly attractive. He writes in neat lines, clipped observations, sharp wit folded inside every sentence.

The contents vary. Rumors. Coordinates. Unverified sightings. Sketches of strange devices or ships caught using old, outdated codes. Sometimes, entire pages are devoted to mocking the hygiene rating of whatever new vessel he’s endured.

You write back.

Reluctantly.

Not because you enjoy it. Absolutely not. He is useful. That is all.

Your letters are precise. Waterproof ink, ruled margins, folded into thirds like any rational human would. You include bullet points. You underline statements like “I am not your contact. I am your cleaner.” One time, you enclosed a pressed flower. Labeled it carefully in red ink.

“This is what a normal person should smell like.”

Shanks found it charming. Unfortunately.

He refers you to interesting clients, which is usually code for irritating criminals with good coin and boundary issues. You vet them yourself. Half get rejected outright. The other half are tolerable, for pirates, and pay in full. You survive most encounters with your dignity and your laundry intact.

In return, you occasionally pass along corrected Marine patrol routes. Never enough to be considered a betrayal. Just little timing gaps. Slight detours. Adjusted weather patterns that help a ship slip into a port unnoticed, or avoid an inspection by thirty precious minutes.

It is not treason.

It is practical.

It is efficient.

It is also, depending on your mood, the only reason you haven’t tried to set Benn Beckman on fire.

And the Red Force does have ethics—not cleanliness, not order, not even basic definitions of personal space—but ethics nonetheless. That counts for something.

Besides, you are careful. Those ships you clear? They carry cargo, not people. Medicine, not weapons. And if someone tries to lie, you find out. They do not lie again.

Your network grows. Quietly. Efficiently. Smartly. The sort of network that doesn’t raise alarms, only eyebrows.

One day, Benn sends you a note.

Four words. No signature.

Need a favor. Urgent.

You groan, throw a pillow, pace your clean floor with clean feet and pure, distilled irritation, and then check your map.

You write back.

Is the red-haired one involved?

Unfortunately.

Fine. Send soap first.

He does. Lavender-scented. Wrapped in wax paper and respect. You hold it in your hand for five whole seconds before sighing like someone who has seen the cost of every decision.

You never should have gotten on that ship.

But you definitely should have charged more.

The next favor is messy.

Not morally. That part is simple. Some Celestial-backed trade ships have gone suspiciously quiet, and the rumors whisper about human cargo. You start digging. The maps are faked. The portmasters are bribed. Someone has the audacity to route through a canal that floods with raw sewage every third tide.

You send Benn a letter:

Your next client owes me two things: payment, and new boots. I am never returning to Shitwater Shoals.

He replies with:

Client says thank you. I say sorry. Shanks says ‘what’s a shoal?’

You burn the letter. Then send another.

If I die on one of these jobs, my ghost will mop your deck until it sparkles.

He sends back a bar of vanilla soap and a note that reads:

Then maybe the ship will finally be clean.

You are still not sure if it was flirtation or a cry for help.

Despite your contempt for the Red Force’s ambiance—its filth, its mystery stains, its tendency to celebrate bad ideas with fireworks—Benn never sends you jobs that waste your time. The favors are always worthwhile. Always interesting.

Rare documents. Stolen codes. Forgotten alliances wrapped in noble crests and blood-stained ledgers.

You work in silence. Bill in silence. Live alone. Clean. Far from the roar of drunken singing and the scent of salt-stained leather and over-oiled swords.

Until, every now and then, a new job arrives. Folded into a plain envelope. Delivered by hands that never ask questions. From a port you wouldn’t trust with your laundry.

Your name is scrawled on the front. Inside, there are coordinates and notes in Benn’s clipped handwriting.

No greeting.

Just the rough little BB initials scratched at the bottom like an afterthought. Or a signature.

Every time, you roll your eyes. Mutter something acidic. Stare at yourself in the mirror like you might still choose a different life.

You never do.

You pack your notes. Tuck a vial of disinfectant into your sleeve. And go.

Sometimes, you think about the Red Force.

Not fondly. Never fondly.

But with the kind of exhausted tolerance that allows you to mutter things like, “Idiots. But manageable idiots.”

And when Benn writes again:

He asked if you’re still mad.

You reply:

Define mad.

He laughs.

You never liked pirates. Not really.

But you’re starting to tolerate the bastards.

And that is, undeniably, worse.

[seeminglyseph]

There’s…. Something. In the fact that like in Polyphemus;

A trade, you see? A gift from you and a gift from me

where Odysseus sort of. in one case he is being extremely presumptuous of Polyphemus' intelligence and generosity by sort of... hoping he can set either set the value of the sheep and barter it down from blood to wine, without taking the actual truth of the barter into consideration "trespassing and murder, a violation of hospitality of a powerful being who is childlike, but not stupid. Who is monstrous but prideful as the son of a god."

Odysseus views Polyphemus as someone he can look down on because Odysseus has been a King At War for the past decade, and Polyphemus is a non-citizen monstrosity. like. he's a physical threat at the moment but politically Odysseus has been providing for his men by raiding and pillaging for 10 years. In his head he's a raiding king and this shepherd should be grateful for having his life spared. The original Odyssey is being told about and to people in the act of colonial expansion and war and it asked its audience simply to consider the concept of. like. When your armies go to war and raid villages and stuff for food, killing and enslaving the people. Whose children are they? What will their children become? (And hey, it's still a valid story worth telling today, who knew, that's why they call 'em the classics!)

it's kind of present in the whole treatment of Polyphemus and the Cyclops Saga as a whole. He goes on a raiding party, shoots first and asks questions later, presumes to set a value on what he damaged, presumes that the agreement is settled based on his own statement of it, then presumes his own act of mercy will be enough to undo the acts of hostility he's already taken, and the breaches of hospitality he has committed that need to be answered for. Like he might have maybe almost declared war with the "I am the reigning king of Ithaca... ...Odysseus!" thing. like. you're lucky the price was named at 600, honestly? I don't. Remember how the Odyssey ends. But like. you literally could have declared Ithaca at war with Poseidon and like. Girliepop you live on an island.

It presents again kind of and is like... kind of directly called out in Ruthlessness multiple times because like Jorge fully knows what's up and that's a blast, and Ruthlessness is like. so much theme packed into one song that like. Truly. The most Villain Song to Ever Villain Song. Because it draws on every weakness and insecurity of our protagonist and pulls them up to the surface for everyone to see. And then we get that last Evil of Pandora's Jar and Poseidon offers to let it go with a full apology for the trespasses against his son. And

Poseidon, we meant no harm We only hurt him to disarm him We took no pleasure in his pain We only wanted to escape

Odysseus lies, technically. In Odysseus' memory the crime they committed was attacking and blinding Polyphemus, so it makes sense, probably Poseidon is upset about Polyphemus being injured, Odysseus is constantly thinking about his son and going home, and Poseidon asked for an apology for his pain and cries so in his head, the first offense is when Polyphemus attacked them and they had to defend themselves to save their lives. He has fully failed to factor in the concept that he has trespassed on Poseidon's son's home and killed his sheep and caused him to grieve, then given him a poisoned wine and attempted to kill him when a price has been demanded in return for the violation of hospitality committed against him.

Odysseus has not reached a point where he considers Polyphemus something on a level of respect high enough that he could have some kind of hospitality to be respected. Odysseus is still a conqueror who breached the impenetrable walls of Troy. He'd seen sons of gods die horrible deaths in the last ten years. I feel like life feels wrong a million times over??? But he's entirely wrong in the scope of Poseidon's rage and sense of justice. Because some things are obligations as much as they are about compassion.

like. You trespassed against Polyphemus and left a calling card, Polyphemus went to his father to request a price be paid in blood for the trespasses that were done to him, Poseidon must honour this request made by his son or he will be known not to punish those who trespass against him and those who are his family or followers. If he cannot punish those who trespass against his own, then he cannot defend himself and is weak and unworthy of respect. He cannot allow the possibility of this disrespect to foster, for if he ask something great of his followers he needs them to give without question, knowing that he will defend them from others who would trespass upon them. Like the mob I guess? They are swimming with the shark now. oh no

so I feel like Odysseus' trait as a Trickster Hero is honestly what bites him, if he had been like. a traditionally noble King he might have been able to talk his way out of this, theoretically. If he had stopped escalating. because further trespasses require further payment.

Also this last bit is wild speculation but if Odysseus trespasses upon Poseidon's son and declares himself and his kingdom and Athena did not cut ties with him, would it create like. the god equivalent of like. fucking international incident? Poseidon and Athena go to war because her Warrior of the Mind doxxed himself in Sicily.

Anyway I need to stop typing now.

[thepageofhopes]

Saw a rhythm game template by @shuwa-chan, so of course I had to do it!

Games and explanations/musings under the cut!

That I want to try: Parappa the Rapper!

I've never played, but I probably should play the game that potentially started the entire genre at some point, right?

That I miss playing: Groove Coaster

My dear departed baby. Yes I know there's a Nintendo Switch version but there's nothing really like the feeling of playing on an arcade cabinet. I played this for over 3 years, and it's where I really got my rhythm game chops. I remember when I first started I could barely play 4s and 5s.

This game is how I met my bf of over 7 years now! It's also where we first saw undertale songs on a rhythm game, and it was such a perfect fit. I will still forever be salty about grinding for 30+ hours on the first undertale event and then getting 51st place, 1 away from the highest tier.

Sadly, Groove Coaster is one of the games where I am held back from being as good as my other experienced peers due to the stamina requirements it has, so I never quite reached peak performance.

I still occasionally visit Round1 and play it, but Round1 is expensive and doesn't really offer a lot of the games I really like, but maybe if they get a MaiMai DX cabinet, that'll change.

That I first ever played: Stepmania

I guess technically I played DDR first, but I don't count random times playing at random arcades every couple of weeks. Stepmania is where I got my start, and I even used to design a few songs on there! I never got particularly good, but back before a lot of copyright bullshit happened, bemanistyle was such a cool place to play every type of song imaginable.

That I think is cool: Lanota

I just really love the vibe, music, and system of Lanota. It's got a really unique soundtrack with a heavier focus on orchestral tracks (though obviously it has its fair share of hardcore electronic too), the feeling of swishing across those blue notes is always satisfying, and the way the game plays with the area where you hit notes is always super fun and cool.

My all-time favorite: Groove Coaster

It might not be the best system ever, but I have too many good memories for this to not be my all time favorite. Maybe when MaiMai DX comes to the states it'll be un-seated, but for now, GC is my favorite rhythm game.

That I'm confident in skill-wise: MaiMai

When the location test of DX in Dallas came through, I ended with a solid 13.1k ranking! Not a god level skill by any means, but it's enough that I can play and pass almost all charts in the game, and make good scores on a fair number. My specialty tends to be trills and tap-intensive songs, mostly owing from my GC experience, and low-bpm and weird slide tech are my worst enemies.

But I mean, last week I got an S on Umiyuri Kaiten, so that's something.

That I wish I was good at: Sound Voltex

I honestly just don't play this enough to be that good, despite it being at all the arcade locations I visit. I definitely really like it, but I've never felt the urge to particularly deep dive it like I have with GC, Maimai, WACCA, and Chunithm. Still, it's a really cool system with a huge song library and an insanely high skill ceiling, so maybe someday I'll commit enough to gid gud.

That I think has the best concept/design: Chunithm

Speaking of Chunithm, this is a game I'd probably lifestyle if I could find an online cabinet. The thing I tend to value the most in rhythm games is how a rhythm game expresses the music via the mechanics (thus why I was really drawn to GC, since the track and changing visuals along with the actual notes all contributed to expressing the music) and to me Chunithm does music expression the best, with MaiMai a close 2nd and GC a very close 3rd. The air notes add so much dimension to the way it feels to play.

That I think has the best song selection: Chunithm

It also helps that Chunithm probably has one of my favorite song selections...ever. It really fits for a weeb like me, as it has an insane number of anime openings, along with a great selection of touhou and vocaloid tracks. 2nd is definitely GC, and honestly if you count Wai Wai party probably beats Chunithm. Groove Coaster has a lot of weird songs you won't see anywhere else - collabs with Dangan Ronpa, Puzzle & Dragons, Crypt of the Necrodancer, Deltarune, BlazBlue, Dondonpachi, etc. It also has an amazing selection of touhou tracks, including 3-4 whole CDs worth of commissioned tracks not available in any other game. I own 3 of them and I am forever sad that Dream Coaster by A-One, COSIO's remixes of Hecatia's Theme and Raiko's Theme, Joker Junko by COOL & CREATE, and BUTAOTOME's remix of Utsuho's theme will never be in another rhythm game.

That I've been playing a lot recently: MaiMai, WACCA, and Chunithm

There's a set of freeplay arcades in my area called Cidercade, and they have a great selection of rhythm games. I'm lucky enough to have a monthly pass, which they don't currently offer anymore, and it only costs $20 a month, which is an insane price for a freeplay arcade. Thus, I tend to go twice a week, with one day focusing on MaiMai, and the other focusing on WACCA and Chunithm. WACCA is my other dear departed baby who died too soon, and it is incredibly sad how the pandemic killed what was a lot of people's new favorite rhythm game.

That I think deserves more attention: Beatblock

I don't normally stick with PC rhythm games, but Beatblock might become the exception. It essentially plays kind of like Undyne's battle from Undertale, but with far more flexibility and freedom in the movement and mechanics. The custom song community for this game is BATSHIT INSANE. Please please please check out some of the songs here, here, here, and here. It's currently in the demo stage, so it's free, please try it!!

That I think looks the hardest: Beatmania

The timing windows on Beatmania and all the Beatmania-likes (ex. POP'N, DJMax) are so hard for me. This, coupled with the fact that the pinky movement requirements for the DJ look physically painful make this the obvious contender for this spot, at least for me.

[lizardboy66]

im deeply bored so here are all of my gay 911 thoughts for your entertainment.

OKAY SO

Idk about 911 being queerbait guys...i dont think it ever was. I think we have entered a new era of fanservice. Usually with queerbait, the creators and people involved in the show are quite vicious to shippers and queer fans generally, and any easter egg or "moment" feels like crumbs to keep us hooked enough.

911 acknowledged the shipping very very early. Like second half of season 2, and there has never ONCE been a joke at the expense of the concept of being gay, or about buck or eddie being queer. It was simply a nod, like "hey, we get it, you want it, thats all good."

Its not 2010 anymore, gay people are accepted and visible in a way that has never been a reality in the past. In fact, gay people, especially gay men, have come to be understood as a fantastic marketing tool.

This is where i get jaded and cynical, but listen the outcome is the same so stick with me here. Gay pairings and relationships = money is not a groundbreaking concept. It's why they did queerbait. But with stuff like supernatural, it seemed like a far greater risk to make the repressed men kiss than to piss of the queer fanbase. But times have changed. But since the age of queerbait, there has been a rise in gay romance content being made, and being made FOR the fangirls, boys and theys. Think Red, White and Royal Blue, or Heartstopper, or Young Royals, or Our Flag Means Death, or Good Omens. Gay isn't a risk anymore, its a marketing category with a level of guaranteed success. And not just in the global north, Boys Love content has been booming in places like Japan, Thailand, Korea for decades, but never more than now. TV companies in these places figured out very quickly that producing fluffy, comforting gay love stories earns them billions, and have not hesitated to seize this opportunity. My point being, gay dudes sell as fuck.

911 got cancelled and had to move networks. The budget is too high and they need to pull viewership and quick. I think their answer is canonise that ship! I couldn't tell you if that was there original intent, but i do believe that it would be far less lucrative to fuck over their viewer base. I could be wrong, this could be a crazy long game to make the fans trust the show, then pull the rug from under them. But i truly think we are past that point with shows like this.

911 is pure fluff! No one ever dies, if someone is hurt they recover quickly and with no complications, conflict is tame and easily resolvable, and everyone is a sickeningly good person. And the show is also about family, found family, unconventional families. I think originally, the unconventionality of the eddie, buck and chris family dynamic was that it is two men who are not together or married raising a child as coparents and friends. Which is a great story, but even better fanfiction fodder.

I think they are going to do it like the fanfiction. It's the easiest way to bridge the epistemic gap between the current cannon and the reality of both buck and eddie being queer and having feelings for each other. they could try and explain it in their own way, but the fans have already done it, and have clearly agreed on some elements of how this love story plays out, so i think that will be the route they go down. Currently my evidence is that Buck is now canonically bisexual. For some reason a lot of the ships people have have one bisexual and one gay, so the trope is being realised. My next piece of evidence is the catholic thing for eddie. This has literally never come up, its a fan invention, and its in the show now. The eddie and marisol plot line is slightly bizzare, but i think the reason for that is that it is eddie making sense of why he struggles so much to commit to the women he dates. Or its just a bad storyline and isnt very coherent. I guess we will see. My next evidence is the whole set up of Tommy. He is so clearly a way to push eddie and buck together in my opinion. From his introduction, he acts as a wedge between the two that neither of them can make sense of. Very love triangle energy. And my last evidence is all of those goddamn interviews. It seems no one can shut up about these fire fighters getting it on with each other. I feel if they weren't doing it, there would be more effort to shut down the clowning gently, as they have done previously.

In conclusion, i too am a clown. My theory has rocky foundations, a rocky middle and an equally rocky conclusion. I am so tired and delulu right now. I'm with you girlies, this is stressful.

[eeveeswordsman]

Don Quixote Limbus Company

I'm going insane here I started thinking about Don Quixote Limbus Company, my favorite sinner, and thought of something that has me so curious about her, something that doesn't make any sense to me.

So, Fixers, right? One of the major jobs we know in The City, and one of Don Quixote's major character traits. She's obsessed with them, and has merch of several fixers that she decorates her jacket with, and extensive autistic knowledge about them.

Additionally it's not just that she's a collector of merchandise, but actively idolizes them, taking every opportunity where they come up to gush about how she looks up to and idolizes and wants to be just like the Brave and Noble fixers of the city.

So why isn't she a fixer?

Obviously she can't be a fixer because she's a Sinner right now, but what about beforehand? What was keeping her from becoming a fixer before joining the company? Because if she was a fixer all her idolization wouldn't make sense, with how much she looks up to them and wants to be like them. If she "wants to be brave and noble like them" why would she not be one, when she's definitely old enough and fit enough to be one.

Surely if she was a fixer herself she'd talk about how cool it is to be one, or brag about being one, her office, her accomplishments, but nothing.

You might say oh she's just idolizing higher level fixers like colors, but she's been generally like this with like the concept of Fixers in general, not just higher levels like Colors and Grade 1s, and if she were a fixer, just a lower grade one, the way she talks about them still doesn't make sense, why would she sound so detached from being one if she were one? She acts the way she does to be like Fixers, not to be like any specific or high level fixers, but Like Fixers in a general sense, as if she's a fangirl looking on from a distance rather than participating.

I have two theories about what this could mean.

The first is that it's straightforward, something has prevented her from becoming a fixer in the past, though what could hold her back from such an apparently easy goal is a mystery.

The second, however is that she was in fact a fixer in the past, and something happened to her or her office that caused her to block that out, or try to act like it didn't happen, or even she just straight up forgot, and it's possible this "trauma" might relate to her "Windmill" (Which might be connected to the slight carnival carousel theming she kind of has in the background, but we'll have to wait and see)

The third option, of course, would be that the whole "fixer fangirl" behavior is part of her "brave and noble hero" persona she's putting on, but either she's really committed to the bit to go out of the way to amass the merchandise and knowledge about them that she has, or that part is at least on some level genuine.

Thinking about this makes me all the more excited for her eventual chapter, since I want to get into the odd layers her character seems to have. It's possible I'm completely missing or forgetting something, but it just strikes me as odd.

[theskyexists]

Watched twilight of the gods. The moment Jezus appeared as some supernatural challenger to Odin i was like - wait I DO know about this show. I had decided not to watch based on that review. Oh well

There was much to like about the show anyway. The concept of giants here elaborated into physical hows (a simple enough thing, but entertaining). The animation is very decent. its certainly a... 'yes-and' myth revenge story. Had to turn off sense for things. The seid-kona is beautifully and subtly introduced as a transgender woman and gets a rather awesome romance and even makes it out like a badass. Sigrid and Leif are a power couple and then add a young god-adopted mortalwoman to their relationship in a very sweet way. Earlier, they do fight over some weird shit, when Sigrid accuses him of going too soft (???), which is an unfortunate criticism leveled against the main male character rehabilitating human viking raiding and murdering and masculinity itself basically (esp. considering that kind of behaviour is exemplified most awfully in Thor the murderer who she's trying to kill for it) Good character design. Green eyes... And also Freya, Loki, Sif, Baldr... The revenge story is an easy one i realise, because wholesale murder of your family is simply a great way to get an audience to commit to wanting to see the murderer pay. Some characters seemed better cut (Helvor) for how little they added and how much their tone did not work with the 'grand old time' tone of much of the other dialogue (which I enjoyed). Quite liked that they explored the gods as simply more powerful (often asshole) beings - which I always find a refreshing straight look at the premise of such 'fantasy'. Thought the dwarves were attributed interesting abilities (familiar to anyone more familiar with Viking lore i imagine). The use of crude language not too ridiculous... Fight scenes were alright until the big battles when it got rather stupid ( how high can Leif, mortal man, jump?), especially the last two episodes are so much battle that doesn't really...do much. There's a Troy reference in there. It is an all out battlefield, and that's a bit boring I guess, and its not clear why they don't use a breach they put in the wall to enter an army. Especially since we're multiple times reminded that she can't beat Thor in a duel alone. Also not clear why Freya saves Thor from his grief and defeat when she hates Asgard and wished for its demise. By the end I was left unsure if Sigrid realised that Loki had led her family to be killed by Thor so she would suit Loki's cause, and her second order of business was for sure killing Loki after Thor. Absolutely strange ending, also.

[queenvhagar]

So I saw a video on TikTok about the night Rhaenyra and Criston ‘get together’ about how in canon, there was no consent for both sides but in canon, there was consent.

And the comments are making me feel quite conflicted because they’re saying that a child cannot rape an adult: Rhaenyra was an intoxicated child whose title was not taken seriously and didn’t have that type of power that the king had to dismiss him and therefore couldn’t give consent while Criston was a sober grown man twice her size, a trained knight fully armored sworn to celibacy that could’ve left but didn’t and even liked it in the end, and who even asked her to marry him after. Also that the creators said they both wanted each other and that it was a consensual seduction.

I’m mainly feeling conflicted because yes, a child can’t consent to sexual activity with an adult. But isn’t the concept of that distinct from the ability of a teenager to commit sexual assault? I’m confused about this because I haven’t seen the scene and they’re saying he didn’t leave when he could’ve and that he liked it in the end.

And were the consequences of him sleeping with Rhaenyra way heavier than the potential consequences he might of faced if he denied her?

Your thoughts?

In the show, Rhaenyra was of age when this happened, so she wasn't a child. She was young, but she was probably about 18 at this time with the time skips up to that point. An adult by our standards and certainly in-universe. Young, yes. But not a child. Criston on the other hand was likely in his early to mid 20s.

While her position as heir was not taken very seriously, her status as the daughter of the king was. Not only the king's daughter but the king's favorite child. The sway she holds with her father is immense, and her word would be taken more seriously than that of a simple knight. Add in the fact that Criston is not from an important family and he's Dornish, and it's clear who people would believe if there was a situation of her word vs his.

She had been drinking with Daemon, yes, but she was also sober enough to navigate through King's Landing, which she had never visited before, all the way to the Red Keep while alone in the middle of the night after Daemon left her. So she clearly has a decent level of mental capacity at this point if she can walk through a new city at night as a young woman all the way home and not have any problem at all.

The writers say it was consensual, but I question whether it really was considering the fact that Rhaenyra is the person responsible for hiring Criston Cole to Kingsguard and she holds direct authority over him. Despite him trying to go against her words and wishes, he ultimately does not have much of an option to say no without some major risks, as is the case with going against the wishes of the royal family you're sworn to obey.

Maybe a similar (imperfect) minor analogue to the event would be this: you're a person of color from a low-income family in a small town who, upon graduating from business school having worked your way through, just got the job offer of a lifetime and hired to a hugely successful, high-profile company in the big city thanks to the CEO's daughter, a senior manager in the company and part of an ultra wealthy, ultra powerful white family. She directly hired you for the position as she was the one who interviewed you. Despite the fact she is a few years younger than you, she has a lot of influence in the company thanks to her family and specifically her father, who gave her the job she has. Your job represents everything that you've struggled for and worked to achieve in your life. In your day to day tasks, you're working directly under the supervision of this woman, and she clearly has the authority in what decisions are made and what you do. You maintain a professional and respectful relationship for years, and sometimes she talks with you about her unhappiness with and frustrations about the work, feeling stifled by the burden of the family business she will one day take over (and assume all its wealth and power). Then, one evening, after she's had a couple of drinks, she calls you into her office. When you get there, she starts coming on to you. You politely decline and try to leave. She keeps taking it further, not letting you leave, and she starts to undress you despite you continuing to say no. Now, you have one option in which you forcibly leave the situation and risk that she is offended and tells her father a version of the story that will massively affect your career and possibly get you fired or worse. There's no guarantee that she wouldn't. She has the power to ruin your life, despite everything you've done for her and the company and all you've done to get to this point in your career. Or, you can let it happen and pick up the pieces afterward to try and smooth over the situation while still making sure you have security with your job.

Back to the show, Criston had similar choices when faced with Rhaenyra's advances: force his way out and risk trouble with his position or worse should Rhaenyra take offense at his disobedience and/or tell her father a different version of the event. Or he go along with her wishes, despite the risk it poses to his life if it is ever discovered what happened (which is an agonizing and slow death) and try to figure it out once it's over. He chooses what he thinks is the safest option at that moment, which is a choice he shouldn't have had to make in the first place.

I also want to add the context of why Rhaenyra wouldn't take no for an answer and why she decided to get with Criston. She just came from Daemon's lesson in the brothel in which he wanted to teach her about what he thinks is the true nature of the dragon: the blood of the dragon can take what it wants, who it wants, whenever it wants because they are inherently better than everyone else. That's what Daemon proceeds to do by kissing Rhaenyra in the brothel (and he's surprised when it's what she wants to, despite his years of obviously grooming her to be close to him, because his plan was to shock her and ruin her reputation enough to be able to marry her). When she's left by Daemon, she decides that her sworn knight is who she wants and she decides she wants him now, so that's what she makes happen, regardless of Criston saying no and trying to leave and regardless of the vows she knows that he's sworn as part of his position.

Criston looks uncomfortable and conflicted the next morning. On the boat, he tries to rationalize the whole event: he'd been by her side as her protector for years, and she wouldn't put his life in danger and wouldn't insist he break his vows without good reason, so she must actually care about him and that's why she wouldn't take no for an answer. Plus, she's done nothing but tell him how unhappy she is with her situation of being heir and not being taken seriously and desiring freedom. So, Criston talks to her about running away together. I think while it's possible he found some enjoyment while in the moment with her, that wasn't the main reason he proposed that she leave with him. Rather, he needed to try to make sense of what happened and attempt to right the wrong. But in this conversation it becomes clear to him that she views him as a plaything, as a body to have fun with and nothing else. That she just wanted him on a whim and doesn't really care how that impacts him or what happens to him now beyond him being available to her to use again. This kind of breaks his whole worldview a bit concerning knighthood and royalty and honor and loyalty and leads him to spiral until he is saved by Alicent, who is able to help him renew his sense of lost identity and purpose by allowing him to buy back into the mythologization of knighthood by swearing anew to protect a perceived virtuous, selfless queen who won't take his commitments and vows lightly.

In the book, the events are more ambiguous. Some say Rhaenyra tried to seduce Criston Cole and he turned her down. Some say Criston Cole tried to get with Rhaenyra and she turned him down. Either way, we know that Criston Cole was upset about whatever happened, and he went from being her "staunchest defender to bitterest foe." Alicent then made him her sworn shield. In the book, there is also a larger age gap between the two. Rhaenyra is 16, the age in Westeros when people are considered to be adults and the age she officially takes possession of Dragonstone. Criston is 31. In the books, he is not mentioned as being Dornish, just the son of a steward at Blackhaven, seat of House Dondarrion, under House Baratheon. There is still the imbalance of their relative power and influence in society, and she still holds authority over him, but the age gap being wider does muddy the waters a bit depending on the scenario that actually played out.

[joewintergreen]

I just released a video game! It's a fancy-graphics remake of my 2013 marble-rolling puzzle game InFlux, and you can buy it on Steam or Epic right now, and I'd love it if you did, particularly if you left a positive review to reduce the likelihood of Steam never surfacing it to anybody and it not making any money.

Some years back I started making a remaster of InFlux on UE4 in my spare time. I just thought it would be a nice straightforward thing to do to keep InFlux playable and supportable into the future by moving it to a better engine, and I wasn't wrong, but I didn't consider how long it would take me to do it while also working. Now it's on UE5, and it's done, and you can play it. It's the same game, but with way better graphics and way less jank, having been remade basically from scratch in a new engine, sharing zero code with the original.

Initially, I had planned to do a relatively straightforward remaster, where the game would look, feel and perform a lot better just by being in UE4, but the art itself would be the same. Since I was only ever working on Redux in snatches of spare time and had to rewrite and redo everything, this took a couple years.

I had that version of the game ready to ship, with a trailer and everything, but got distracted, and coming back a year later, thought "this isn't remastered enough". I spent another couple years remastering it better, with nicer shaders, a more detailed world, etc, and had that ready to go, but got distracted again. Coming back a year later, I thought "this isn't remastered enough" and reworked most of the assets with higher polycounts, re-lit everything, added new photogrammetry-based assets, and had something really nice looking, and got distracted. By the time I came back to it again, UE5 was solid, so I reworked things again to take advantage of Nanite, Nanite tessellation, Lumen, virtual shadowmaps, and other new tech. So it's a remaster of a remaster of a remaster at this point.

The content is mostly the same, but there are some new things: some streamlined level designs and additional traversal puzzles in the overworld, some added interactions to give you more to do there than roll around, and a number of tweaks to existing puzzles. There's also an entire extra puzzle room that wasn't in InFlux that I think I must have just forgotten to put in, and a lot of minor quality of life improvements to smooth away a lot of the original's jank. Also, there are now hidden fireflies to find that unlock concept you can view in a gallery.

What kept me committed to doing this at the many times when I did not want to was the fans, who are not many, but are lovely and earnest, and also the realisation that a lot of folks played this when they were kids and would be excited to see it again. It's surreal to have an adult tell you that they loved your game when they were 9, but it's a big motivator too. Kids enjoy games on a better, less critical level than adults can; I really like knowing InFlux was that special thing for somebody. Thanks for the support, folks, and I hope you enjoy this thing.

[joshhhhhhhhhhhhhhh]

I've been wanting to watch this forever, and there have been subs since at least the start of the year, but per so many nyaa comments said subs are kind of shit. It was only just a week ago that these two movies came out on Netflix, and have subsequently been nyaa'd by erai. And with that, I've been able to watch the conclusion to the Sailor Moon Crystal saga. Finally.

These movies were pretty good! I can't shake the feeling that I'm so far removed from first watching Sailor Moon and whatnot to where I was… not confused at all - it's all easy to follow and all that - but I guess just not at the level of emotional investment I could've been. But despite that, I had a very good time - the stuff happening at this point in the story is so insanely high concept and far and away the series at its absolute most dramatic and it's really entertaining because of it, the lore starts going absolutely insane and as an extension of everything that's happened so far Usagi as a character feels at her most deeply tragic, which ofc consequently makes her standing up to it all anyway feel all the more powerful. I understand that Sailor Moon's place in popular culture is most prominently represented by the 90s anime but it's kind of insane how kiddy the franchise's reputation is when this late in the game it's as serious as it often is. Visuals I'd also say are confidently the best that Crystal's looked easily. Ami dies first which was sad I barely got to see her lol. But no, good time.

And from there I'm... well I kinda don't know how to feel. I feel something but I don't know how to parse it. Thinking about it, it's been about 4 and a half years since I finished what was at the time the entirety of Sailor Moon. Both 90s and Crystal. And about 3 years since I watched the Eternal movies. To have all that time pass and witness the final part of the story come out, again, it feels weird. It's a good feeling, cathartic, but weird. You know when I heard Sailor Star Song I was tearing up, and the handwritten thank you message from Naoko Takeuchi at the end got me even more so. Fun thing, that.

I would like to use this as an opportunity to spur me back into, if not necessarily reading right away, at least finish collecting the Sailor Moon manga volumes I'm yet to buy. I've been 6 volumes out of 10 into Eternal Edition for years now, like surely I can get that done. And ideally once I do, read the fucking thing - such is generally the point of books. Collecting at least the 90s anime would be fun but I don't think it's licensed in the UK and I'm not really in the mood to spend extra importing shit, you know how it is. But yeah no, good time.

Sailor Moon good. I rated Crystal stuff pretty high by volume, admittedly I'm sort of mixed on it anyway - it exists both as a faithful manga adaptation and a 90s nostalgia trip and at times doesn't commit enough to either front and feels sort of awkward. Even in Cosmos they played Moonlight Densetsu as the OP to the first movie and the ED to the second, like yes I remember Moonlight Densetsu, well done. But you know, still fun. Rough to start and I'd still say with full confidence I prefer the 90s anime, but definitely good. Again whenever I actually have read the manga we'll see what direction I end up leaning. End post.

[yoshizora]

another small batch of game reviews. this time i played through Princess Peach Showtime, Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze, and Pikmin 4!

Princess Peach Showtime: 5/10

unfortunately i am not the target audience for this game! i am no longer a child! the concept is cute as hell but DAMN is this game numbingly simple. the simplicity isn't necessarily a bad thing; i can see this being a great entry to video games for younger children because there's nothing terribly complex going on, but it does mean that it's not fun for OLD PEOPLE like me.

phantom thief peach was probably my fave. the detective levels were the worst. i thought patisserie peach was also neat. sword, kung fu, and superhero all felt somewhat redundant to one another. there were a lot of neat concepts in there and the levels were short enough that it never got outright boring, but it also means that imho this game isn't worth 60USD and only has that price tag because of the nintendo/mario brand name (i didn't buy it, it was just a library loan). i could see this being a Barbie game, honestly. it's not a bad thing ftr!

somehow, Yoshi's Crafted World is more challenging and complex than this game.

Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze: 6/10

i'm sorry if i'm committing some kind of blasphemy by admitting i didn't fully enjoy dkctf but......... yeah.... full disclaimer, the only other DK came i've ever played was the one with the bongos on gamecube lol.

the level designs and music were both impeccable and i love the vibrant atmosphere, but the controls?? look, maybe DK games are just slippery by tradition but i wouldn't know that, i only know how to play bongos, man. i had heard that this is a hard game but the difficulty feels contrived from slippery, unreliable controls rather than the actual platforming.

to compare; celeste has tight controls but a high difficulty because of how precise your movements need to be, and hk's path of pain is difficult for the same reasons, while tropical freeze feels difficult because sometimes donkey kong will slip on an invisible banana and clip an enemy by his toe and get hurt and fuckin die even if you meant for him to jump away out of a roll, which he does not, because he gives no fucks.

there are clear distinctions between challenges that are difficult in a fun way and challenges that are difficult in a frustrating way, and unfortunately dktf ended up being the latter for me. skill issue!

Pikmin 4: 9/10

oatchi.

since i only have pikmin 3 under my belt for comparison... 4 is definitely easier and more forgiving imo, even when it comes to the big bosses. it's not a bad thing! sometimes i don't want pikmin to die!! i love the abundance of treasures and olimar's side story and the dandori challenges, buuuut i wish enemies would respawn in the overworlds and not just the caves. it does make returning to grab remaining treasures a lot easier, but it also means there's 0 reason to revisit an area once you 100% it, which is kind of a bummer.

i also did NOT like how much tutorial and beginning exposition there was, so i knock a point off for that. everyone pls stop talking i just want to go out and throw pikmin at things.

at first i didn't really like how you're limited to 3 pikmin types, but i kind of got used to it after a while. i also wish there were more dandori battle options like with customizable pikmin teams, but i thought the gathering challenges to have more replay value anyway. the endgame dandori challenges are hellish but excellent!!! that's what i'm talking about when i talk about challenges that are difficult but fun!!! i want more dandori!!!!!!

[fantasypictures]

Cosmology - Demons, Devils, and the Other Guys

So, for my D&D world, I have some mutually conflicting wants:

-I don't like there being surity of an afterlife, being a place you can just pop in to with a high level spell. I like how Eberron has the land of the dead as a place souls go for a little while before vanishing - to oblivion? to a true afterlife? who knows?

-I really like tha Aesthetic of Hell and there being Fiends and such out to get people, and as stupid as it is, I've always loved D&D's concept of The Blood War.

So, a proposal for a solution, built of parts stolen from a few D&D settings and various popular media:

The Abyss / Demons

Imagine that the Universe is a room. The creator gods made it nice. They got in some comfy furniture. Tasteful wallpaper. But it's not perfect. Maybe not quite enough ventilation, maybe the wrong kind of flooring.

If you spill something, it gets under the floor and then Stuff starts Growing.

The Abyssal Realm is in the cracks at the edges of reality, and it's where demons grow - they are the mortal concept evil that has seeped through the cracks and festered into semi-sentient form. Each demon is created from some sin of mortal kind, and if they can claw their way into reality, they will do everything in their power to commit or encourage the evil they represent.

The good news is that there's not a whole heap of reality there to go around, so the demons don't have a lot of autonomy to work with - they spend most of their time not being real, so they mostly only get to do their thing when somebody summons them somewhere with more reality to work with.

(as an aside, Evil is a very mortal concept and something philosophers have argued over for aeons. Demons can spawn from anything anybody thinks is evil - everybody expects demons of murder or torment or cruelty, but smart demonologists try to track down with less power or weirdly specific purviews to summon. While a Demon of Women Being Allowed To Own And Ride Bicycles might not be terribly useful most of the time, if you're female-presenting and need a pair of wheels to get somewhere quickly, it's a lot safer than any other demonic option)

Dead souls don't end up in the Abyss unless something has gone drastically wrong.

Hell / Devils

If the Abyss is the space under the linoleum and the mould there is demonkind, then Hell is tearing up the lino and applying napalm and white phosphorus to "solve" the issue.

Whether Asmodeus was assigned this task, took it upon himself, or was banished to the Abyss and decided to make himself comfortable is unclear. Whatever the case, he hates Demons, and he hates Mortals for indirectly creating them, and he always needs more recruits.

The dead aren't supposed to end up in Hell, but if they opt in, that's where they go. Now, not many people are going to agree to exist in a literal hellscape where they must fight an eternal war against demons until their personality and dreams are slowly dissolved and they become devils. It's not a good deal. Which is why Asmodeus' minions try to influence the mortal plane - the more terrible things are up there, the more likely somebody will be desperate enough to take a deal. Failing that, convincing people they deserve to be in Hell will do.

If somebody is enough of an asshole to those around them, a devil may well lend them some magic powers purely because it will cause more suffering and indirectly lead somebody else to make a deal out of desperation.

The Shadowfell / The Other Guys

So where are dead souls supposed to go? The gods aren't to forthcoming as to whether this was the plan, but generally dead people show up in the Shadowfell, on black sands under an alien sky of unmoving stars. There is a Final Gate somewhere, and beyond that... nobody knows for sure. Some people are drawn to the gate. Some people flee, hiding among the ruins of civilizations that never existed, or escape back to the material plane to become Undead.

There are Fiends there as well. Devils are sent to the Shadowfell to coax souls away from the gate and into servitude. Demons try to claw their way there, for even if it is a plane of the dead, it has more reality than their home. And the easiest way to get there is the rivers of the underworld - at least one of which washes away memory. Sometimes the legions of Hell and the Abyss suffer boating accidents.

Some of the amnesiac fiends of the Shadowfell call themselves Yugoloths, some call themselves Daemons, a fair few don't bother calling themselves anything. They are first and foremost Mercenary - they'll work for souls, for gold, for a sandwich, anything they can be convinced they could benefit from having. They have no qualms about committing any horrible act, any violence, any betrayal, but won't do anything without a payoff.

For a summoner, they are by far among the best fiends to call up - they don't require the dangerous contracts that Devils ask for, and they don't need to constantly commit a specific evil act like a demon. They are, unfortunately, really hard to summon because none of them remember their own names.

[massacre-girlypop]

Things to know when getting into the Persona Series

Since the remaster of Persona 3, there’s been a lot of renewed interest in the series as well as a few people, not just from here, but in my real life, inquiring to me about what you should know before getting into the series, so here is a list of general tips you should know and to keep in mind:

Content Warnings. This is straight up just a point. As out there and as crazy as the Persona World can get, Persona is grounded in the struggles of people, of humans and the human condition. Things like suicide, abuse, loss, death, pain, emotional trauma. It’s not for the faint of heart, so I recommend bracing yourself.

Time Commitment. I know it doesn’t look like it, but most Persona games are a 200 hour commitment to one playthrough. Not even kidding. P5R takes me 130 and I know that game like the back of my hand and skip through a fair amount of dialogue because I know where the fluff is. Prepare yourself for that kind of time sink.

Stats vs Friends. The endless Persona debate. Which is more important? On a first playthrough, my recommendation. Focus on stats and the characters that intrigue you the most. Stats get you access to more people so you don’t feel like you’re running into walls everywhere. Also, be aware of their stories. Sometimes, if a character is important enough, their story takes a halt and is postponed until later. Learn to be flexible and managing your time properly will come with more experience.

Persona Preferences. I view Persona in the way that a lot of people view Pokemon. Sure, I could ramp all the way to the high level Personas if I really wanted to, but then I’d miss out on a lot of gems along the way. Nekomata is a level 2 Persona in P3R and I kept her viable the entire game AND used her in the final fight. So I cannot stress this enough: USE YOUR FAVORITES. Persona has the incredible perk of leaning into the myriad of mythos and legends the world has to offer, so explore them all. Also, every persona has the capacity to do most whatever you want it to, so as cool as Satan is, he can still do about the same thing that Nekomata can and Nekomata is available all game. Satan is not.

Where To Start. This is really the main question I get asked the most and with a series like Persona where every game tells a different story, it’s hard to decide where to begin. Here’s the answer I give everyone: P5R. I know, a lot of people will say “but what about regular P5?” Trust me, you get the same game in P5R just with more content. And why P5R? P5R puts you at the starting block in the best way. Great story, great graphics, and it gives you the simplest version of the story that pervades all Persona lore while helping you discover it yourself instead of always feeling like you’re behind other characters. Also, the combat, while incredibly varied, is much easier to succeed at than in P3 or P4 because there are so many skills and tools and it helps you grasp the concepts easier before stripping you of them in P3 or 4.

How to Decide when to Enter/Leave the Dark Hour/Palaces/Mementos/TV World. Time blindness is a lot of people’s worst enemy and that doesn’t change when you make it a video game mechanic. The best tip I can give you is this: limit yourself to one or two trips per story chunk. Especially if you want to dig into character stuff. Characters usually aren’t doing much at the beginning or end of the story chunks. Beginning is more viable because you’re not in crunch time at that point. The end gets more finicky because characters start to worry if you don’t complete your current main objective/palace before the due date. TLDR: Finish the main objective ASAP. Try to complete it in one day if you can. Then, you can spend more time romancing/team building/hanging out with people while waiting for the next due date and if you need to take another trip to complete Compendium stuff or Requests from the Velvet Room or Phan Site if you’re in P5R, wait until the last 2 days.

[constantviewings]

A (Not So) Weekly Wrap-Up - Black Mirror Special

FULL SPOILER WARNING FOR SEASON 6 OF BLACK MIRROR

Overall Thoughts

I think I’m done with Black Mirror, and I think Charlie Brooker is to because most of these episodes completely disregard the shows formula and message to the point where it’s unrecognisable outside of the title screen. Every episode runs at least ten to twenty minutes too long and somehow leaves concepts unexplored. At the end of every episode I was left unsatified at the lack of exploration into the consequences of prior events: How does Davis feel about the fact that he was raised by two serial killers? etc. I’ll review every episode, but you’ll be able to tell that I on;y really enjoyed two of them...anyway

Joan Is Awful

An average woman is stunned to discover a global streaming platform has launched a prestige TV drama adaptation of her life - in which she is portrayed by Hollywood A-lister Salma Hayek.

By now, I’m sure you’ve heard all kinds of jokey titles like Joan is Awful IS AWFUL, and I’m not here to repeat them. The concept is a little conceited but is pulled back around by the reveal at the end that we are watching one of many realities. Like I mentioned in my overall thoughts, the episodes fails when it comes to expanding on the consequences and how it impacts the characters. for example: imagine being layer 1 Joan and finding out you’re entire existence is fake and you’re actaully the digital likeness of Annie Murphy, that would fuck you up right? But we don’t see how that makes layer 1 Joan feel and I wish we did.

Loch Henry

A young couple travel to a sleepy Scottish town to start work on a genteel nature documentary - but find themselves drawn to a juicy local story involving shocking events of the past.

I can easily see how this and Beyond the Sea would be people’s favourite episodes of the season and, while this one’s up there, it isn’t quite my favourite (we’ll get there). While this episode has one of those gut-wrenching twists akin to The National Anthem and Shut Up and Dance, enough happens after the reveal to distract me and it left me unfullfilled. I also feel like it meanders too much before starting the story proper and then doesn’t set a solid tone. It tries to be scary, then shicking, then emotional but it doesn’t sit with these long enough to quite grasp any of them. 

Beyond the Sea

In an alternative 1969, two men on a perilous high-tech mission wrestle with the consequences of an unimaginable tragedy.

FINALLY WE’RE EXPOUNDING ON THE CONSEQUENCES....sort of. I have the fewest notes on this episode, because it’s the most ‘Black Mirror-y’ of the season. I want to immedietely sing Aaron Paul’s praises, I had no doubt that he was going to deliver on an insane level. Calling back to my overall thoughts, the episode is just too long and I was bored just after the halfway mark; maybe that’s a me problem, maybe that’s the episodes problem.

Mazey Day

A troubled starlet is dogged by invasive paparazzi while dealing with the consequences of a hit-and-run incident.

This was the point in the seasonn where I just about gave up... now I know you’ve seen endless amounts of criticism for this episode and it is entirely warranted. Plainly put, this is not a Black Mirror Episode, this is a rejected Twilight Zone concept and I half expected Rod Serling to start talking as it zoomed out of the diner at the end. I also would have loved to have actually watched the transformation, but it was accompanied by TWO WHOLE MINUTES of flashing lights and I would prefer to not risk hospitalisation when watching a TV show thanks :)

Demon 79

Northern England, 1979. A meek sales assistant is told she must commit terrible acts to prevent disaster.

We have reached my personal favourite episode. Is this a Black Mirror episode? No, it’s an extended Inside No. 9 episode. Did I have a lot of fun watching it? Yes. This episode has some fun humour sprinkled through and the dynamic between Nida and Gaap is great.

[worthyenchanterinquisitor]

Can I join coaching after completing 12th grade or should I wait until graduation?

If you are aspiring to become a civil servant, one thing must be crossing your mind—"Should I begin coaching immediately after 12th or wait till I complete my degree?" It's a situation many thousands of hopefuls go through every year. The answer, nonetheless, relies upon your objectives, preparation plan, and long-term devotion.

In this blog, we are going to guide you to make a well-educated decision by analyzing both alternatives in depth.

Joining Coaching After 12th Grade: Beginning Early Yes, you can definitely join IAS or TNPSC coaching immediately after passing 12th grade. Most of the top academies have foundation courses for school pass-outs that slowly build up students over the years.

Advantages of Beginning After 12th:

Better Foundation: Begin with NCERTs and build fundamental concepts at your own pace.

Increased Prep Time: You have 3–5 years to establish detailed subject knowledge.

Skill Development: Give importance to current affairs, essay writing, and communication since a young age.

Early Exposure: Realize exam patterns and enhance answer writing over time.

Several students approach a well-known tnpsc coaching center in Coimbatore after 12th to commence systematic preparation while seeking their undergraduate degree.

Waiting Until Graduation: A Focused Approach Graduation produces maturity, clarity, and subject specialization. Most aspirants like to specialize in UPSC or TNPSC coaching alone once they have finished their degree since they can devote single-minded attention.

Pros of Waiting:

Subject Expertise: Particularly helpful if your graduation subject happens to overlap with UPSC optional subjects.

Time Management: No academic distractions—100% concentration on the exam.

Career Backup: Having a degree provides fallback options in case you wish to try another career.

At the Coimbatore tnpsc coaching center, fresh graduates as well as working professionals attend full-fledged courses after graduation to attempt seriously.

What the Experts Say "Early start can be a game-changer if handled wisely. But maturity and clarity at the time of graduation also enable students to learn concepts quicker." — Dr. Latha Krishnan, Senior Mentor at a top UPSC coaching institute.

34% of the candidates who had cleared the exam on their first attempt had started preparation at the undergraduate level, according to a 2023 survey conducted by UPSC Pathway India.

What's Right for You? Here's a quick comparison to help you decide:

Criteria After 12th After Graduation Preparation Duration 3–5 years 1–2 years Flexibility Moderate (with college) High (full-time) Maturity Level Still Developing Stronger Focus Time for Revision Ample Limited Early Advantage Yes No

If you are disciplined enough and can handle college and coaching simultaneously, beginning after 12th will provide a solid headstart. If absolute concentration is your preference, graduation may be a better option.

Centers such as the tnpsc coaching center in Coimbatore provide individualized courses for both types—foundation programs for beginners and crash courses for dedicated graduates.

Real Success Stories Consider the case of Kavin M., who started his TNPSC foundation course immediately after 12th grade. While he finished his B.A. course, he had already cleared Group II prelims and made it to mains.

Divya R., a Public Administration graduate, prepared exclusively for 1.5 years after graduation and achieved the top TNPSC Group I rank in her first attempt.

Alternate routes, equal triumph—what's important is commitment, foresight, and persistent endeavor.

Final Thoughts: Begin Smart, Not Merely Early It does not matter whether you start your coaching life after class 12 or graduation. The thing is to opt for the correct course and institute that suits your speed, timeliness, and learning pattern.

If you're willing and able to balance college and preparation, get started early. But if you want to devote yourself to it entirely after graduation, that's fine too.

Need guidance in making the correct choice? Drop by a reputable tnpsc coaching center in Coimbatore to check out foundation and advanced-level courses tailored for students at any level. Book a free counseling session today and chart out your future as civil service officers!

[theaudreyhaus]

Transit Talk Thursday

So for this week, I want to talk about fare enforcement, specifically for faregate-based systems, such as the New York City Subway, Washington Metro, Chicago El, Philadelphia El, and others like them. To my surprise, it’s a fairly divisive topic on the internet, and hey, why not add some fuel to the fire? The main things I’ll be going over are fare enforcement as a concept, and why it’s fine, how to not prevent fare evasion, and the correct solution to preventing fare evasion. Alright, enough preamble, let's dive right into this!

So let’s start with the first point. Why is enforcing fares fine? Shouldn’t the system just be free?

To address the second point, it’s good to bring up some hard truth regarding a “free” system:

There is no such thing as “free” transit.

Believe it or not, there’s people who expect to be paid for providing the services that you use, be it engineers on trains or companies which sell the equipment to agencies. If you didn’t have a fare for the agency to collect, then the only way you’re going to be able to pay those people off is by raising taxes, and that’s something that 1. Lots of people won’t be on-board with to begin with 2. Takes time and political willpower from the state level, not the city level With collecting fares, however, the agency is in control, where they can set the price to use the system. Ideally it should be appropriately priced to be accessible for nearly everyone, with a reduced fare for anyone who needs it, so everyone’s happy. The fare should simply be a small fee you pay to use a public good, akin to what the mail and toll roads do. Don’t take this as me saying funding transit agencies via tax revenue is bad, far from it. Tax revenue for a transit system doesn't have to come from something like a tax on your paycheck. Rather, this tax can come from other sources, such as congestion pricing, where you tax vehicles which enter a certain congestion zone. For a large system, the revenue from fares and the revenue from taxes should supplement each other, so that the agency isn’t overly reliant on one revenue stream over the other. Now, for a smaller system, the system could theoretically be free, as fare revenue wouldn’t be as high, and the expenditures of the system could easily be footed by taxes, but for a larger system, that simply won’t work. You need to have a fare to supplement the money allocated to the agency by the government/earned through taxes, because the bozos in power are likely going to say “No” if the transit agency begs them to cover all their expenditures.

So yes, the fare sticking around is fine, actually, at least for a large system. What about properly enforcing fares? How do we make sure people are actually paying for the system?

Well I’ll tell you right now how NOT to do it is this:

Now, this section is mainly going to concern the NYC Subway, as it's the example I was most familiar with, but the same points apply to other systems.

So it shouldn’t come as any surprise that putting a bunch of armed thugs into your subway stations is a fairly dumb idea, for reasons that should be obvious to most but I’ll explain here anyway. The first reason is that this is an insanely overkill solution. Reasons for fare evasion are numerous and complex, but no matter how you chop it, having an armed goon standing around ready to catch someone who only committed the fairly minor crime of not paying for a fare is really dumb. They would be better off committing crime-er, I mean, protecting citizens from serious crimes elsewhere, instead of watching if someone didn't pay the $2.90. The second reason is that fare evasion is a fairly rare occurrence to begin with. Most people are sensible enough to just pay for the fare normally instead of trying to jump a gate or tailgate someone who did pay for the fare. Yet, city leaders (cough Eric Adams cough Kathy Hochul) have decided “Nah, let’s stick 20 unchained feral hounds into the subway to catch the, at most, three people who will choose to not pay their fare”. The third reason is that having so many foul beasts in the subway is only going to hurt ridership, as people will feel intimidated by the heavy police presence, and may instead opt to just drive everywhere in New York City. The fourth reason is, well, it’s the NYPD. The NYPD are not only corrupt as shit, they’re insanely incompetent. See this article as an example.

So if sticking the popo in the subway ain’t gonna do it, what will?

Well, like most problems in this world, the solution is often the most simple.

So the picture you’re seeing right now is of the new faregates on WMATA, or the Washington Metro, in D.C., installed as part of their Fare System Modernization plan, which you can learn more about here. These new gates are taller and tougher, making it much harder to properly fare evade. This right here is how you properly curb fare evasion. The gates are nice and tall to prevent someone from hopping a turnstile, while being tough to prevent someone from just ramming it and making it through via brute force. It’s not perfect, with how it isn’t 100% hop proof, but this is how you enforce fares without resulting in something that feels uninviting and scares away people unfamiliar with the system, i.e. the mantrap ones in some NYC Subway stations. Best thing is this isn't exclusive to D.C., both Philadelphia and New York City have realized the benefits of better faregates, and have begun to roll them out on their respective systems. But even if you absolutely had to have people in the subway to monitor fare collection, why do you need a bunch of armed apes to do it? Why not just have normal transit personnel to catch people trying to jump the gate? As I’ve established before, having the boys in blue stationed in the subway to make sure everyone pays the toll is overkill to begin with. Fare evasion is something which doesn't necessitate blunt force to solve, rather requiring a much more moderate solution, which the police cannot provide.

So, conclusion?

This whole talk about fare enforcement has revealed to me how much people just don’t understand what fares are actually for and how to properly enforce them. Screwheads who try to prop up the “Abolish the fare” stuff and the “Put the cops in the subway” boltbrains don’t realize that they’re trying to use a sledgehammer for what amounts to a problem which requires a screwdriver. Abolishing the fare will not help anything, instead putting a transit agency into an even larger money bind, while putting pigs into stations will only scare away people from taking public transportation, all to quash something which a majority of people don’t do to begin with. There’s still a lot to fix with our public transportation, but a way we can get those fixes done is pushing for actual solutions to the problems plaguing the system to be implemented, not these “solutions” which “promise” to “fix” the problem. For now though, make sure to pay your fares, as it’s the least you can do for your transit agency in these trying times.