#go forth and enjoy

[grandwitchbird]

MASSIVE spoilers for Clair Obscur. Do not read this if you haven’t played the game.

Musings mostly. Under a cut for your safety.

Through the Looking Glass: False protagonists, earning your tragedy, and teenage heroines.

Clair Obscur begins by tricking you. This is good storytelling. All stories are lies of course, and the really good ones are the best at lying. They get you on their side. They earn the trick. And usually they manage to say something true in the process.

Gustave is not a protagonist let alone the protagonist of Clair Obscur. This is pretty obvious to anyone who’s played a lot of jrpgs (that tiny ability tree) and certainly to anyone versed in narrative strategy. Everything we know about him, we learn from another character, making him feel likable but a bit hollow. Of course, this also helps with the trick. If you’ve played jrpgs, you’re quite used to blank slate protagonists designed to enable projection and reflection. But here it’s a straightforward false protagonist. Gustave dies at the end of the first act. He dies protecting the heroine, Maelle. He dies so that the main protagonist of the game–Verso–can step into his rightful place. He dies as a reference to Aerith’s sacrifice. He dies to set up several very necessary thematic dominos. It’s a wonderful trick.

Those who know not, that they are not.

All of this hinges on Gustave’s relative blankness. If you’re not especially susceptible to projecting onto characters, this moment won’t have much emotional impact, and the mounting dramatic stakes will contrast nicely. If you are susceptible, you’re now primed for the increasing tragedy of the story. Regardless, your time with Gustave and his relative blankness has set up everything that matters in Clair Obscur’s story. Gustave doesn’t know he isn’t ‘real’. Neither do we, even as we start to catch onto the trick. We’re too invested in the struggle he represents. He’s fighting for a fictional tomorrow for people who only ever existed in the mind of a child and his grieving family. You too can take up that fight. You can step into Maelle’s denial and create a doomed fantasy. And the real gift of this game is that you’ll want to. You’ll want the bad ending. It will rip your heart out to make Alice leave wonderland. You’ll have to kill your real protagonist to do it. You’ll have to hurt the heroine. You’ll have to give up the dream of ever seeing these beautiful fantasies again.

Tomorrow comes. For those who come after.

Gustave is the map to what’s ultimately asked of the player, a clever and twisted use of the tendency to self insert in a game that’s treading very familiar jrpg ground. Verso, in contrast, is equally unreal yet a true protagonist. A reflection that’s become self aware and self contained. He’s more demanding as a character, resisting projection and pushing our perspective into his own. Importantly, he knows he’s in a story, so he can take control. Which is why he can bring about a good ending. The end of the cycle.

You can of course refuse. Specifically, the heroine herself will refuse the call to live. To step outside her role as heroine in a fictional world. She’ll lose herself in her reflection. And you’ll want to do it. You’ll want to force the last piece of a dead man’s soul to continue endlessly creating a false version of himself to suffer under the denial of our heroine. You’ll want to bring Gustave back for her. Maybe for you as well. But it’s cruel. The refusal here isn’t just immaturity. It’s pathological. It’s destructive. It’s hollow. And you’ll feel it. In Verso’s ominous recital. In Maelle’s regret. Alice needs to go back through the looking glass in the end. Refusal is something worse than death.

[bonesandpoemsandflowers]

Where did u get that awesome rabbits foot?

from here! or from the same guy's etsy shop? I don't remember which exactly but definitely Oldy Co. There used to be a black with yellow eyes option, which I kind of regret not buying. but the red is very striking, and absolutely the kind of vibe I want.

but yeah, this was pretty much the only place I found selling the old school fancy style of rabbit's foot (image from Wikipedia).

[teddytoroa]

hey. 100grams melted butter, 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup plain flour, 2 cups rolled oats. mix together to a granola-like consistency and sprinkle on a lined baking sheet ensuring theres plenty of clumps. bake for 10-15 minutes in the middle of the oven at 180⁰C, turning carefully every so often to ensure even crisping and browning. keep an eye on it because oats&sugar love to burn. take out when golden and toasted and serve generously with a scoop of good vanilla icecream and some juicy tinned or fresh fruit like plums, peaches, apricots or cherries. keep any leftovers in an airtight container for up to a week. okay? love you, eat well

[kesbeacon]

Currently rerunning Gun: A Family Affair title cards on bluesky, in order, with episode descriptions!

[talshiargirlfriend]

If you’re not reading One (1) Daily Shoulder Pat yet, let me just gently suggest you fix that.

Humour writing where you really feel like the author is having a great time and also that you as a reader are included in the joke? Such a treat! I’m ready for the drama but the comedy is already *chef’s kiss*

I’m only a few chapters in (impending big reveal, what… 👀) but I just wanted to share the love.

Chapter 24 is live!

Wherein Jim bravely endures a Space Zoom Call with 10 participants.

If you’re new here, have a summary:

Shenanigans ensue when one middle finger to the Academy too many gets Starfleet Cadet James T. Kirk booted off planet for a summer internship aboard the V.S.S. Sh'Raan.

He's hiding a major secret from the oh so earnest and helpful Vulcans, but the longer he's on the ship, the more Jim starts to wonder if they're keeping secrets from him, too.

Excerpt:

Captain Spisee handed Jim a heavy sheet of rich, cream paper embossed with gold dusted Vulcan calligraphy bearing the ship’s name. It was a bit cheap by the standards of Vulcan stationary aesthetics, but shipboard life meant some sacrifices. In the most elegant handwriting he’d ever had the privilege to lay eyes on, it read:

Human Enrichment and Optimal Health Program:

One (1) Daily Shoulder Pat (more provided upon request) 

Seventy (70) Seconds of Hug Time Per Week (divided between crew members as you deem necessary) 

Three (3) Discrete Instances of Daily Praise

Three (3) Structured Entertainments per week

 Minimum of One (1) Social Companion per meal (more available upon request)

Jim looked up from the Human Enrichment And Optimal Health Program and into Captain Spisee’s luminous brown eyes. There was no hint of mockery or malice there. He was an earnest scientist, possessing both cheekbones so sharp you could cut glass with them and the quadrant’s most excellent taste in guest furniture. He’d been given a unique task, and on Surak’s Katric Ark, he performed it with the same thoroughly Vulcan scientific intensity he would give the discovery of a new species of cave moss.

“We would appreciate detailed weekly feedback on the efficacy of our Human integration efforts,” said Captain Spisee.

“This is…” Intense? Weird? “Incredibly thoughtful.”

“You are not required to reciprocate the Daily Praise,” said Captain Spisee. Despite his words, Jim could swear one corner of his mouth twitched upwards two entire millimeters.

---

Since some of you have kindly asked, here's a link to my Ko-Fi if you'd like to buy me a coffee. Or a tooth.

[stayatsam]

Late train home

(OC, he/him, 1/2/2025)

[reds-skull]

Sharing a mask is something that can be so intimate actually

[brenatto-apothecary]

I am a very vocal hater of the whole "the game is just for the cast you can't criticize it ever!!" mentality, to the extent that even when it's in response to a take I think is awful, it will always bother me more than the original take. After some reflection, I've broken it down to five key reasons why it upsets me so much.

1) The obvious one is that the idea that the show is only being made for the cast is false. If they didn't intend to make a piece of entertainment, they wouldn't have posted it online. A lot of creative works are made with the creators enjoyment as the highest priority. That does not mean that's all it was made for.

2) The way these posts commonly focus on how the cast isn't obligated to do what other people want is a fundamental misunderstanding of what criticism is and why we make it. I assure you the vast majority of people do not think their complaints should be met with the cast personally kneeling before them.

3) It implies that something being made with love automatically makes disliking any element of it wrong. Which is a belief that is impossible to hold without becoming a hypocrite. There is no way in hell you have never disliked a piece that the creator(s) had fun making. I'm writing this post for my personal enjoyment. Have fun with that paradox.

4) There's this weird belief that all complaints are about specific desires that weren't met. There are actually a whole lot of posts about whether the story succeeded in doing what it intended to do, but I guess I can't expect people to read things.

5) This is my big one. Art deserves to be criticized. It's one of if not the most important way of interacting with a work. I don't believe saying actual play is uniquely exempt from critique is respectful of the medium. You are treating it as though it shouldn't be engaged with in the way we engage with all other art and is, therefore, lesser.

[marithlizard]

I did not know this book existed oh goodness that's going to be a must-read. It looks about 1000% easier to understand than any philosophy book I have ever seen, but if it's from the person who wrote The Good Place it's going to have meat on those snarky bones.

I saw a post about Micheal Schur’s book on How To Be Perfect,

And… yes it’s about philosophy and has so much juicy bunk like that, but…

We get hilarious crap like this…

(It’s even better with the audiobook, ft: Ted Danson, Jameela Jamil, and Marc Evan Jackson)

[disgruntled-rat]

Annabelle and Butch almost kissed once.

Really, you could say they almost kissed several times, when one of them let their thoughts drift just a little too far and very nearly went for it. But there was only one that really counted.

It was night. The two sat outside, watching the stars. Butch was talking. Telling a story, maybe. Annabelle was staring at her friend. She was awful handsome, with the way her hair curled over her forehead and the way her hands moved about as she talked, and something about the gleam in her eye is just so enticing, and really it's not Annabelle's fault that she couldn't help but lean in. She just had to capture that spark in Butch's eyes, the one that seemed to appear whenever she saw Annabelle. Butch wasn't talking anymore, she noticed, just staring at Annabelle with a look of surprise and adoration and longing that made Annabelle feel warm and fuzzy all the way down to her toes. They were very close, suddenly. Butch's face was red. Annabelle's heart was thumping out a steady beat saying kiss her, kiss her, kiss her. Butch let out a shakey breath and Annabelle opened her mouth to say something along the lines of I love you. But what came out of her mouth instead was:

"Butch...do you wanna rob a bank?"

And just like that, the moment broke. But neither of them ever forgot that moment, that almost-kiss under the stars.

[eldritchspeaker]

Konrad Curze, my blorbo, my stinky batman

Enjoy my doodles, I know they're not all in character but I have a powerful need to make them anyways lmao

[laniidae-passerine]

we are in danger of putting Agnes in the ‘cool mum/chaste advice giver’ box that older women get shoved in by fandoms and I demand change immediately. enough of her being good and thoughtful she should walk those freaks like dogs

[unadulteratedkr]

Y'ALL I FORGOT THE LINK I AM SO EMBARRASSED

😂😂😂😂

Ed meets him on the beach. Well—”meet” might be a bit generous. It’s more 'came across some dude on his beach, was ready to yell this asshole OFF his fucking property, then saw the dude was fucking crying his eyes out, and yelling felt like a dick move, actually'. Now Ed’s sitting next to the guy—all golden and gorgeous and still crying, a fish out of water in the sand with his fucking chinos—and he’s holding his hand out, saying “I’m Ed,” so it’s as close to them meeting as it can be without getting into the whole ‘fuck off’ thing.

Hello, loves! Prouder than I can say to share the fic I got to write for the @becausethenightzine!!!!

Featuring Stede crying on a beach, Ed Teach immediately being down bad for him, and lots of tender affection and care between two men who have, and I cannot stress this enough, LITERALLY just met.

[piosplayhouse]

[Qi Qingqi x Yu Ziyuan] What could have been

(alt text)

[fiyaharts]

holix for anon!!

[internal-morgan]