#if 8 people all look at a game and misunderstand how it works some of the blame has to go to its writing

[ribstongrowback]

after trying to play Uknown Armies for a while i think that what bothers me is that it didn't go hard enough into its weird shit and instead is kind of stuck in the time of monsters between the sandboxy days of old and the more ritualized, codified phases of play of modern storygames such as blades in the dark. feels like a game that wanted to modernize its genre but didn't know where to go with it and ended up missing its mark.

While UA a game about driven people trying to do dangerous shit for profit and ideology, in a comparable (though very distinct) way to Blades in the Dark, it focuses also on very specific things that people can do with its magic, in a way that is tied to this philosophy of game design that i find good OSR tends to tease out which is giving people weird tools to see what people do with them. But it also gets very diluted and messy with everything else.

for those of you who haven't played it, UA's core resolution mechanic is a d100 roll under sort of affair. the main things under which you roll are attributes that are determined by how hardened you are on five Shock Gauges that represent the sort of trauma life throws at you (Helplessness, Isolation, Identity, Unnatural, and Violence). for example, being very hardened to violence will make you better at Struggle, which allows you to punch people, but worse at Connect, which allows you to relate to the folks you meet. your gauges accumulate Hardened notches which allow you to shrug off some kind of trauma whenever you manage to stand firm while faced with horror, and a secondary track takes up failed notches whenever you lose your shit, serving as a sort of insanity track. this system is already fairly rich and complete in itself, i'm only giving you the basic view of it, but it is fair to say you've already got a game with only that, and that is a problem, because what UA wants to be its core is its Identities.

Instead of skills, your character can put percentile points into Identities that represent core aspects of who they are. This can be a job, an occupation, a hobby, an art they perform or even just a belief they hold dear. In some circumstances, you can roll under your identity rather than the appropriate attribute, and failing a roll guarantees you'll get more points at the end of the session in that track, which is the only way to progress in something without getting worse at something else.

this is also where magick with a k comes in. if you wanna do magick, not only does it have to be one of your identities, it has to be THE identity that you obsess over. normies can obsess over normal things like tax filing, but you are obsessed with being so wrong about cinema that it allows you to do looney tunes shit to people. and the thing with this is that, what it wants to do, right, is give you something that you'll always want to use. it states outright in the book that it considers being a magic user in the same way as being an alcoholic, you never really cease to be one. it's always there and you can't ever really be anything else because a single drop can make you plunge again and it's always right here, waiting for you.

which i find interesting and compelling! you could make an entire game about this! there is so much stuff in there you could make an entire game about! but it's all so incoherent it ends up being less than the sum of its part. the core drive of the PCs in UA is to advance the Goal of their cabal. the goal is basically a track measured in percents and the players have to do stuff in the background to advance it. they just say that they do a thing and they think about how much time that take and then they roll d10+5 if it's a thing that's just kind of the cost of doing business and 2d10+10 if it's something that would bring them major advancement. and that's supposed to be the core of their personnal arcs. and it has basically 0 interractions with the part where you can make hats that melt people's heads. sorrow.

[kurikive]

MINECRAFT — 10. d-day

Y/N went out fast the night before. Her reasoning for the whole melatonin thing being her insomnia. She feared if she slept too late she wouldn’t wake up early the next day, but given she borderline overdosed on sleeping gummies, she would have not woken up at all if it weren’t for her friends.

NewJeans’ manager had told her to meet at the PC room at 8 in the morning to discuss some final things and prepare the computers so that they could start the filming at 10.

It was just going to be a casual Minecraft gameplay with the NewJeans girls. They planned to play Build Battle for the first half and Bedwars for the second half. The member with the most wins across both minigames would have to battle a 1v1 in Minecraft Hunger Games with Y/N to win the prize.

Oh, right. The prize. It really wasn’t much more than a box of expensive beef, which surely would trigger the competitive nerve in some of the members. The video was going to be filmed for Y/N's channel, so she wasn’t going to be the one competing for it anyways. And yes, she did buy the meat with her own money, but considering how much she’s getting paid right now and how much she’s going to get paid, it’s really nothing.

7:19. Y/N was already wearing the outfit Hyewon had picked for her, deeply breathing in and out to calm her nerves. Anton and Jiwoo smile as they try to talk her into departing Nervousville and taking the bus to Peaceburg. Also to take the bus to the PC room, because as popular as their friend is, she still uses public transportation. She says it’s better for the environment, and although it is, it still causes her to get recognized from time to time.

“What if I bail?”

“I’ll kill you. No joke. I’m a nepo baby, I can get away with it.” Anton says. Y/N can’t not believe him.

“Okay! Well, see you guys later!”

It’s been twenty minutes since Y/N arrived at the PC room. They chose one she used to go to a lot throughout middle and high school. It looks a lot bigger without people.

Y/N had brought her three best cameras for this and was currently setting them up. She didn’t really know where the NewJeans members were going to sit, but she was setting them up so that the members’ faces could (hypothetically) all be seen.

She didn’t really know when the girls were going to arrive and it was eating at her brain. Every few minutes a rhythm of snaps was heard from the Y/N, a habit to try and calm her nerves. Every other second she pulled on the side of her black jeans, accidentally pulling at the skin of her thighs below the cloth.

One of the staff took note of these little quirks and patterns. A young woman approached her slowly, but Y/N only took notice of her when she spoke, “You don’t need to be nervous!” A comforting smile tugged at the woman’s lips, “The girls are super nice and they’re very excited to work with you.”

Y/N, stunned at her sudden appearance, only bowed with a nervous giggle. “Thank you…” She said lowly.

“I’m Ha Sooyoung. Stylist.” The woman extends her hand towards the younger, who shyly shakes her hand. “How old are you, by the way?”

“Twenty… I'm.” The unwanted fashion of mixing up her words comes back to haunt Y/N in the most unconventional situations. She just hopes it doesn’t happen in front of the members.

Sooyoung smiles at the speed in which the younger’s face flushes a rose color. “You have a really nice face, you know?” The comment throws Y/N off. Not in a bad way, of course. She’s heard endless compliments about her appearance; she’s very aware she’s good looking. But the remark coming from a professional stylist definitely surprises her a bit.

The woman, noticing Y/N’s expression, is quick to retaliate in case of a misunderstanding, “Not in a weird way, I swear!” The older waves her hands as if trying to shake away the other’s concerns (there weren’t any). “I’m much older than you, please. I meant, like, God…”

Y/N picks up on Sooyoung’s frustration and tries to fix the situation, “No! No, I get it. It’s okay, Sooyoung-ssi.” Sooyoung doesn’t know if she’s laughing at the formality or at her own mistake, but it’s funny regardless.

“I meant,” the woman clears her throat, “You have a face that’s great for modeling. Have you ever tried it?”

“Uh, no. I don’t think brands want a YouTuber as a model.” A sheepish laugh leaves Y/N’s lips at her bad joke. Thankfully Sooyoung laughs with her.

“Hey, well, they might after this! Who knows?” Sooyoung takes something out of her bag while the both share giggles, “If you ever want to try it out, I’m a photographer on the side. Could help you out, y’know?”

Y/N’s eyes widen when Sooyoung hands her a business card, phone and e-mail on the bottom, but instead of her name, ‘YVES’ is written on the top in bold letters.

“That’s my personal phone number. Unnie is just fine, by the way.” Y/N receives another one of the older’s charming smiles with a bow and a “Thank you, unnie!” before Sooyoung pats her shoulder and leaves her side at the sound of her name being called.

“Oh! The girls are gonna be here soon. Get prepared.”

And Y/N’s back to pulling at her jeans.

masterlist | next

taglist # @yumtooki @saysirhc @modanisgf @yerimbrit @sixflame438 @miinatozakiii @hotluvlet @mym1na @keiji-jin @wintersgff @wonyoungssi @kimminjiissosjdirbidnsjje @shozeu @nwjnsloona @kaypanaq @pandafuriosa60 @linnnsworld @hwabyul4wheesun

[cantareincminor]

For Character ask game:

21, 22, for Yor Forger 🥰🥰

Thank you

Hiiiiii tareeeeeee

So excited to get a question about our favorite assassin!

21. If you're a fic writer and have written for this character, what's your favorite thing to do when you're writing for this character? What's something you don't like?

Looking back on my longest work Orpheus, one thing I really enjoyed was writing Yor's character growth from naive and blindly trusting to discerning and more socially aware. She begins with the level of naivete she displays in canon, but starting in chapter 8 when she starts looking for Yuri, she is forced to grow out of it bit by bit. It's a scary journey, but she is a courageous person, especially when it comes to protecting her loved ones. She will go to any lengths to protect Yuri and her newfound family, even if it means stepping far beyond her comfort zone. That's what she has had to do since childhood when her parents died and she had to fend for herself and Yuri.

She learns how to question assumptions and situations that she would have previously accepted at face value. By chapter 36, she finds herself subconsciously "reading the room" when she heads to a pivotal meeting with Shopkeeper and accurately guesses what's on his mind just by looking at him. Later she is able to read Chloe accurately as well and take a gamble to trust her as an ally.

As to what I don't like writing about Yor...this may be a product of repetition since I've written several Twiyor identity reveal and love confession fics, and they all share certain common elements. One is Yor's insecurity and self-doubt about being good enough for Loid, questioning whether he even likes her that way, constantly putting herself down and focusing on her flaws.

Yor's self-deprecating mindset is relatable for a lot of women including myself when I was younger, and it definitely makes it easy to write drama and angst and misunderstanding into a fic. But at the same time it gets kind of annoying after a while. Years ago when I first watched Naruto, I remember feeling really annoyed whenever Hinata showed up on screen in the early seasons. (Hinata stans don't come after me!) The way her insecurities were portrayed bordered on pathetic, whereas Yor's are often played off as comedy, and she's still the top assassin in the Ostanian underworld and a pillar of strength for her family, so that makes a huge difference.

22. If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to ths character? Something you don't like?

I love it when Yor's well-meaning nature and lack of social awareness combine for peak comedy. For example @briefhottubcoffee's Help me, I'm in love, where Franky asks the Forger family for dating advice and Yor has some hilarious tips to offer. Or @whateversawesome's Deadly Encounters at the Department Store, where her coworkers convince her she needs to buy lingerie to please her husband. Or @unhappy-sometimes' Lonely Hearts, where Loid takes out dating ads in the newspaper to try to find Yor a replacement husband after Strix, not knowing Yor has plans of her own.

I also love it when Yor acts as a balm and refuge for Loid and Anya. And many more characters like Yuri, Melinda, the list goes on. She is so generous and forgiving, it's always beautiful to read how her kindness challenges other people to change for the better, or to let their guard down and feel safe.

Something I don't like...this may offend some people, but these are just my opinions!

This holds true for any character: I don't like it when they are portrayed as really OOC. Even in AUs when by necessity the characters have to be somewhat OOC. For example, brat!Yor. The woman is the spiritual opposite of an entitled brat. Might as well make her an OC instead. Or any fic where Yor leaves Anya (really?). But those are easy things to dislike.

A more nuanced thing is how Yor is portrayed when she's angry. In canon we haven't yet seen her truly angry -- protective and threatening, maybe, like when Twilight and Franky question her in their SSS disguises, or when she fends off anyone trying to kidnap Anya. But the kind of anger she might feel over betrayal by a loved one like Yuri or Loid? I don't like it when fics portray her anger as so overpowering that she doesn't give the other side a chance. Given what we know of her character, how kind and merciful she is, how she tries to see things from another person's perspective (e.g. Millie), I think she would attempt to understand the other person and give them the benefit of the doubt. I suppose there is a counterargument for this, in that she accepts Garden's orders to kill "evildoers" without hesitation, without giving them a chance. But the key difference is that those targets are strangers. You can't be betrayed and deeply hurt by a stranger, only by someone you love.

More questions from the ask game!

[alexissara]

Top 10 Comics of 2024 [They're All Sapphic]

Every year is an amazing year for sapphic stories, people are putting out consistently amazing stuff and they will keep doing it even if the world makes it harder and harder. It is a really competitive year this year for my top slot with the top 4 really all being able to be number one so take the order of this list with a grain of salt. I can’t say enough how dazzled I was by some of the stories I read this year and there was a lot of really cute stories that while they didn’t have anything that wowed me I still enjoyed that just didn’t make the cut. Unlike last years list there is no none sapphic stories here, I read some non sapphic stories but they simply didn’t make the cut. So this is a great place for anyone looking for stories about women in love with women. 

Last year I separated Manga from Webcomics and Comics but this year I didn't Read any new Manga, aka not part of an ongoing I was reading from last year that felt worthy of a top spot. So I will be including at least one of those ongoings on this list but they'll be no separate manga list. Here’s hoping 2025 I read so many great comics, Manga and webcomics there three separate lists so I can cheat and share more stories. 

If you end up enjoying this list do remember you can help me afford to make art and engage art by going over to https://www.patreon.com/AlexisSara. I have a rough draft of a novel I am working on ready for 5 dollar + tiers and I give monthly updates for every tier on the video games, ttrpgs, novels and more that i am working on.

10. If You’ll Have Me

This is a cute little modern romance by one of my favorite artists so I had to support it when I was given the chance. This is just a classic romance type story, not a ton of frills or twists to the normal romance formula except that it’s lesbains with a nice art style. A nerdy girl falls for a popular hottie with a reputation for getting around and love blooms through misunderstandings and tough feelings. It’s cute with a great art style, it’s just nice and a great book for if you just want to see a lesbian love story. 

9. LSBN 

This is a short but sweet comic, it isn’t very long, it isn’t particularly deep, some trans lesbians were working on a mech to do big battles but suddenly their hit with an order for peace. Feelings get messy as years of work go down the drain and these women find themselves going to each other and the feelings they all have about this. The art itself is really unique, it has an extremely creative vision of it’s world that is really a spectacle to look at and for sure gives value to actually owning the book rather then checking it out just briefly since it is a fast read. It’s simple, sweet and good.

8. The Marble Queen

This is a YA graphic novel which have a hard chance at making it on a list like this for me, I try to read a lot of them but I have such a hard time getting through them but here I really did get enthusiastic about this story. The biggest carry for the story is definitely the art, really striking art that truly makes this story stand out in the crowd. This is an arranged marriage gay romance where both parties fall in love with one another. It’s a very classic fantasy princesses type story in that way with you know scheming evil family and uproars and restoring order and what not. It is a fun book and the Pirate Woman in this story is very hot and I liked it, it’s just a solid classic formula type story. I have little critiques about it but ultimately I think it’s solid. 

 7. Rainbow! 

This was a turn around of the century for me where I was really not in love with the first half of this story at all but having stuck it through basically exactly where volume 1 ends the story really picks up and starts to be something great. It’s cover and stuff pitches it as a kinda sweet and fluffy romance but this is a drama romance there just isn’t a lot of drama between the romantic interests themselves. This is the story about two women who are being abused in different ways by their mothers falling in love and how they as high schoolers deal with the shifting of their lives through meeting each other and though the new lows their moms push them to. It’s a good story and it’s good to see stories about people who are dealing with this kind of abuse still finding love and figuring out their own ways out of situations. It’s idealistic in some ways but I think some hope isn’t a bad thing to give to people. This is a really sweet story story even when it gets rough and it’s worth folks time. 

 6. Eldritch Darling

One of those comics that feel like they could be on this list every year but it wasn’t on last years list so I feel extra good about giving it a slot this year. This is a very cute small panel comedy romance webcomic. The plot as it were starts with an eldritch monster girl having taken on a human guise falling in love with a woman and trying to keep it together and from there we follow how their relationship blooms, her feelings about human life and her shifting feelings on herself. The relationship shifts and changes and it’s a good story with decent progress and has been slightly expanding out it’s characters and stuff over time as it keeps going. It’s short, sweet, good times for anyone looking for just a nice read. 

 5. The Deep Dark 

A trans and cis woman romance with a ton of mess around them having secrets, toxic people in their lives and more all tied up with just a bit of the magical elements. Mags is a butch lesbian who’s got a big secret, a little monster tied to her she must feed her blood. This secret keeps her detached from everyone but small hookups with a girl who has a boyfriend and doesn’t want to come out. One day Nessa comes back to town, a trans woman and her old best friend, a person she cared so deeply about before the weight of her secret really got to her. She’s dealing with a creepy ex boyfriend and went back to her old home town to get away with him for the summer. Both are hesitant to share what’s going on with the other and both are effected by events that happened when they were a child that caused Nessa to move. The two’s connection is just really good and I like that both these women are very caught up in their own shit at first and really feel like they should be together but maybe can’t because of that. I think this is Molly Knox Ostertag’s best story so far and I am really glad she got to release it. 

4. She Loves To Cook And She Loves To Eat 4

A true masterpiece, I say this every time with She Loves To Cook and She Loves To Eat and I will keep saying it, I imagine She Loves To Cook and She Loves To Eat Volume 5 will be in next year's top 10 too. Sakaomi Yuzaki is simply a master of the craft of manga and storytelling that is beyond most people ever. The way she can capture the raw feelings captured by fatphobia, sexism, homophobia, lesbobia, aphobia, etc all while keeping a fairly soft and cozy tone is truly a testament to her craft. Volume 4 was a brilliant move forward in the story and the romance properly and it’s yet another testament that I enjoyed a fairly big slow burn when I am not a big slow burn enjoyer. The food looks brilliant, the character designs are fantastic, I can’t imagine a world where this story falls off.

3. Superwomen In Love 4 and 5

Having finished this I can say that this is one of the best Yuri Manga of all time. While She Loves To Cook and She Loves To Eat is a masterpiece that makes me think about the true mastery of one of the mediums of art I work in and love the most, this story was just fucking fun as hell for me.We have big love confessions, fusion, action, mechs, and so much more. I really can’t say enough just how much of a blast this story is. I would kill to see this adapted it’s just such a freaking blast and it’s so gay and it’s so much fun. The main couple is really masterfully done and the side characters are all great and thought out to at least some small extent. It makes for a really great cast and a really great time. It’s stupid but it’s like perfectly my kind of stupid and I love it. 

2. The Strange Case of Harleen and Harley

Two of my favorite characters of all time get a fun YA retelling that honestly might be my favorite origin story for both characters ever. Harleen’s life has gone to shit, her and Pamala broke up for a bit and she ended up dating a dude who was a bit unhinged and murdered her bullies. That made her have to move, ruining everything she had going for her the only saving grace from her families judgement, the judgement of people around her and the crushing despair of potentially losing her access to higher education is that her and Pam got back together. Harleen agrees to enter clinical trials with Pamala when she suspects they are doing animal testing and wants to find out, plus it would get Harleen some money for signing up. The shots Harleen is subjected to awaken Harley inside of Harleen and start these two off on an adventure. It fits the characters, it does the representation of plurality so much better than most media I’ve seen, it doesn’t condemn doing crimes at all which is great for a villain story, it instead lets us just see criminals as people who make choices and you can judge those choices on your own. You will though be shown the rich fuckers running these experiments and hate them and it’s great. I really love this story, it’s probably my favorite YA book, it might be my favorite superhero comic ever, it’s just great. 

1. Sunset Phoenix 

Lesbian Monsters, I did it that’s the review, shouldn’t have to sell it further than this. I will though, it’s a fantastical setting with magic but also very modern. Our Mob Boss is a Phoenix meaning she’s immortal unless you kill her with a special blade only a Phoenix can make. Someone kills another one of the Phoenix’s who run the city and the mobs and attempts to frame her spy for it which also frames her. The two have to work together to figure out who did it, prove they did it or else the best case for them is all out mob war and the worst case is their too dead to know what happens next. The story isn’t done yet but the first arc is finished meaning there is a very solid end point to hit if you pick this series up. The chemistry between Emilia and Valentine is just really strong and the action scenes are just super cool. It is one of those series that is like 10/10 everything I really have nothing negative to say about the book it just really perfectly does what it is trying to do and I like what it’s trying to do.

[buddiesystempod]

Buck and Eddie walked into the kitchen like, “I’ma fight a man tonight.” 🤼

🎧 Listen on Spotify: Breakin' Dishes (Buddie Kitchen Divorce Dissection) 📺 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Dq2_hx7L6y8

This week Han, Cil, and Rachel discuss the infamous kitchen fight from Season 8 Episode 17 of 9-1-1. Yes, you read that correctly, ☝️ just that scene. Get comfortable, we’re talking about this less than 3 minute scene for almost 2 hours! 🤪

There’s nothing we love more than a good character deep dive, and this scene was too juicy to not savor properly in a full episode. 😋 Picture this: a kitchen, two bros buddies, and a whole lot of unresolved emotions flying around like confetti 🎉 at a party nobody wanted to attend. 🙃

We thoroughly dissect this 'kitchen divorce' scene, where our dear friends Buck and Eddie are not just fighting over groceries 🛒 — they’re wrestling with their feelings, insecurities, and the weight 🏋️ of their shared history. We’re peeling back the layers, one passive-aggressive statement at a time. Buck’s handling his grief in the most Eddie Diaz way — conceal don’t feel, while Eddie’s unsuccessfully doing his best Buck cosplay to conquer his worst enemy — talking about his emotions.

Buck and Eddie are about as close as two best friends can get, but when it comes to emotional honesty, it’s like they’re playing a game of dodgeball 🤾 with their feelings. We break down how every grimace, eyebrow furrow, 🤨 glance, and pause speaks volumes — more than the words themselves. As they circle each other like two heavyweight boxers, 🥊 you can feel the tension crackling in the air. 

We take a closer look at how the cinematography 🎥 adds another layer, like the handheld camera work that immerses the audience in the scene, making us feel as though we are unwilling witnesses to this intimate exchange. 🫣 The kitchen, a place usually filled with warmth and comfort, 💞 turns into a battleground of unspoken words and unresolved issues, 💔 with both characters warring with their own demons while trying to connect with each other. 

The dialogue is rich with nuance that we explore, from Buck’s bratty remarks 😏 hiding a deeper pain 😢 to Eddie’s defensiveness masking his desperation for connection, all of which reflect their struggles as they navigate the complexities of their relationship. Buck, who is usually the emotional rock, finds himself stumbling over his words, feeling invalidated and misunderstood, 🥺while Eddie grapples with his own guilt and the fear of not being there for the people he loves in their darkest moments. It’s a poignant reminder of how grief can fracture connections and how communication, or the lack thereof, can create walls 🧱 between even the closest of friends.

So grab your snacks, 🍿 maybe doordash some dinner (not sponsored, but hey, could be! 😉), and let’s get into this pressure cooker of emotions, misunderstandings, and a whole lot of "what were they thinking?" because honestly, it’s a knock-down, drag-out fight you won't want to miss! 👀

[pedripics]

Pedri: "Nico Williams would be a spectacular signing for Barça"

(Mundo Deportivo - July 3, 2024)

With the national team, you are playing in a position, the '10', where you feel liberated.

"Yes, it's true, because there you have much more contact with danger, with goals, with assists and with the last passes that maybe don't end in a goal but are used to leave someone alone to give an assist. Things like that are important for the team. I create much more danger."

A position that can have continuity in the future, because Flick sees you there. Have you already talked about it?

"We've shared a few words and he wished me luck for the European Championship. I'm looking forward to the start of the season, to meet him and see how it goes. I'm sure it will go well."

In Germany the '10' is Gündogan.

"He is a player who can play as a '10', as an '8' or as a '6'. He has quality in all three. He's a spectacle, at Barça from the first moment I saw him I knew about his talent. I hope he has a bad game against us."

He will be competition next year.

"It's always good to have players like that in the team. It's good to play with this type of player and learn from them."

In the national team, you have competition from Dani Olmo. But it seems very healthy. A gesture his family made against Albania was very striking when they gave Dani a standing ovation. Just them. That says a lot about how they live the competition within the national team.

"Right now, for example, a lot of things are coming out saying that one or the other has to play. It's clear that whoever plays is going to give his best and I have a very good relationship with him. I spend many hours of training camp with him, we play tennis on the Play, Club Pro, whatever. We go a lot of times together, and it's the opposite of what people say. We get on spectacularly, and he has an immense quality."

Here in the national team you have Lamine Yamal on one side and Nico Williams on the other. It's a good show, isn't it?

"Yes, above all I try to get the ball to them quickly so that they have that one-on-one, which is what they excel at. And then, when they go one-on-one, they always look back, and you have to be there to try and score."

They go all day together. Joking around, teasing each other? Have you had to take them down a peg or two?

"Sometimes you have to tell them things, but that's normal. They are two kids who have fun, who enjoy themselves on the pitch and, at the end of the day, that is reflected on the pitch. When they have a good time, everything works out much better."

And I suppose that Barça is also talked about in this kind of banter. We saw the other day some jokes being thrown at Nico Williams about that.

"We don't talk about it much. It's a decision for him and Barça to make. A lot of things have to happen. The other day, for example, the '10' came up and it had nothing to do with that. It was because of Clubes Pro (a video game). We had three players with the '10' and Dani Olmo was also one of them. They had to change it, we couldn't have three '10's in the team. There was a misunderstanding, but nothing happened."

I suppose that, being selfish as a player, being able to enjoy being at Barça with Lamine and Nico on either side would be welcome, wouldn't it?

"Yes, it's clear that it would be a spectacular signing. He is a player that we are already seeing what he is doing in the Eurocup. Hopefully he can be with us, but we don't know yet because he has a contract with Athletic. Whatever will happen will happen."

Another teammate of the national team that Barça has in its sights is Mikel Merino.

"Mikel is a player I like a lot in midfield. Especially in aerial duels. I'm always telling him that it's impossible for him to lose one. He wins them all and then he's a player who puts his body into it very well and covers the ball very well. He's a player who, when we play against Real, is very difficult for me. He has a lot of qualities, both on and off the ball. He recovers a lot of balls, he's a very complete player."

We were talking about Dani Olmo earlier, do you see potential for Barça?

"I think so. Dani is a spectacular player. Besides, he was already at Barça, so he already knows what Barça is like. Hopefully, he can have the opportunity to come, but it will have to decide him, Barça or who is going to sign him."

And Pedri, what are your expectations for next season?

"Firstly, to finish the EUROs as well as possible, hopefully by winning it. Then I think it's going to be a good year for Barça. There is a new coach and the squad will want to give him all the confidence. I think it's going to be a good year."

Now that you were talking about the new coach, how did you experience Xavi's departure?

"He is a coach who has helped me a lot. He has helped all the midfielders a lot. It was a hard blow not to be able to give him a title so that he could get the goodbye a Barça legend deserves. These are stages that come to an end, and now we have to think about Flick and that everything goes well."

Well, so be it. First with the national team, then in his days off, and then with Barça next season.

"Let's hope so, let's hope so, let's go for it!"

[lupiinee]

Thoughts on the wolfstar ship 👀

you want me to go there? really? this is opening a can of worms that i think i really do not want to do.

okay. fine. fine. if you're so eager to know.

i have problems with it.

now, lets be VERY VERY CLEAR HERE. before you twist my words and bend them out of shape and make me sound like something truly awful and h*mophobic when i'm not and just giving an opinion I WAS ASKED FOR. I am a trans, queer man. i am part of the lgbtqia + movement. i have been here a very very very long time.

the ship itself i have NO ISSUES WITH. that is, the pairing between remus/sirius i really enjoy

personally? i've always preferred the marauders as brothers, but i have shipped w*lfstar in the past and it DOES NOT BOTHER ME if people want to write about it with me, or have me write about it. i'll happily write about it. the more love for remus? the better.

but the ship is ultimately a doomed one. sirius is very blasé when it comes to the circumstances around the "prank", he considers remus to be the spy for most if not all of the war, sewing seeds of doubt into remus' mind about whether he's a good person (and for remus that is bad because he already is full of self doubt and loathing for himself) it goes to the point where sirius trusts pettigrew over remus and that leads to the downfall of james and lily.

i think it's a beautiful ship within remembering the context of which they would have been engaging with the world around them. it quickly falls apart very rapidly when they start accusing each other of being spies. this isn't some little push and pull game. this is war. active war where their friends are dying. and contextually, remus believed sirius to be the spy for 14 years. lily and james death proved as much until pettigrew was revealed. it is a doomed ship. one that i enjoy exploring because that is the tragedy of the marauders.

i think it works in the case of them being 17-20, but they would have fought a lot. their relationship would have disintegrated and that makes for an interesting narrative. but like i say, remus didn't secretly believe that sirius was innocent, he didn't wait 14 years for sirius to escape (not when no one had ever escaped from azkaban before) remus truly did believe sirius, who was from a pure blood family, was the spy for voldemort.

so let's get to the crux of the matter okay?

i like w*lfstar when we look at it like that. in that context it is beautiful and dramatic and ultimately tragic. it ends in tragedy for them both. that's what makes it appealing to me because if it wasn't for the circumstances, they could have maybe made it work.

what i hate, and i mean loathe, is the fandom that surrounds this ship. the absolute vitriol i see shoved day in and day out towards the female characters, particularly tonks, is absolutely fucking vile. i've seen claims ranging from "remus is in a lavender marriage" to "remus never loved her" to "remus just used her because she could make herself look like sirius."

it is fucked up the way that the fandom treats the female characters. i've seen absolute nonsense from tonks being made into a subdued housewife when she married remus (how? her hair is literally bright pink and women can be badasses and be moms. i have several friends who are exactly like tonks - from the hair to the piercings to the attitude and have 8 kids) being a mother doesn't mean you become something less of yourself. and because there's an age gap (not a huge one mind you but definitely an age gap) people like to label it as PDFilic (i cant say the actual word i will get thrown off tumblr) even though remus doesn't actively pursue tonks BECAUSE HE IS DEPRESSED AND THINKS HE'S INCAPABLE OF LOVE AND BEING LOVED.

there are complete misunderstandings about remus as a person when he tries to run away. remus would have literally done that with anyone. not because he doesn't love them, but because he thinks he's unworthy of being loved and is terrified of having any other option. his own depressed nature keeps him from finding people who care about him.

remus literally arrives at shell cottage "dazed by his own happiness" (word for word quote there i am not making it up) when tonks gives birth to teddy. and let me make it clear i GREATLY dislike when people use tonks as a womb so that sirius and remus can raise teddy. it makes me feel sick. the same way that people have used lily as a womb to give birth to harry then written out so they can have the jegulus ship work. it makes me feel physically sick to my stomach. don't treat women as wombs. don't treat them as disposable.

the idea that remus wouldn't have moved on, wouldn't have allowed himself the grace to feel his grief and live his life outside of seeing his whole friend group destroyed just speaks volumes to how people prioritise your 20s as being the most crucial time of your life and the only time that matters. remus had 14 years by himself. where he would have moved on. where he would have had to otherwise the guilt and the pain would have suffocated him. he would not have sat waiting for sirius. he wouldn't have sat pining over sirius - a man who used his lycanthropy as a weapon and considered him a spy. remus would have moved on.

td:lr for those not wanting to read the whole thing.

i like w*lfstar, i like remadora. i like both. but the way that the fandom has twisted and shaped w*lfstar into a fetishization of MLM ships, whilst treating female characters literally like horseshit is deeply, deeply troubling, deeply sexist, deeply misogynistic and deeply biphobic to the point where if i was to write w*lfstar i would need to do it with someone i trust and understands where i am coming from. i have been in this fandom for a long long time and seen the shift first hand where remus was considered bisexual, to just straight up bashing tonks or any female character that looks his way. it's also why i tend not to actively involve myself in the marauders spectrum because i just don't like what they've done and it's a bastardisation of these characters for all their faults and traumas they've gone through.

[shrinkthisviolet]

5, 8, 13, 17, 22, 24, and 34 for the fanfic ask game!

5. What's a tag you never want to use for your works even when it applies?

Unreliable Narrator. It feels like a spoiler, honestly (TKAM didn't have “unreliable narrator” stamped on it, and neither did Great Gatsby*), but also...I feel like it goes without saying? In a sense, we’re all unreliable narrators in our lives, especially when we’re young, especially when we're emotional (some of the characters I write fit this bill). I know the trope is referring to an extreme example, and the tag is used to tell readers “hey, these aren't the author’s views”, but the tag isn’t even used that often as is. Idk, I have a complicated relationship with it 😂 I’ve used it, and I still will, but not entirely with confidence

*plus not everyone agrees that Nick is an unreliable narrator, it’s an uncommon interpretation from what I gather. Isn’t that part of the fun too—the “not quite knowing”?

8. How slow is a slow burn?

Depends on the ship. But my general rule is: as slow as you can make it without resorting to stupid misunderstandings or stretching out a love triangle too long

(Everyone has different tolerance levels ofc so “too long” is also subjective, but for example, I think Westallen had a good timeframe for theirs…even if the execution wasn’t perfect and it was slightly on the longer side)

13. Rate your worldbuilding skills from 1 to 10

Maybe a 2-3? I’m not very good at it 😅 there’s a reason I mostly write within pre-established worlds. I’m better at fleshing out existing lore than creating my own

17. Past or present tense? Why?

Definitely past tense (I can read present tense fics, but not often, and I definitely don’t write present tense anymore). Present tense just reads as unnatural to me—I’m telling a story, and to me it’s something that already happened rather than something that is happening, if that makes sense

22. What is it about watching the same two idiots falling in love over and over again?

Sometimes two people connect in such a meaningful way that you wanna test that connection by putting them in multiple situations and seeing if they connect in the same way 💞 if I’m honest, I prefer this platonically (as you can no doubt tell from the number of Barry & Morgan AUs I’ve talked about 😅) but I love it romantically too! Shows just how connected people can be, no matter the situation

24. Thoughts on flashbacks/flashforwards

Flashbacks are a narrative tool that can be strong and effective...or utterly pointless. Cobra Kai uses flashbacks well to flesh out character backstories and add context (though I’d argue it could use more flashbacks in certain places), while the Flash s8/s9 overuses them to such a frivolous and ridiculous degree—there maybe 2-3 actual good ones, while the others recap things that have already been shown on screen, as if the writers think we’re stupid

I don't see the point of flashforwards tbh 🤷‍♀️

34. Do you write to improve? Or is that not a concern for you?

It’s not a primary concern, but I definitely welcome growth when it comes. More than once, I’ve read old writing and cringed, and then I remember the advice that the cringe means I'm growing as a writer...and that’s good! Taking risks as a writer, expanding my narrative voice, letting my style change over time...that's fun for me. I’m not stressed about improving to a certain standard, but I always look to improve in the things I do 💞 and to be a brave enough writer to take risks

writing ask game!

[feuqueerfire]

Our Dating Sim

Okay, I've got to actually watch this, it's like barely 2 hours long total and is fairly light-hearted, so this can't become like the few 12/16 ep shows I'd tried to watch since August and then given up on just a couple minutes in.

Episode 1 (Oct 19)

lol so this is how people feel when their job shows up in a show. why was this guy concentrating so hard on writing 5 words of comments on the code related to very self-explanatory function names lol

job interviews, worst nightmare for ever (but also… i wish i was getting some lol i want a job). At least the CEO is friendly

Gi Tae’s (Eddy) psychological warfare please he’s putting Lee Wan through it

Episode 2 (Oct 19)

ah sad, the confessing and running away

the Gameboy nickname misunderstanding is awkward to me

Gi Tae being Gameboy, that's expected but I wonder for how long he's known it's Lee Wan?

Episode 3 (Oct 19)

Actually crying for Wan, man’s just got here on his first day and has work piled on him and Gi Tae also putting him through it. Meanwhile, Gi Tae seems like he’s having fun lol

Also Jamie mentioning Wan’s unrequited love twice lol

Ah, Gi Tae recommending Wan isn’t a surprise but him insisting and arguing on behalf of him kind of is

[Linguistics] Wan's unexpected boldness and confronting Gi Tae, going down to informal + 너

Not to mention all this being on a ROOF again - the original confession place

And Gi Tae's boldness back as he basically says the reason he's been looking at Wan's webtoons as Gameboy is because he's got a crush on him woah

Episode 4 (Oct 19)

The CEO is so funny for no reason, like he keeps trying to make Wan comfortable and also apparently needs to be told by Gi Tae to do his work. + him and the other workers spying on Gi Tae and Wan trying to guess whether they're fighting or not lol

Does it say that Gi Tae's been blocked on Wan's webtoon? didn't sub it

ah, the restaurant scene - funny how in Gi Tae's attempts to fluster Wan, he played himself too

pls not Wan saying he's betting on Sunny but helping out Gi Tae during the game, ah and gaining a barrage of skinship from Gi Tae for it

The film camera thing is so good, like Wan's anguish that he's making clear but Gi Tae's anguish that he hides first by being playful and fucking around with Wan but then breaking down

Gi Tae confession, nice - and at the school too, even if not on the roof

This is quite well paced, we're 4 episodes into this 8 15-minute episode drama.

I usually get annoyed by work-place or similar setting shows where one person holds all the cards while the other is kind of at their mercy but I haven't been bothered by it here much at all, actually. I think it has to do with the fact that they know each other from before so it's more even footing than if a stranger started harassing you, Wan also left/abandoned Gi Tae first so I can understand why he's being antagonistic, Wan also doesn't bend to Gi Tae's will even though Gi Tae's playing with him so much.

The way I didn't even know they had little post-credit scenes of them in high school dating sim-style until I saw someone mention it in a post

Also, Wan kind of reminds me of Pawin from GMMTV.

Episode 5 (Oct 20)

broo is Gi Tae just gonna have to repeat "I like you" in 10 different times and Wan avoiding it each time?

ah, kiss. cute but since they're drunk i hope it's not gonna be like "oh i was drunk" "oh i don't rmr"

This was an okay ep but didn't quite follow up with the emotionally charged scenes of last ep

Episode 6 (Oct 20)

Well at least they both remember but "you can try having a crush on me a little longer" is crazy lmao Wan

Ahhh I fucking love when characters do random roleplays like this "unrequited love" way of asking out on a date, so cute

Agh, this park date of them just walking around and playing hard to get and being cute T.T

ohh I saw this scene of Gi Tae getting mad at Wan's blind date setup, I didn't realize the two had started dating by this time lol

I like that Gi Tae is simultaneously straightforward and insistent but also listens well to Wan. One of my fave episode types where the characters are just playful and cute and know they like each other (a la Ep 7 in Bad Buddy), a happy time to show them just being cute and affectionate before real angst/conflict starts again

Episode 7 (Oct 20)

Wan leaving without a trace actually traumatized Gi Tae for real, from the way he's searched for him everywhere, the way his friends talk about it, even his reasoning for the plants being that they take root and don't go anywhere

woah tense breakfast convo fr

ah, Gi Tae breaking down

Episode 8 (Oct 20)

Ah, Wan getting a teeny bit of his own medicine with Gi Tae's short disappearance

pls this PD is scarred from these rookie artists turning down the opportunity while thinking of "the reason they started drawing" lol

Also usually I'm like hmmm turning down an opportunity for a relationship that's just starting out is questionable but I think it does work out better for these people in this specific circumstance

I just realized in this 1 Year Later part that Gi Tae reminds me of Shinee Key

Ah, good ending

Overall Thoughts:

The pacing of this was so good, they managed to give everything needed and timed it well within 2 hours. Well written, well acted, well planned, well shot, woah, nice. I liked and understood the main characters and even the side characters had distinct personalities despite not being fully fledged. I loved how Gi Tae and Wan were so playful with each other, whether it be with the teasing they did and playing hard to get but also the easy affection they often had whether it be kisses, pecks, tickles, hugs, hand holding, just regular romantic touching - a good balance between being strangely chaste and very raunchy. Was cute but I won't think about them again, probably.

Also, one of the characters reminds me of Lee Yedam (Boys Planet, One Pact)

Rating: 6.5/10

[min-kit]

first let me say sorry for hi-jacking. The whole gym sequence and ppl misreading it is a real bug under my skin. and this is gonna be long. so here goes.

can i also point out how in the gym scene, we've already established

Eddie consistently asks Buck to go to the basketball pick-up game which he SAYS NO TO every single time because he doesn't like basketball. AKA Buck has 0 interest in going to this thing with or without Eddie there.

He finds out that Eddie has since asked TOMMY to go to the game. Suddenly!! Buck wants to go. Where is the difference in these situations? Is it Eddie who has always asked him? Or is it Tommy who Buck asked out for a drink, got rainchecked, found out his bestie is spending ALL this time with him & seems very interested when he's seeing Tommy next? Answer is, it's Tommy.

He orders a BASKETBALL to have delivered to the firehouse in plain view of Eddie. Now Eddie ALWAYS asks him to go, even tho Buck has always turned him down. However, Eddie has now found someone else to go with, someone who is interested, not like Buck. What's the point in keeping asking Buck when he knows he's gonna be turned down? So he doesn't bother since now he has a new friend to hang out with who shares this interest, no point in forcing Buck! Buck is FEENING for that invite however. Why? Because Tommy is going to be there. That's the difference between this time and all the other times before. So when Eddie doesn't invite him? What does he do? He invites Chim as his cover, who is also surprised! Because Buck always turns them down as well.

Also, if you pay attention to Eddie and Tommy greeting Chim and Buck at the court, Buck's eyes never stray from Tommy. He's looking at Tommy the entire time & is ecstatic when Tommy greets him "Hey, Evan."

As someone who had buddie goggles on for years & finally took them off in the break between s6 and s7 (i literally was only going to be a casual viewer for s7, the theories of bi Buck brought me back in however), it's soooo easy to see what the writer's are doing or where they're going without those on. tho i never would've guessed the wacky nun storyline, at the very least, Buck's storyline was exactly what I imagined it was going to be. Everything happened (minus the finer details) as I thought & it was easy to figure out why? Because the narrative of ep4, the ep5 promo, and all the behind the scenes information we had pointed to it.

And, another thing, the audience is supposed to think Buck is wanting Eddie's attention in ep4. This is called a misdirect. Buck thinks it's Eddie's attention that he wants, because he's misconstruing his interest in Tommy & jealous that Tommy is hanging out with his best friend which makes sense with Buck's character! It's literally not until Buck figures out himself that the attention he has been seeking is Tommy's is the audience supposed to realize what's actually going on. It's not that Buck is misunderstanding his feelings for Eddie by saying he's been trying to get Tommy's attention, it's the audience who believes that misunderstanding what's happening.

Will buddie happen down the line? Now personally, I don't believe so anymore like I used to think so. Of course, Tim is a pantser (a writer who literally writes by the seat of their pants without planning things out), so he very well may make them happen some day! I'm not ruling anything out! But I genuinely don't believe it's in the works right now. Certainly not in a shortened season where they're doing their best to cram as much character story in to get people tuning in for season 8 as well (have you guys noticed not much focus has been on the emergencies in comparison to the personal stories this season? the cruise would be the exception but that was all about Bathena!).

I know the fandom/buddie shippers are like "it's a slowburn!" but not to the general audience. The GA is millions of people. The fandom is thousands. A buddie storyline would take more work, and frankly deserves way more actual on screen build up that's obvious to people who don't sit here online analyzing everything these characters do or say. As someone who has done exactly that for a multitude of fandoms, including buddie? That's what I think at least.

If buddie happens, it's going to be clear as day that's what they're planning, not hidden in some misdirect about whose attention Buck is seeking (esp when they make it clear through the dialogue that Buck really does want Tommy's attention. They spell it out for you so that you take it at face value. They want you to realize that because they want you to realize that this is where the story is going. Buck is bisexual and he's interested in Tommy).

Tommy was nowhere to be found when Buck was in the gym though. That was 100% about Eddie. As was the Christopher thing because he didn't want to be replaced in Eddie and Christophers lives by anyone, for any length of time. The only time I really felt him trying to get Tommy's attention was their first scene together. But that was purposeful by the writers. They wanted to have it both ways and needed Buck to want both of their attention but have no idea why.

I've sat here for almost a full day wondering how to respond to this, and honestly, I very nearly deleted it without responding because... I barely go here. I just shifted over to 911 as my main fandom. I was a One Chicago blog a little over a week ago and yeah, one well timed rewatch might put me back on that train.

I just came over here because I watched the show, enjoyed it, and wanted to have fun with other fans. My posts are my opinion and my observations, and are obviously not meant to speak for all of canon or even any faction of the fandom besides myself (and maybe Kit, but our opinions vary sometimes too, and we live together). I just pointed out what I noticed, and the trends that I picked up on, and how I thought they were intending to establish Buck wanting Tommy's attention - which, in my opinion, they did really well.

So, I'm just gonna put a screenshot of the post this is referring to right here:

Here's the thing. If you watch every single episode of the show looking for Buddie moments whenever Buck or Eddie is on screen (and I saw a lot of that after last night's episode to the point that I'm getting exhausted and annoyed), then that's all you're going to see, even if that's not what they're trying to show us.

It's been especially bad since 7x04 and the BuckTommy kiss. Everyone is looking at his canon queerness through a Buddie lens and ignoring everything else around it. They're making his coming out to Maddie about Buddie, and they're making his attraction to Tommy about Buddie, they're making episodes we haven't even seen about Buddie.

In reality, none of that is about Buddie or confirming future Buddie or anything of the sort. He and Maddie mentioned Eddie in that scene because the conversation started when he said he felt like he was lying to Eddie and he didn't like it. Yes, Eddie and Tommy are similar, and I understand joking about Buck having A Type, but that doesn't make his attraction to Tommy any less genuine. And we don't know anything about 7x06 yet, but everyone is talking about Buddie getting drunk and sleeping together, or Tommy seeing them interact - as he's already seen because the three of them have had scenes together and he's canonically spent time with Chris - and immediately stepping back from the relationship because there might be something there.

Buck is going to his sister's wedding with Tommy. Buck told Maddie and Eddie about Tommy. Buck wants to dance at the wedding with Tommy. He wants to try for something with Tommy. Eddie encouraged him to go call Tommy and work things out. Buck is going to be out to everyone at the Madney wedding because he wants to be there with Tommy as his date.

I don't know. It's just frustrating to see this really good queer relationship tossed to the side because it's not the Popular Ship. Just because you don't ship it or you aren't looking at it directly, it doesn't mean it's not still there.

[magicalgirlfia]

I have unrested my case and I appreciate you stating your objections, however even if you say “#Never correct me again.” I will continue to correct you because I believe that there’s more to say.

—————

I know your Octarian fact of course, I assumed due to your use of the term, you knew it as well-which you obviously do, and I do regret not making myself clear,

By your logic “Octarian Octoling” is a phrase that can’t exist in Japanese due to the lack of distinction between Octarian and Octoling in that language…however as of Splatoon 3 they’ve began to use the term “Octoling” (or オクトリング ) in the Japanese versions of the game.

That doesn’t matter of course if they don’t differentiate between the two of course. It’s lucky that they do.

I present a screenshot of the Side Order website. This directly refers to Agent 8 as “オクトリング(タコ)”.

Thus making a distinction between “Octarian (タコ)” and “Octoling (オクトリング)” in Japanese. “Octarian Octoling” is basically a direct translation of the phrase.

However, I’m willing to concede this point if you want to argue that it was due to confusion people might face about what “octoling” might mean. I admit that this is the weakest of my points and probably should have started with it rather than finished with it. I stand by it of course, but I don’t swear by it.

—————

I straight up do not understand your second point very well so please correct me if I am misunderstanding your words. The Octarians being referred to in that passage are regular Octarian troopers who have no business being in Alterna. They were kidnapped and hell, if I’m not looking into the original text enough…he says it himself. In game.

They weren’t escaped octolings, they were his soldiers. The “Under Strict Management” bit is to emphasize how it’s strange they went missing.

—————

Arguing that Warabi (and his family) are special case just doesn’t make sense. There isn’t anything pointing towards the idea that he or his family are something out of the ordinary like how Shivers clan has lived in the Splatlands for presumed centuries. If you argue he’s a special case you could argue any theoretical octoling outside of his army is a special case, and I wouldn’t be able to disprove you because your argument isn’t be based on anything, especially given the fact don’t have very many octoling characters to work with here.

For example, Wocky, the Octoling stylist for the Chirpy Chips. He’s just some guy, and given the fact that the titular Chips had the same style in the first and second game we can assume he’s responsible for their outfits at least in 1 and 2.

Or hell, even New Agent 3 who’s backstory can be whatever you want it to be they an inkling or an octoling, due to them being a blank slate. You could also try to argue them not knowing who Octavio was as a point and I would if I didn’t think I was crossing the line between “purposeful” and “devs not wanting to add more lines than necessary.” I know I’m ending on another weaker point but the fact that there’s no difference to the Inkling and Octoling versions of Agent 3 says something.

————

In conclusion my conclusion hasn’t changed. An entire species who live all across the world were not forced into one region and I wish the game would make that more obvious than they do.

————

I love the detail that both Octoling idols consistently emphasize how important friendship is to them.

It makes me wonder if that could even be considered a part of Octoling culture. Considering that it’s likely that all biological family most Octolings have had to be left behind when they defected from the Octarian military…