#technically not a romanced option I guess

[wild-magic-oops]

Durge @ his god boyfriend like: kill my dad's whole business and maybe him as well <3

[bewitchingbloom]

Something I've decided to allow myself is to change Ariadne's appearance up a bit in every game I play her in. It's partly necessary (because character creators vary greatly between games) but it also lets me explore different styles for her between games.

And yes, if you clocked that this has been brought on by my putting her back in Palia, you're very smart lol A look at her current look in that game:

I really like this hairstyle that was added with the newest update, yeah it's impractical (tying it off there doesn't keep you cool nor does it really keep your hair out of your face that well) BUT I've always enjoyed the aesthetic of a super low ponytail lol I'm also hopeful that the addition of blush in the cosmetics screen means eventually we'll get a freckles overlay so she'll look even more like herself.

Anyways, bonus pic of Ari in a creepy cave one of her girlfriends locked her in. It's all good between them though, I promise.

[mecha--maniac]

If anyone's into it feel free to take this off my hands cause I don't want it:

Metadow where Silver's their kid, facilitated by Metal's mucking about with genetic splicing -- since apparently he's interested in biotech, judging by Heroes -- so insert whatever shipping stuff one wants with them during the 200 years or whatever, and eventually someone gets the bright idea for a test tube baby for some reason, and huh weird it came out looking a lot like that one guy they used to know from the future *wait a minute--*

[revvethasmythh]

kaiden and liara both want me carnally and frankly i can understand this from liara (i did save her from a bubble, after all) but kaiden seems like a genuinely decent and good guy so i don't know what exactly he sees in me other than my extremely grabbable ass

[feywhimsy]

neve. please. i have been flirting with you for AGES

[wickedghxst]

really sucks games take so long to make now bc i kinda miss mass effect... but i dont wanna play any of the 4 existing ones....

[neckromancy]

Sorry it's not necessarily self ship related, but it's kind-of hilarious that the only time I risked a 'save scum' in BG3 Honour Mode* was when I was not in a life/death scenario, but because I accidentally broke up with Astarion (misclick).

I could have corrupted my save file and lose everything so far, because I had to try to see if I could save the situation.

I ended up only losing an hour of gameplay and saved my relationship. Stressful in the moment, but gave me a chuckle afterwards.

*Honour mode: hardest game mode where you only have 1 save file, closing the game autosaves, and if your party dies it's game over: it's hardcore and what I did should not have been possible

[musette22]

I'll never get over the fact that Steve openly said that in a possible romantic relationship, he wants someone with 'shared life experience'. When Natasha asks about his love life, this is the reason that he is not dating, because he doesn't have shared life experience with people he could potentially date.

So marvel had him say this, and then wrote only one other character that has shared life experience. Only one other character who grew up in Brooklyn during the Great Depression, faced bullies in alleyways, went through ww2 and fought hydra during it, died in 1945, went through being frozen and unfrozen, became a supersoldier, woke up in a time completely different from the one they once knew, have truckloads of PTSD, has various disabilities, are seen as weapons/figures/soldiers instead of people. Now who is it? Cause it isn't either of his canon love interests. (I'm pretty sure one of the Russos said something about how part of what's special about Steve and Bucky's relationship is that no one else has been through what they have/knows what they know).

Steve's love interests in the movies don't have any shared life experience with him. Both were spies, not soldiers. And Steve does not trust spies (in the movies, not sure about the comics). He was only willing to be friends with Natasha once she stopped lying and was genuine with him. Peggy lived through ww2, but she stayed in London in a bunker while Steve fought in the front lines. She was also British, never had any disabilities and worked alongside Nazis. Sharon was also a spy and she was introduced to be spying on Steve under shield's orders, which led to him being visibly cold to her once this was revealed. (It's also especially disturbing that her cover was that of a nurse, which was the job of Steve's mother. I can't see Steve willing to be with her after that).

Sam has some similar life experience to Steve. Both fought in wars, albeit different ones, and lost someone they cared about during said wars. However that second example no longer applies once it's revealed Bucky is actually alive.

Steve even basically confirms Bucky has shared life experience with him in the helicarrier scene - 'You've known me your whole life.' So I have to wonder what the hell marvel wanted us to take away from this. I've seen romance movies where the main character will describe what she wants in a partner, and then that exact man magically appears in her life. Yet when that scenario happens with Steve and Bucky . . .

I genuinely don't know what else they could've been trying to do with that line. I guess you could say that Steve and Peggy lived in the same time and knew each other during the war, which is technically some shared life experience, but a) it wasn't nearly as much as Bucky and Steve shared, and b) they weren't trying to push the Steggy agenda in TWS (they were closing that chapter, and they should've kept it closed). And yeah, you're very right about Sharon, that's not hardly shared life experience.

And I'm pretty sure that ridiculous kiss wasn't actually planned yet during the TWS days anyway, but rather came about after TWS had everyone suddenly shipping Stucky, and they needed to het-con Steve. And as for Sam; regardless of how much life experience he and Steve may share, he was of course never a viable romantic option for Steve, for obvious reasons.

And all of that combined with the fact that Bucky shows up literally minutes after Steve says that line... it does seem likely they wrote it with Bucky in mind, to be honest. Too bad they were too scared to go the distance and finish what they'd started...

[danmei-hot-takes]

Love meatbun's ideas, not her execution, I've only read erha (haven't finished it) but I'm very confused on why ppl praise meatbun's writing so much. It feels like she just thought of whatever is cool and would impress ppl and just stuff it all into the book without bothering to stitch it all together in a coherent way, abandoned plot points are left like dangling threads, bad guys are cartoonishly evil, character development besides the mcs (and xue meng) feel very awkward, female characters are... something and the technicalities in the story is basically non existent if ranwan isn't the main focus, also don't like how she basically skipped the entirety of mo ran's 5 year journey and all his character growth bc chu wanning is not present during that time.

Meatbun is good at doing Meatbun. I actually love the way she writes. She’s definitely the author I binge the fastest (alongside Fei Tian Ye Xiang). I think the thing with Meatbun is she’s a massive fan of the genre and so uses a lot of tropes (especially toxic yaoi) so if you’re into that, you’re guaranteed to have a good time. But I guess if you’re not…

Although I do have to roll my eyes when people suggest she’s making some sweeping statement about the ills of sexual assault which is just not the case at all. Non con is her favourite trope and I think she’s very honest about that.

I’ve read all Meatbun’s novels up to their official English translations. I am slightly concerned by Yuwu because I didn’t really vibe with vol 6 and I’ve heard she can’t stick a landing which does concern me. On the other hand, I didn’t think a lot of the Meatbun hype is linked to how she’s kind of an outlier in that there’s really no other options for dog blood and that kind of smutty toxicity that’s been officially translated yet. There probably are authors that do it better, but they’re not accessible yet.

That her plots fall apart when you remove the romance I don’t think is necessarily a bad thing. It’s probably why she was never able to get adapted to the extent as mxtx. Like you can censor the shit out of those and it will still make sense, but if you censor Meatbun what is there?

[casual-praxis]

Imagine a villainess isekai, but with a vidow twist

Got your attention? Great! So picture this, the plot of the Four Swords manga, but it's some dating sim-type game that's blown up in the modern world. In theory, you'd be playing as Zelda who managed to avoid capture and travel with the colors which are presumably still Link split into pieces.

Of course, you'd have your typical romance routes with each of them, on top of the neutral route which is more of a "power of friendship saves the day" type deal (as well as a "harem" ending that has them fuse back into Link by the end of it), all while dealing with Shadow as a recurring villain, our technical "villainess" in this scenario.

But here's the twist: Vio is the one who got isekai'd.

Instead of becoming the villain, he's become one of the four* love interests for the protagonist--although he's completely uninterested in her or any of the others. He'd actually only played through the game once in his previous life, and even then he didn't really remember if he managed to romance anyone, never mind finish the game.

He was pretty confused when he suddenly awakened his memories while standing in the Four Sword Sanctuary, having just successfully driven off Shadow for the first time with the others. And with that revelation came several thoughts in quick succession.

Namely, "Oh, that's why I never beat the game."

The villain, who had several moments of introspection and a fully fleshed-out character arc, hadn't been a romance option. Not even a dlc or secret route. Which in Vio's (totally not dramatic) opinion, made the game basically unplayable.

So of course he was going to have to fix that himself. Plot be damned, he was going to end up with Shadow or die trying.

Cue up the fourth-wall-breaking shenanigans and hilarity that ensues from someone not at all trying to blend in with the world around them. Vio quickly goes from being the "smart one" to the "unhinged one" as he mumbles to himself about event flags and route points.

He's got a whole notebook dedicated to the most nonsensical gibberish such as "how many times I've talked to x person" and "how long until chapter 4." When prompted about the tallies on the first page, Vio merely shrugs and says he's keeping track of their shadow. Whatever that means.

I like to think the forest scene would be pretty much reversed from the manga canon and instead have Vio be the pursuer. Like, he's just shaking Shadow by the shoulders and rambling. Something like, "I know everything about you and I will kill anyone you want me to. Please allow me to join you."

Shadow, of course, doesn't know whether to be flustered or freaked out, so he settles on the happy middle ground of "lowkey kinda into it."

Within the dating sim's original story, anyone Zelda was on the route for would be the one to meet with Shadow, and she would show up last minute to help fight him off (so no betrayal scene would ever occur). Meanwhile here, Vio takes the first chance he gets to bail on the narrative and begin his plans of total Shadow domination (take that as you will).

Vio ends up being more of a threat than Shadow, on account of his vague story knowledge and general lack of care towards anyone that isn't Shadow (if he's going to be put into a game's world, he's going to treat it as such). He's totally down for overthrowing the big bads, murdering anyone in his way, and ruling the ruined world at Shadow's side. But luckily, Shadow does still have his character development arc, and manages to negate the worst of the damage before it's unfixable.

Whether or not they switch sides or just keep doing what they're doing on a slightly less destructive scale is anyone's guess, I haven't thought that far ahead. This may or may not have been completely incomprehensible, Grammerly has lit the whole thing up in yellow (orange?).

Unrepentantly unhinged Vio is a good flavor. It pairs nicely with "somehow has the moral compass" Shadow. They're an odd pair, but as time goes on, it becomes pretty apparent that they're equally obsessed with each other. This can only end well.

[bedtimegiraffe]

The relationship Aerin wants with his mother is not the one he had, despite all the smiling and hugs in this chapter.

So let's do a chronological deep dive of what we learn about Aerin's mother and their relationship.

This only covers up to Book 3, Chapter 9 because I'm playing general release. We still have interactions between these two ahead (I assume), so I'll update if we get anything major! The snippet we see in the divination scene has me very nervous (and excited) this is going to go one of two very angsty ways. NO SPOILERS PLEASE VIP PLAYERS Unless you're reading this in the future and the general release is already done. Then go for it.

Book 1, Chapter 8:

Our first mention of Aerin's mother (technically) happens in Book 1, Chapter 8 during Aerin's diamond scene.

As @the-unconquered-queen pointed out, parents is very much plural. Aerin has the father we can learn about in a Lore Tablet earlier and (presumably) a mother. And neither seemed to give him much attention at all, to the point that to his child self magic seemed like the only solution. That was how invisible Aerin felt to them. So we know neither of Aerin's parents went out of their way to spend time with or appreciate him.

TTRPG (Released toward the end of Book 2):

Aerin's mother gets a name and confirmation that she is dead in the Aerin's inventory list.

I've always found this ambiguity about the signet ring fascinating. It's not, "Signet Ring given by his deceased mother, Queen Aurinae," but, "from his deceased mother."

We don't know how Aerin got it from her. Did she specifically make it known before her death that she wanted Aerin to have her signet ring? Or did she die and King Arlan went, "Well, I guess the boy is technically a Valleros. Give him my dead wife's signet ring, she's not using it anymore." Signet rings were often passed down in real-world history, so that's not unlikely.

Especially because Aerin never brings this up. If it was sentimental because of the connection to his mother, why give it away so easily? When he gives it to MC, it could be a way to protect them, both for their own sake and to make sure they can get all the Onyx Shards. But it really seems like he could have just given them a letter with his seal to cover that.

And why not say it belonged to his mother? Wouldn't that be endearing and make it more valuable to MC? Maybe Aerin realized it was given to him as a practical thing, not a genuine expression of connection.

Book 3, Chapter 1:

It all goes silent on the Aurinae front until the floodgates open in Book 3. In the first chapter, you get this discussion (if you choose the non-romance option for Aerin's diamond scene).

Aurinae was very into alchemy, like Aerin is now. It made her popular in court, which is probably part of why it appealed to Aerin. He couldn't be a strong warrior like his brother, but maybe he could get some positive attention for making useful potions like his mother.

Crucially, based on what Aerin says here, she did not teach him. Not to say that she necessarily wouldn't have- I'm willing to bet she died pre-Dreadlord, so when Aerin was 9 or younger. (Future self correction- she seems to have died post-Dreadlord. I stand by the impression he learned mostly on his own.) But still, alchemy was something he picked up in earnest after she was already gone. He wanted to feel closer to her, to feel like he had that connection with her, something in common with his mother, and was doing something she could be proud of.

Book 3, Chapter 3:

This reads to me very much like Aerin's mother was the only member of his immediate family not lashing out at him. Which is good! But the bar is so incredibly low, this just tells us she wasn't the worst.

This is before the party learns that anyone dead can look in on the living. So to Aerin, it seemed like Aurinae may or may not have been hearing from newly dead people that Aerin summoned the Dreadlord, killed his brother, got disinherited and thrown in prison, then died from wandering off like an idiot (according to the offical story).

Aerin's nervousness here is completely understandable. He knows his father hates him. He knows his brother hates him. But he doesn't know how his mother feels. She wasn't violent toward him and there is a chance she might actually love him.

Book 3, Chapter 9:

The woman herself appears!

Aurinae makes a pretty good first impression. Aerin has absolutely had it rough and it's good that she acknowledges that. Though thanking the group for "looking after" him shows that same mentality the rest of the family has that Aerin is weak and needs to be taken care of to survive.

This is where it gets extremely interesting. Aerin sounds almost concerned for Baldur. Like he feels bad that he's at the river. Which we know he very much does not. I'd be willing to bet Aerin wishes Baldur was somewhere much worse (seriously, does anyone go to the Hells? Does he get pity points for being murdered?) Something about speaking with his mother makes Aerin show concern for his abusive brother.

Aerin also doesn't confess or ask forgiveness for killing Baldur. Maybe he doesn't want to bring that part up?

As for Aurinae... this is not an apology. This is not an acknowledgment of any negligence or regret on her part. In fact, it's phrased in a way that makes it clear she has absolutely no blame for what happened. She had hoped Baldur would act one way, and he did not. Oh well.

This is also an incredibly tame reaction. Like he embarrassed her at a party, not ruthlessly beat and intimidated her child. I would think most people would be devastated and/or enraged, maybe so relieved that despite all that Aerin is okay. The most generous possible reading is that she still has that noble desire not to show her emotions in public and she doesn't want to upset Aerin by getting into it here.

First of all, I want to shake this man. Second, Aerin doesn't usually devalue himself like this. When alone with MC or as a quip while fighting unkillable monsters, sure. But not with a genuine smile. This feels like Aerin making the point that he'll try really hard but he might still be weak and useless.

And this is the end of the interaction. No reassurance from Aurinae. And for the record, Tyril's mother is far more complimentary toward Aerin than his own mother is.

During the diamond scene, this is part of the conversation if you ask for a story about Aerin.

It seems like Aurinae doesn't necessarily connect Aerin's interest in alchemy to her own. But it sounds like she did at least take some interest in his studies. So that's something!

But you get something else if you ask for a story about the mothers. They talk about an extremely spicy tea Aurinae makes. Apparently Aerin tried it as a child and...

Oh wow. If this isn't a metaphor for pre-Onyx Shards Aerin, I don't know what is. Literally in pain trying to please someone else, insisting everything is great.

If you choose to pull Aerin aside later, he admits that he's been acting differently with Aurinae around, describing it as "falling into old patterns."

One of the main reasons Aerin wanted to be close to his mother as a child was hoping that she would rescue him. Again, I think it's helpful to recognize what this isn't. This isn't Aerin saying being around his mother made him happy, or feel safe. It's him saying he hoped that if he could be "good enough" she would protect him. Because she had no innate desire or reason to do that. And at least she wasn't actively scaring him like his father and brother.

Aerin's reason it was a "foolish dream" is also very telling. Not because protocol wouldn't allow it, but because Aurinae saw no reason to leave. They didn't treat her poorly, so why would she want to leave? Certainly not to protect her younger son.

If she really had "no trouble putting her foot down," why no intervention between Aerin and Baldur? It sounds like she wasn't scared of the rest of the family. So did she not notice? Or did she not care?

What we've seen so far has not convinced me that Aerin and Aurinae actually had a loving relationship. Just that Aerin wanted one so badly he can almost see it that way. Because Aurinae is better than the rest of his family, but still far from a good mom with genuine affection for her child.

I will be keeping my headcanon that Aerin was desperate to connect with his mother, but she never particularly cared about him.

Screenshots are a combination of my own and ones from Neckrone Shen's playthroughs on youtube. I feel like I owe them a drink for all the time they've saved me looking for stuff.

[felassan]

Snippets. 🐺💜

John: "guess who’s going to SDCC!" [source, context]

I think DA:TV Creative Performance Director Ashley Barlow voiced Seranni in Dragon Age: Origins - Awakening!

Carly: "working hard so no dav morsels this week, other than that i somehow became the designated romance person at work - doing my best to make these moments feel good for y'all [salute]" [source]

User: "I was hoping if you could please answer: Are there romances that have non-sexual routes or options in them, or do all require sex?" Carly: "Hmmm kinda spoilery territory so I guess technically everyone’s pan so it comes with that but I guess personal intepretations can come into play as well :-)" [source] User: "Thank you. So none have non-sex options in the romance but perhaps some are fade to black so can be imagined as them just cuddling instead of sleeping together? If it gets too spoiler territory I understand not answering, just trying to see if I’m understanding correctly." Carly: "Yeah you p much nailed it !" [source]

The Lighthouse is in the Crossroads [source] (important distinction vs the Fade: the Crossroads aren't actually the Fade exactly but a separate near-Fade dimension, one of the "places between")

User: "humbly asking if ME5 is going to release within the next 3 years by chance? I’m buying DA for sure (never played it), whatever I need to do to support BioWare! But srsly miss the ME universe (loved all of them including Andromeda)!" Michael: "I can’t answer your question about dates. But I’m super glad to meet you. Thanks for all the support. We’ll make the game for folks like you." [source]

[jensenscomedyelbows]

edit by the amazing and talented and generous @lemondropsonice

SPN FIC REC FEST #11

All-Time Favorites/Free Recs

The only pairing is Wincest

Most are explicit, but those that aren’t are marked accordingly.

THE FIREFLY THAT LOVED METALLICA by fleshflutter

Rated R, but WARNING: MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH/RESURRECTION. I passionately adore this indescribably poignant story. Get tissues.

LIKE STARING INTO THE SUN by nyxocity

It was never about the girls. It was about them.

A new OFC in each part, until there are no more FCs at all and it’s just them.

There is also a sequel, linked to the original

RUN IT ALL OVER (THE WEST SERIES) by runawaydr3amer

I LOVE this series with a passion not too dissimilar from Sam and Dean’s for each other

When you live a life like theirs, chasing tail isn't always an option. But sometimes you just want someone to touch your dick, and your brother’s hand is as good as any.

THE LAST OUTPOST OF ALL THAT IS by gekizetsu

I’m sure this will end up on multiple lists during this event, as it’s a fandom classic that everyone loves. I don’t even want to try to describe it. 60K words. Casefic. First time. I think there’s some H/C. Beautiful. So so sad. Joy amidst the wreckage and heartache. I love it so much I should probably get the title tattooed on my body somewhere

NOT FOR SAMSON IN THE TEMPLE by maygra-fic

Coda to my all time favorite, see above. You have to read that one first to truly appreciate how this coda maintains the tone, voice, and prose quality. You feel like it’s from the same author, but surprise! it’s not, and that’s remarkable. Mature Sam and Dean. Elderly Sam and Dean

THE GHOST OF SOMEBODY AT HIS SIDE by runedgirl

Prepare to weep. When I need pain, this one guarantees I’ll get it. Author Description: The night before Sam Winchester meets with his 12th grade guidance counselor for the second time, something very bad happens. One of those somethings that takes only a ridiculously short amount of time – in this case, about three minutes – yet manages to change the course of two lives forever. Or: Sam goes to Stanford, and takes most of Dean's heart with him.

COGNITIVE DISSONANCE by Morgan

This one just…stuck with me. The events that unfold are awful for Dean in particular, but I’m sure it wasn’t a great time for Sam, either. Bobby makes an appearance. Angst for daaaaays, and NON CON/DUB CON warning is red-flag-level. Author Description: Sam loses his mind. It's that simple. Dean doesn't know what to do, but he's not going to walk away from this, he's never backed down in all his life. If you're looking for happy endings, don't come here. This shit is dark.

THE SILENCE OF A SUMMER DAY by wanttobeatree

***Everyone who loves the Winchesters should read this amazing future fic***

Rated PG. The world has moved on. This is their legacy. Haha, yes, of course I’m recommending this one again. No sex whatsoever! Weird, right?!?!

@spnficrecfest

RESTRAINT by DarkEmeralds

Free rec. Rated M. 200k+ words. It's not Spn or Wincest or even J2, not really. I guess it’s technically a J2 AU. I’m sneaking it in here because it’s an all-time favorite of mine. This might not be your cup of tea, fanfic wise. I certainly didn’t think it was mine. But but but…it’s absolutely lovely, it’s extremely well-written, the tone/voice/verbiage is accurate for its time, and it has a happy ending that made me cry HAPPY tears when I was finished. If you like historical romance, you’ll like this. It’s set in Regency England! Author Description: The calling card said Tristan Jarrett, Viscount Penrith. Beneath that, in a lazy scrawl, was the addendum Mr Acklebury, be so good as to wait on me tomorrow, number 10, Half Moon Street. Yours, &c., Penrith. Mr Acklebury was not sure how he felt about being thus summarily commanded to paint his lordship's portrait.

[mortish-writes]

I gotta say I'm interested in how you are going to write the pregnancy and baby plot lines down the line as while you did say your going to take the birth givers personal perspective, I'm excited to see how far this rabbit hole goes. Most romance books I've seen (there's probably good pregnancy romance books out there but I haven't found it.) Either goes three ways.

One way: Wow lover of mine we are so in love that we must make a physical representation of our joy and love! Then boom mc is pregnant and goodbye character development because wow this baby is so cute and mc your a mom now so forget your hobbies and interests and anything that makes you interesting to read your a mom!

Two: Some time shenanigans later MC meets her future child or the children are magical toddlers or some combination of both.

Three: Mc or love interest is already a parent just widow so they already done the hardest part of feelings that come with pregnancy so MC is either heavily pregnant around the times she is ready to go to labor or already got three kids running around and male love interest is here to be the dad that step up or opposite where male love interest is sexy single father who needs a loving woman (or man because I've read gay romances) to help them care for their rebellious child making their family whole once more.

None of these options are bad but for me I hardly read the stressful and dark parts of pregnancy that are actually interesting. (I'm not a mom and don't want to have children at my own choice but I can't say I don't find stories with it interesting.) Like for example morning sickness that's not just morning sickness, or sometimes not feeling happy being pregnant, the new body changes, the stretch marks, the mood swings, the cravings and always feeling like you gotta pee, sometimes feeling helpless when before you could do things independently, etc.

Most books take away the pregnant person agency (I also read mpreg.) either for drama purposes or the fact the baby is so much more exciting so it's always sad to me because the pregnant person is more than just the baby carrier and should still have their personality and journey on their way to be more than just a mom or dad or parent.

A fourth and my personal most-hated: Oops, protagonist finds out she's accidentally pregnant and the father was a jerk to her in the last scene so she's just going to hide the pregnancy until their kid is like ten, then they're going to get back together and live happily-ever-after and guess what he's such a good dad, yay! Um, no, you all need therapy, not a second-chance romance arc.

On a serious note, pregnancy can be a really harrowing experience and a lot of people don't talk about it. I attended a weekly expectant mother's group and it was just an hour of us talking about birth defects, career anxieties, and all the ways our babies might die. I think a lot of that gets cut out of romance novels because it's just a little too real and can detract from the overall romantic vibe of the story. I intend to touch on the darker aspects, but probably not in gritty detail.

The main aspects I intend to explore in Bride of Shadows, at least in regards to pregnancy, is how the MC can learn to love a child that she didn't necessarily want and is growing in a body that isn't technically her own, as well as how her pregnancy and impending parenthood affect her partners. There will still be a lot of other stuff going on, but it will definitely color the narrative going forward once everyone finds out.

[mooshs-crack-headcanons]

Do you agree ?

The more I read and really think about it? The more I'm like "technically yeah" than an actual hard yeah because while I get it's a meme and stuff the things presented can be half truths:

Doom Guy yes 100% in green (except for optional skins in the modern games that doesn't really count) Link 99% green 1% being blue in botw/totk (who also has costumes in those games and therefore also doesn't count)

"Never talks" isn't correct as both have canonically talked, with Doom Guy it's much more explicit and you hear him in Doom Eternal and TDA, with Link you don't outright hear him but he does speak through dialog prompts since ocarina of time and more modern games have given a canonical explanations why recent iterations are selectivity mute like this. So it's not "Never talks" but rarely talks or what I like to interpret as only talks when it's important.

"Intended to symbolize the player" used to be the case for Link in the very older games, Doom Guy has had an established backstory since 1993 but it did I guess have some wiggle room to insert yourself in but 2016 came and wiped that potential insertion away. They've had their own unique identities for years now. They are not self inserts.

This is where they're different, Link is different a different person each time, only rarely getting more than one initial adventure through direct sequels - Doom Guy is the Doom Slayer and Doom Slayer is the Doom Guy, with the exception of Doom 3 (people can fight me on that idc) he has basically been the same person in the games since 1993. With Link it's reincarnation of stepping to your destiny over and over again while with Doom Guy it's: "I punched my CO once and now I'm fighting Cthulhu."

Yeah.

Most monsters are considered "demons" in Zelda I guess but not all of them, some things are clearly just plain nature in natural habitats defending itself and its territory. In Doom they are explicitly just demons or things equally in the realm of fucked.

No. Besides some finishing moves on bosses (mostly Ganon/dorf) Link has nothing on Doom's glory kills.

Big pocket brothers.

In Zelda things just poof into smoke so no blood baths. Rip and Tear is Doom's mantra.

I mean, Link is in a Nintendo game so I don't know what you're expecting anything actually sexual there but Link is very respectful of every woman he meets, especially Zelda (🥰 ) and is always at her defense no matter what and which in skyward sword and botw/totk is very very clear in your face that they have something romantic going on through context clues than being outright stated (because Nintendo are cowards) In Doom given its a M rated franchise its different because they could've gone there (be a Duke Nukem) and given he's such a badass had him have many love interests and have him having sex all of the time but they haven't which is based, in The Dark Ages they could've easily done that with Commander Thira but Hugo Martin confirmed that things between her and the Slayer are pure platonic meaning their interactions in the game are nothing but just pure respect and honestly? I like that approach more with them than a tacked on romance it would've been with the series first woman that isn't in a antagonist role who has her own arc learning how to control her abilities and the Slayer respects her. Being respectful to women and more focused on slaughtering demons is cool👍

Everyone is legally obligated to play ocarina of time and Doom 2 Right now.

Either way they are cool and based 🗣

Thank you for the ask 🫶

[bloggingboutburgers]

Am gonna miss the kinda content you had before. I know you’re v happy and good for you! But this blog used to be a rare piece of internet haven that wasn’t about relationships and dating and marriage. Now it is. That’s obviously my problem. I get it - your blog, your life. Am just sad is all.

Sorry if my recent life news made things scary – but I assure you, I don't plan to make my stuff about dating and marriage from now on! (Relationships in itself is a tricky one, since technically "relationships" is every single type of rapport a human being can have with another imo, but I don't plan to start talking about romantic relationships either, I have no idea how those work.)

Yeah, I'm planning to get married – but not with a romantic partner, with my queerplatonic partner. Considering the nature of our relationship I myself sometimes have trouble even saying we're "dating" because it's something different (though we do call our video call "dates", I'll give ya that). But even if they're not "my whole life" in a romantic sense, I really like spending time with them, we're oceans apart so we don't get to do so very often, and during and after the pandemic, the US placed a ban on my country that made it near-impossible for me to visit them for almost 2 years, and being scared of never being able to spend time with them again broke my brain really bad, so I vowed to take measures so this never happens again. So yeah, i'm planning to get married, but it's more out of necessity, as this is seemingly the only way we could stay in the same area permanently and the only way we could counter a travel ban like that if it happens again for any reason (as only spouses or direct relatives were allowed to visit each other back then). I hate that it means doing the thing© amatonormativity and archaic socail rules seem to push people to do all the time, but international rules are a bitch like that, so we don't have many more other options.

That said – my content already included stuff I do with my partner before, and our relationship isn't changing because we're engaged – we're still never gonna have sex, and I'm still not romantically attracted to them nor have I ever been. But I do like them a lot as a queerplatonic partner, and I wanna vibe the way I show us vibing and get to do so on a daily basis, not every 6 to 9 months and breaking bank every time I do.

So... Yeah, despite the surface value of the whole thing, I don't think being engaged makes me a counter-example. If anything I guess we'll be rep for a queerplatonic relationship that involves marriage, and we'll see how that works (if our respective governments even LET us get married at all). My views on my sexual and romantic orientations haven't changed and I don't intend to change my content any time soon. I'll keep being annoying to everyone about how the world doesn't need sex and romance for a long time if people will have me, cus I have way too much of a chip on my shoulder not to.