#the copied factory

[sirensongsea]

ᴅᴏ ᴀɴᴅʀᴏɪᴅꜱ ᴅʀᴇᴀᴍ ᴏꜰ ᴇʟᴇᴄᴛʀɪᴄ ᴋᴀʀᴀᴋᴜʟ?

[jung-freud]

I am the drag-on dragoon (drag as in crossdressing).

Had to change my hair twice to make the YorHa headband fit, but I like the ponytail. Outfits are:

copied factory maiming gear, no gloves, with high house boots, in gunmetal black

ureaus coat in wine? red dye, craftsman's leather trousers, same boots, and rimless glasses

anemos trueblood armor cuirass with dragonlancer gloves, pants, and boots, along with a durium hairpin, all in ruby red

(spicy pics below)

Did you know 2B's leggings and panties make your but slightly bigger than with either tights or bikini bottoms? Thanks Yoko Taro

[higharollakockamamie]

Underappreciated source of death in FFXIV boss fights: grooved to the music too hard

[lastoneout]

"[New Farming Sim] is copying Stardew Valley!!" Harvest Moon came out for the Nintendo 64 in 1999

Edit: My apologies, Harvest Moon came out for the SNES in 1996

[rainbow-nijisaki]

One more for the guardians trailer because I couldn't not sketch her. A SEED Ranger! So proud of her

[sugiarttime]

Here is the Pilika I did for the Rune Factory Countdown release day drawing! I collaborated with Airis on this so she drew a matching Kaguya :)

Extra drawing under cut

[potatoattorney]

another one

[ranchstoryblog]

Update regarding the Guardians of Azuma Earth Dancer Edition goodies

The letter posted below was shared by official Marvelous USA social media accounts:

For those with any issue with reading the text in the image, the text has been transcribed below:

I'd like to share an update with our fans in the Americas. Like othre companies that deal with an international supply chain, the uncertainy of the tariffs situation is creating havoc on our production schedules and there is a chance that the premium "Earth Dancer Edition" of our upcoming Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma release may not be ready in time for the game's worldwide June 5th release.

Specifically, the 'sensu' folding fan is done but has been stuck at our supplier's factory in China for a couple weeks. Trying to bring it over now with the effective tariff rate will cost unanticipated fees totaling over 20% of the suggested selling price, largely due to this item being the most expensive component we have ever produced (with the exception of a figure going into a collector's edition). We cannot pay those fees, and trying to pass the cost on to fans who already pre-ordered at a set price is also unacceptable to us.

In case anyone is wondering why a fan steeped in Japanese tradition is made in China: This is because that was the only option available to us when we started this process almost a year ago, when we were told there was not a sensu manufacturer in Japan that could create our custom fan at the quantities that we needed. Instead, we imported authentic Japanese 'washi' paper to a facility in China where they would be assembled using a labor-intensive process.

There is still a chance that the goods could make it in time for a launch and this message worries everyone for no reason, but I prefer to be open and transparent with our community. Even if the tariffs are reduced or elminated tomorrow, there could be a huge backlog of product in similar situation as ours. What that means is that what would usually haven taken only a day to clear US customs could take weeks - that is how uncertain things are right now with our already delayed schedule.

We will continue to closely monitor the situation and be prepared to provide the product as quickly as possible (such as bringing the sensu fans by air rather than the much more economical ocean freight). We thank you for your support and understanding if even our best efforts still result in a delay.

Ken Berry President, Marvelous USA.

[starrysnowdrop]

Awaiting the one she loves… 💙

[pictomachine]

Omg I didn't get crystal tower

[keonnise]

I have two drawing suggestions if possible! One is my first ever RF wife Tabitha, and second is for the facial hair request. I always thought Dylas should look a bit wilder, so how about a scrappy beard?

You can have both! I don’t think I’ve ever drawn Tabitha before so it was a lot of fun to give her some love, used her to experiment with color variations more in shading.

And I definitely agree with Dylas needing to look a little wilder. Kept flip flopping between a longer beard or just something patchy for him, but decided to go with patchy since his monster form didn’t have the classic unicorn beard.

Sorry for the long wait on this ask!

[sirensongsea]

【 intimacy. 】

[manafonts]

being a little pathetic and asking for dance partner is a part of the blm rotation actually

[my-current-obsession]

Here's my personal tier list of the male love interests in Guardians of Azuma! I go into detail below for anyone interested. And by detail I mean practically essays for some of them. Be warned there are pretty extreme spoilers for some of the routes.

Kai - There is a lot that I love about Kai. He's a total himbo, a dumbass with a good heart. I love the way he and the protagonist (in my case, Kaguya) banter and tease each other. I love that he finds the sweet spot (for me) of being caring and protective towards you without being overbearing. He has so many lines where he's trying to look out for you in little ways. He has a gruff, blase exterior but he's definitely a total softie on the inside. I'm a sucker for the "secret" softie.

I love seeing his more thoughtful, emotional side, in his arc where he's trying to bring the oni to the surface (and later just generally trying to improve their lives). I love that if you date him then he starts working to pay off his tab, of his own volition, simply because he doesn't want that hanging over his head and souring things. And how you can take it sincerely and sweetly to mean he wants a "fresh" start with you and to be able to spoil you and buy things occasionally... or you can take the silly, spicy approach and assume he's doing it so he doesn't have to worry about a certain "curse" on that tab down the line affecting the two of you in intimate matters.

He wears his flaws and insecurities on his sleeve (or on his face), but simply being with you helps him face and start to overcome them. Without saying it out loud, this man really says through his actions that girlfriend privileges are that he'll occasionally deign to show you his face, and WIFEY privileges are that you can see his face Whenever You Want <3. He'll even wear something else, possibly ridiculous and embarrassing, if you want him to.

The only reason he's A+ and not S is that a part of me genuinely feels GUILTY romancing him. I feel like I'm getting in the middle of his situationship with Kurama. They're not even a thing (yet) but I STILL feel like a homewrecker.

Mauro - I enjoy his positivity and zest for life. I also enjoy that he is unabashedly, unapologetically, himself. He is from a wildly different culture than the rest of the cast, and it shows. But while he really likes Azuma and its inhabitants, he makes no attempt to adapt, rather facing the world and wanting everyone to accept HIM for who HE is. In universe this causes some friction with a lot of people, who often get annoyed or bothered by him. I also know several people in the real world find his personality grating. But honestly I admire him and the more hate and irritation I see towards him (in-game or out), it makes me like him more out of spite.

That said what I REALLY love is that underneath his very loud personality, he's also quite capable and mature. I found his final platonic bond event and the confession to be AMAZING. The way he was able to get through to Kaguya about not getting depressed about failures and mistakes, and how upfront he was about the very real and complicated position a relationship with her would put him in was FANTASTIC.

I love him a lot, but I do feel a tad like his romance route had some amazing potential for drama and feels that wasn't quite fulfilled. But that's a reoccurring problem in this series for me. When it comes to drama RF often makes promises it can't keep (looking at you, Ryker). And I wish SO MUCH that his more thoughtful and mature side came out more often.

Subaru - I know a lot of people are up in arms about this game going back to a heavily implied "canon" love interest. And I can understand the frustration of feeling railroaded by the narrative. But ultimately, Subaru is still just one of many possible choices you can make. And outside of one fumble (which I'll get to!) I think the writing supports that. You can pursue anyone else and find happiness with them. That said, if you DO choose to see out the devs' seemingly intended vision... Personally, I found the writing to be fantastic.

I think the writers were careful to write their relationship in the main narrative and platonic events as JUST ambiguous enough to let you interpret things how you wanted. There are a lot of little things that, to me, indicated mutual affection and attraction (such as their awkwardness when reaffirming that they both wanted to go through with the marriage in a flashback), but those were small and subtle enough that any players COULD ignore them if they pleased.

Woolby straight up confronts Kaguya about how she feels about Subaru near the end of the platonic events, after she's gotten clearly jealous and upset about him spending so much time with Tsubame. That, to me, is again an indication that we're meant to think that she TRULY loves him deep down. But if players choose not to pursue it, then you can see it as Kaguya deciding to "let go" of her childhood friend, either in the romantic sense or in general. They've changed, and despite her saving him, have drifted apart.

The fumble is, of course, when he saves her from Hisui's matchmaking attempt. Considering how late in the game this event is available, the devs ABSOLUTELY should have written it differently to account for your relationship status. Even if they wanted Subara/Kaguya to be canon, there are SO MANY other options, many of which you could absolutely be happily dating (or outright married!) by the time you get this event. What bothers me is that is a relatively easy fix. Instead of Hisui (who should KNOW your relationship status), make it some rando. An older lady desperately looking to pair off her son or grandchild, maybe. And then Kaguya gets flustered and Subaru swoops in to save her with something less specific, like "She's taken." This leaves the stranger with the impression that HE is her significant other while still allowing players to slot in whoever their actual love interest is, especially if Subaru says something like "why didn't you mention you were with somebody?" after taking Kaguya away. Meanwhile Kaguya can get embarrassed about his save IF and ONLY IF she's still single, and he tells her to use him as a cover. With one simple change of substituting an NPC for Hisui and a few small line changes (with probably like... less than two minutes for divergent content depending on your relationship status) this event would have been fine.

As for the romance... maybe it's because I try not to self-insert much, but I really enjoyed how clearly KAGUYA liked him. Even though I was technically the one pulling the trigger, seeing the confession and romantic "hang out" events play out it felt like Kaguya's choice rather than mine. And I liked that! The narrative had a very solid foundation and so her feelings for him (and vice versa) felt earned. I like that this is, arguably, the ONLY route where Kaguya shows clear interest in someone prior to YOU confessing (there are a few ambiguous cases. But this is the most overt by far).

A very large chunk of Subaru's romance route was taken up with getting closure about his time with and separation from the black dragon. And I found all of that to be really good. I think in a few short events, the writers still managed to develop a believable bond between Subaru and Nubatama. And some might argue that this very good story-related content shouldn't have been locked behind his romance... but I think that was the point. Subaru basically admitted he was still guarded with you and trying to keep some things to himself UNTIL you romance him. He felt unworthy, he wanted to suffer in silence. It's ONLY by romancing him that he fully resolves to be happy and embrace the future, which is WHY he needs full closure about Nubatama.

I really enjoy the dynamic with Subaru once you're dating. He and Kaguya are very sweet towards each other while still being playful and teasing. And I love how once he decides to let himself be happy, he REALLY commits to it. There's such a lovely contrast between their earlier strained interactions in his early bond events and how much more comfortable they are with each other post-confession. He's so quick to tease her about her blatant jealousy, and he's openly indulging in it when patting his head. He's lost in the sauce (of love).

You might be wondering, since I clearly have a LOT of good things to say about him and his route, why is he "only" rank A? Well... Kind of by design, I think his story and romance is tied to the narrative. But that also means once you've gotten all the way through it, what's left? The RELATIONSHIP and STORY with Subaru is great. Subaru himself as a character? He's... fine. A bit bland. I don't know what to expect of "married life" with him in the same way I kind of do with Kai (based on his personality and the dynamic with Kaguya) and know for sure with Mauro (since I've actually played that out, at least until having a child). Post-marriage, the only thing to keep a relationship and save file worth playing IS how much I like a given character's personality and how much I want to see the (frustratingly rare) like conversations between them and Kaguya. And that's where he falls a bit flat for me. His story was great. But his story is over, even as the game carries on.

Fubuki - Considering the essays written for my 3 faves, I'm going to try to be briefer from hereon. My main issue with Fubuki is that he is all sugar, no spice. And I don't mean that in a sexy way. Rather, he's just TOO sweet and nice and the dynamic with him is kind of dull. I adore his design, he's incredibly moe and I don't think there's anything cuter in this game than when he's smiling and wagging his tail. But... for me, playful banter and teasing goes a LONG way in a relationship. Having fun together and being able to razz each other is possibly the most important aspect of a relationship to me. And THAT is what Fubuki is missing. It's fun to watch him be the only sane/reasonable man when the gods are interacting, but his relationship with Kaguya is kind of boring. They're BOTH too nice and normal, there's nothing to play the straight man about. I WANT to like him more, but I just find the romance and relationship bland.

Ikaruga - I'm not particularly a fan of the aloof, reserved types. If anything I ended up liking him more than I expected... because he has a surprisingly awkward and emotional side that only reveals itself if you date him. So yeah, he's got some gap moe. And I definitely appreciate how much Kaguya teases and needles him. But I'm ultimately still pretty meh on him. And he has the dubious honor of being the only one whose platonic story feels outright unfinished/cut in half. Everyone else ends on a satisfying enough note, but him? We resolve to find and defeat the monster that killed his master and then NOTHING. Hell, even if you romance him looking to finish that story there's two completely fluff (no substance) dates first! It feels like the writers struggled with this one. That or they just didn't care.

Kurama - There's a lot I like about him. There's just also a lot I dislike. His design is fantastic. His fondness for children and games is endearing. His gamer speak is NOT. I really like the moment in his final date when you both awkwardly yet seriously consider the future and possibility of children. And how after proposing he has to take a moment and just be happy because he's "going to have a family". His dynamic with Kai is SO fun. Which is... part of the problem. If I'm going to split these two up I'm doing it for the one I DON'T have extremely mixed feelings for. Especially since Kai seems a lot more lowkey wisftul at Kurama's wedding than Kurama is at Kai's.

D Tier - If you prefer, you can think of the last two as unranked. I haven't actually seen their romance routes (though I've seen pieces of them from compilations, like their nickname reactions and how they react to you skipping a planned date) and it's possible I'd like them more after that. However I find my complete lack of desire to romance them telling in itself. And I'm VERY confident that even if romancing them improved my opinion, neither would get beyond B Tier.

Cuilang - Not gonna lie, part of this is huge hype backlash. It's Forte all over again. At least here on Tumblr, he is crazy popular. And I just don't understand why. To me his arc is SO standard "sympathetic robot in fiction". He isn't human and wants to be. I've seen that a million times. He is also very, well, unemotional. This is obviously by design and makes sense, but I tend to prefer overly emotional to not emotional enough. I VERY rarely like the repressed, aloof types. I like his design. I like how (partially due to his "purpose" in life) he can't say no and is constantly working himself to help others. I like all his neat inventions. This man made a DRONE in a FANTASY setting. So yeah. I was basically neutral on him, but the more love and gushing about him I see, the more I can't help but like him less because I just don't see it, and it frustrates me.

Murasame - He's just... so serious. So stiff and reserved. So formal. I like his contributions to the main story (in particular I love how they kept finding ways to bring him back and keep him involved. The surprise boss fight with him and Matsuri was SO GOOD), but outside of appreciating his design I have no real thoughts on his personal story. And his personality is very much not for me.

[ciel-bell]

Various screenshots of my Guardians of Azuma kid

[comradecowplant]

Biggest, most pressing unanswered Severance mystery: so did Lumon, or Cobel herself, actually own and operate a woowoo store in order to sell the Mrs. Selvig cover, or did the store never exist and the "joke" is no one would ever want to take the local weird lady up on her invitation to visit her woowoo store so it didn't need to actually exist? Kier is a small town though, people know if there's a crystal mama shop even if you actively avoid it, and Mark makes references to the store as if it were a real place he at least knows of. I know Cobel's deep infiltration into Mark's life wasn't board approved, but again, small literal company town, they had to know she lived next door to him or if she owned & operated a separate business, and it would make sense that, as a soldier of Lumon, some surveillance of outie Mark-- probably because of the whole kidnapped fake death wife thing-- was indeed part of her assigned job, but it was just her dedication to the work & the Gemma-Mark elements that inspired her to get a bit carried away and overinvolved.

Anyway, what were the Yelp reviews for Selvig's lemonbalm nettle tea blend, and was she ethically sourcing her sage & various minerals, these are the things I want to know ✍✍✍