#I greatly appreciate his value as a character and I want to see him improve

[kodicrome-212]

Are you really a Crosshair hater or are you just somebody who cries over Kanan every night?

[the-unconquered-queen]

Well now that you've said there are multiple outcomes you'd like for Aerin in Blades... wanna share what those are?

😅 Ah, well, you asked for it. Disclaimer: they are absolutely just personal wish fulfillment for me (post I will be referencing)

The ending where I see him being the happiest is, as I mentioned, with the goblins. To reiterate what I said about that, he'd probably be better off "[living] a simple life with the goblins—who actually appreciate him and don't judge him for his past—while still getting to be intellectually stimulated by the processes of designing their village and helping people". It's possible if he's completely struck from the line of succession and Arlan either doesn't know about him or is content to pretend he doesn't exist to avoid being associated with him. Anyway, I think in this ending Aerin might be well on his way to becoming the second-ever non-goblin to serve as an elder. He clearly enjoys their company and works to improve their community, so yeah, best case scenario for him.

Another ending is the royal ending. Maybe Arlan realizes that he has no one else to carry on the Valleros line and has to suck it up and reinstate Aerin. Maybe MC ends up in charge and Aerin rules as their prince consort (I prefer this second one mostly just because it's funnier, like I said in the other post). Either way, I think this is a good chance for a full circle moment for Aerin. Moreover, it's the only way he can achieve some sort of wider-scale redemption in the eyes of his kingdom. They all know him as the traitor prince who tried to murder his way to the top, but if he gets to be king now and actually does good in his role, then he can redefine his legacy. If he ends up married to MC, they'd even make a good team, because he brings the insider expertise when it comes to ruling a kingdom and MC brings the popularity and good reputation he can sort of piggyback off of.

The following endings are not necessarily the endings I think are the most in-character and much less the most likely, they're just endings based on the relationship between Aerin and my MC:

3. Since I feel like my MC will always be a Riverbender at heart, I imagine she would want to go back at some point, and so I sometimes picture Aerin going with her. The issue is that, unlike the goblins, the townies do very much remember what he did and are not initially as welcoming. I could see him doing several things there:

For one, I like the idea of him opening up an apothecary shop and sort of becoming the village healer, because 1) it would use his alchemy expertise, 2) it would use the healing expertise he's shown to have, and 3) it would be a job helping people, which not only would make him feel useful and like he's doing a good thing, but it could eventually improve the townies' perception of him.

Another I thought of later that I'm also quite fond of now is him becoming a sort of schoolteacher. I can imagine that one happening completely by accident, like he's just reading a book by himself somewhere some day and a little kid (who doesn't know who he is) goes up to him and starts asking him questions, and a while later he's got a whole bunch of kids he's telling stories to. It would let him put his expensive and very exclusive education to good use and also greatly benefit the people of Riverbend, whose kids could now have a much better education than they might've otherwise had (and hey, he might even take the time to tutor some adults too, if they're not assholes to him—overall this man could have literacy rates soaring in Riverbend for all ages). And if the adults are slow to warm up to Aerin, their kids aren't, which helps their parents like him better in the long run. Just the idea of Aerin working with kids because they have the same traits he values in goblins and that make him protective of them makes me happy.

The last thing isn't anything solid or at all likely, but just if MC goes back home and takes over tending to the farm she grew up on, Aerin helping out with that, because there's something about a lot of time passing and people who either were too young when the whole Baldur/Dreadlord shit went down or aren't as familiar with who Aerin is hearing gossip about how that guy over there used to be a fancy prince, but they look over and it's Aerin doing manual labor or some shit and they're like "that one??? 🤨"

4. Absolutely not likely, not in the slightest, but because I like to imagine that my elf MC at some point takes it upon herself to return to Undermount to restore her house as a way to keep her family's legacy alive, sometimes I think about Aerin going with her. As someone raised in the royal court, he'd have a lot of expertise that would be very helpful, and although I think living a simpler life is what's best for him, there's something deeply amusing about the prospect of King Arlan someday visiting Undermount for whatever reason and attending a grand ball and getting hit with the shock that the loser son he thought was either dead or destitute is the hostess's trophy husband who's actually been doing pretty well for himself the whole time.

So that's about it! Again, I'm not necessarily basing these on what I think is most likely to happen or even what I think is best, I'm just going off of vibes and, like I said, personal wish fulfillment to try to make his and my MC's relationship with the ideas I have for her. Also, sorry for taking so long to answer, I just didn't wanna forget anything :)

[zyris]

Late to posting this (my first draft got deleted and I lost motivation lol) but wow the new episode was amazing and I shed some tears Honestly I just wanna give a little love letter to Teruki's character because he's one of my favorites and I always just appreciated him being on screen as a support cause he's just an absolute sweet heart and seems like someone who seems like a pleasure to be around. And I wanna appreciate how far he's come cause this character conclusion was so good for him

One thing I always loved about him was his constant drive to genuinely want to improve himself as a person.

I think we all know him trying to humble himself after having such a heavy superiority complex is a big part of it. But I feel like we don’t remind ourselves enough that Teru’s superiority complex stemmed from trying to hide an inferiority complex. It’s not JUST a struggle about going over your head even if that’s apart of it. But it’s also a journey of discovering what it truly means to be equal with others. It’s a concept I really appreciate being explored here because it’s something I struggle with myself. And while his arc is subtle for a lot of the series. It’s definitely there.

This is why his dynamic with Mob is so important. How he feels about Mob throughout the series perfectly captures his character arc. Seeing him as a threat to his ego and life and needing to establish “the hierarchy” but then putting him on a pedestal and admiring him greatly and essentially labelling Mob as someone “Above him” There’s still a lot of little things in the series that adds up to him still viewing the world through this hierarchy he’s made in his head even if he’s trying to rid of it.

This moment was really great and you can see the horror in him as he truly has to take in what’s happening and the dangers with it. I adore that the way Teru finally sees Mob as an equal is also seeing him at a very low point in his life. He’s not above mistakes, and everyone has their bad days and things they want to hide about themselves.

Calling himself a common constantly is pretty blunt and perhaps harsh in some peoples eyes. But it means what it means, he’s not above or below anyone, he’s just like everyone else.

Also note I’ve been anime only for Mob Psycho since I’ve started watching in middle school though I have read a few chapters of the manga and plan to do a full read when the anime is done. But for this arc I’ve been reading the manga chapter right after the episode and I just wanted to talk about this line that was cut

(The last panel) I’m really sad about this change because it really says how much Mob hates himself and all it does is break my heart and make me reflect on how innocent all this started. He spent so much time trying to gain the courage to ask his crush out flowers and everything and he ended up with a near death experience and destroying everything around him and hurting his friend. I might make a seperate post talking about him in this episode or perhaps wait for the next to do so.But Teru refusing to hurt him and claiming his victory through saving the people around him is honestly so amazing so many ways. Not only is he easing the pain of his friend and making sure his worst fear doesn’t happen. But it truly speaks where his values now lie.

Originally a gang leader drunk on power and participating in fights because it was the biggest boost for his ego to someone who wants to whole heartedly help other people.

Those other psychic kids from the awakening lab in season one he took upon himself to train, he always tries to help take claw down, his absolute refusal to be brain washed and let that happen to the city, he always tries to help Mob out when he’s in trouble.

When Teru says “I win” he did. It’s an amazing victory for him because he accomplished his goal of protecting others and wants to make the world a better place and he’s become a true leader in the process.

I can’t help but think back to season 2’s Toichiro when thinking of Teru. The idea of being so drunk on power and dismissing the importance of others he expresses. Human connection is a very important theme in Mob Psycho and I think human connection is also very important to Teru’s arc for the reasons stated above

A while back my friend showed me some things in the fan book that didnt contain manga spoilers and I think the last line stuck with me because of this idea. It also took me back to that omake with him and Reigen of him having a fun summer after seeing them as boring.

I’m very very proud of him for not closing his heart off. He did a great job.

[ramblingguy54]

Sonic & Tails R: A Love Letter To Miles Tails Prower’s Characterization

     Warning: This will contain massive spoilers for the short radio play series of Sonic & Tails R. If you haven’t listened to the radio play yet on Youtube, I’d highly recommend any hardcore Sonic fan who hasn’t seen it check it out. It’s one Hell of a treat.

     For as far back as I can remember in my childhood, Tails’ story of trying to step outta Sonic’s shadow has been such a resonating one for myself. Even when I was a much younger kid playing my Dreamcast, during entries like Sonic Adventure 1 & 2, there was some idea lingering about why Tails just stood out more emotionally in his journey to grow beyond depending on Sonic all the time for help. Now here I am a young adult in my late twenties having such a deeper appreciation of this little two tailed genius kiddo because he’s got an important element that’s made him so beloved for good reason.

     In spite of his genius being a rival to that of Eggman’s high IQ and of course proving to surpass it plenty of times when scenarios boil down to being a high stakes battle, Miles Tails Prower beneath it all is still just like any one of us. We’re all trying to find our place in this world about what defines us for who we are as unique people. He wants to be more than just seen as someone who’s alongside Sonic The Hedgehog’s never say die attitude, but prove he’s plenty capable of standing on his own two feet to protect everything the kid holds dear to himself. Underdog stories, when they’re naturally executed very well, can reel me in so easily. They are very much my bread & butter trope I adore seeing.

     To no one’s surprise, the two Sonic Adventure’s iterations portrayal of Tails’ characterization are hands down some of my favorite writing for the two tailed fox, regarding what the 3D era has done toward him, development wise. It gave him more of an existential struggle to endure like, “What happens when Sonic isn’t around to help stop Eggman? What if I’m not strong enough to accomplish what he can?”, making Tails plight to be seen as an equal all the more endearing when stopping Eggman in his climatic battle against the Egg Walker in Station Square. This here is a great use of a timeless lesson you can apply in life that if you set you heart and mind on anything, there isn’t a thing you can’t accomplish on your own, which is why many fell in love with Sonic Adventure 1 & 2′s writing for Miles Tails Prower’s journey of independence.

     As someone who comes from a large family tree of relatives, I feel the weight of my existence on my shoulders at a number of points more than I’d care to count, admittedly. Seeing Tails struggle with his sense of purpose, in contrast to observing how much Sonic has accomplished with his carefree, yet deeply compassionate attitude, means the world to me in watching another trying to comprehend their value as a whole on how much they matter, overall. This is a big part of why my fondness for SA1 & 2′s quality has never wavered over these years, besides still obviously enjoying most of their game play mechanics. People can try to debate to their heart’s content on whether the Adventure games still hold up in their own eyes, but I’ll always respect them for how they tried to develop certain characters, such as Tails, Gamma, and Shadow The Hedgehog notably, to attempt expanding upon their characters, as well as world building.

     I won’t bother going into a rant about how Sonic’s recent 3D games have butchered Tails’ personality & relatable nature, due to the current writers in charge of handling the cast of characters. More or less, I greatly empathize toward the notion many have already stated about Tails being so cowardly and God forbid, looking at Lost World, downright severely mean spirited. Rather, I’m obviously writing this lengthy post to breakdown why Sonic & Tails R succeeds, where these certain 3D games have greatly faltered in exploring Tails’ emotional dilemmas as an insecure, yet still having the courage to prove himself, talented boy full of hidden potential he doesn’t quite realize, until his back is against the wall in life threatening situations.

“That day, I realized I couldn’t depend on you forever. Not that I can’t depend on you, but like, “What happens when Sonic isn’t here?”, you know?”

     Sonic & Tails R further delves into this fundamental rule of what has defined Tails in Sonic Adventure 1 & 2′s stories of events where Sonic wasn’t there to aid his best bud in taking down Eggman’s evil efforts for global domination, most importantly his fear of defending the Earth without his role model. Besides what I already stated in SA1′s events in Station where he stopped the Egg Walker, as well as the missile Eggman launched from detonating before their climatic battle, Tails watched Sonic blow up in ARK’s capsule presuming him to be dead after Sonic imparted how much faith he has in the kid’s abilities to be truly strong in the face of any foe. Sonic & Tails R manages to use fan service in a way that doesn’t feel like “pandering” for the sake of it, using this past canon material to do more of an in-depth study about Miles’ anxieties of existing without Sonic.

     Wouldn’t put it past them if EmuEmi & crew were using SA2′s Sonic death fake out scene in that space capsule to further add trauma to Tails’ psychological attachment to Sonic, as well as his insecurities of depending on him too much, to boot. While it’s never obviously outright stated in their radio play, I definitely believe they were factoring this element into adding dramatic exploration for why Tails is so self-conscious about the worst case scenario of permanently losing Sonic. Watching Sonic supposedly die put Tails into a deeper state of self-reflection, so I very much enjoyed how they went using these past events to create a thorough exploration about him learning just as it’s important to realize you need to stand up for yourself without using someone else as a crutch all the time, it’s doubly important to remember there’s nothing wrong about asking someone for help when you’re about to be down and out with little options left.

     Sonic & Tails R beautifully builds upon the foundation these two games’ stories left behind years ago, creating new damn great material to explore with the most iconic characters of this cast, Sonic & Tails brotherly dynamic. I’ve been praising Sonic & Tails R out the wazoo for how well it captured Tails underdog story of overcoming death defying odds, but it managed to remind me how simply adorable and outright wonderfully endearing their brotherly chemistry is as a whole. This is a big friendly reminder Sonic isn’t all about being cocky wise cracking character making meta jokes left and right, but he can be plenty capable of showing serious compassion to anyone he values as an ally and friend. This is no greater evident, than with him verbally lifting Tails up in his time of need when he’s self-depreciating his own significance. It can be seen in Episodes 2, 4, and 7 giving Tails motivational pieces of advice.

    Episode 2 In Adabat’s Cavern

-Sonic: Wasn’t it your radar that helped us find these Emerald shards in the first place? How could you be slowing us down when you’ve gotten us this far?

-Tails: But, I...

-Sonic: I could never make something like that. You’re the smartest person I know, Tails. One way or another, we’ll figure this out, count on it.

         Episode 4 In Holoska After Helping Silver Save The Chao

-Sonic: So, what was that back there? At the cave, in Adabat? -Tails: What do you mean? -Sonic: Frozen stiff. Confidence shot. It’s not like you. It was more than feeling like you were “slowing us down”, right?

        Episode 7 Inside The Egg Carrier 3

-Sonic: Let’s split up! I’ll distract them and you can go after the energy source. -Tails: You’re gonna take them on all by yourself!? Let me help, Sonic! -Sonic: No time for this, Tails. Stop overthinking and just go! If I can get their attention, I’ll take the heat off of you and that room you’re going to probably won’t have any security. Take this emerald and I’ll take the other one we have. It’ll lead me right to you after I beat these guys. -Tails: O-Okay... -Sonic: Hold on, Tails! Listen to me. Don’t stop moving and be careful. I’ll be fine and so will you!

     Sonic & Tails R remembers the most crucial detail of their important relationship. One isn’t better than the other and needing to always rely upon that notion for helping one outta a jam, but instead showcases how they’re equals as a team/bros. Sonic may be super fast and strong, however Tails has his intelligence to analyze situations in a different angle Sonic wouldn’t necessarily consider, per say. Which isn’t to say Tails couldn’t put up a fight either, as we’ve seen in SA1 & SA2′s stories where he faced Eggman one on one with no outside help to best him at his own game of wits & strength.

     We get see the apex of this idea through Tails facing Eggman in his super improved mecha walker. Although Tails may get thrown for a loop here at first by Eggman, it’s his villainous speech about winners and losers in their world that ironically does the exact opposite of what he intended. Eggman wanted to crush Tails’ sense of self worth before finishing him off, but all it did was reignite the very lesson Sonic told him earlier before running to distract Eggman’s robotic minions. That said lesson of he’s more than capable of facing dangerous threats

-Eggman: Poor boy. We all have to learn this lesson, sooner or later. In every game there’s no one you can depend on. You’re all alone and you’re either a winner, or a loser. And as you know, loser’s lose all of their lives. Say goodbye, fox!

-Tails: You’re wrong! I can depend Sonic! I won’t let him down! I can’t because...Because he’s depending on me! And because of that I won’t lose to you!

     This radio play strikes a good balance in utilizing the grey moral area about depending on someone vs it being an unhealthy display of attachment derived from serious insecurity. Word’s can’t begin to describe how much I loved this moment to pieces because it’s oh so important for writing Tails’ characterization. If you’re going to tackle him being super self conscious about his reliance on Sonic, then you gotta remember why they are so close to one another to begin with. Sonic & Tails have an unbreakable connection, considering they’ve brought out their best qualities in themselves from being together as individuals. For Sonic, it’s his older brother compassion to Tails to bring him outta feeling melancholy. For Tails, the kid finally understands there isn’t anything wrong with depending on Sonic when he needs it most.

     After all, that’s what a real healthy friendship is all about. Whether you’re giving someone a dose of tough love, or simply a piece of motivational advice, it defines how much you truly care about someone, period. Sonic & Tails have this very same power from their bond, which is why new emeralds form from their compassionate friendship that hasn’t been shaken after all the years they’ve been together. Another detail worth noting is it adds to the lore in an impactful manner when Tikal expresses in Episode 8 about positive connections and thoughts from users of the Chaos Emeralds having a strong will & heart. Using the ideas they had for encapsulating Sonic & Tails’ dynamic to create new emeralds from their love for each other as brothers adds an emotional weight.

“So, Sonic’s not the only one who harness the power of the Chaos Emeralds? I can too!?”

“Yes, you have a strong heart! There is a power waiting to be unlocked within you, as well.”

          I’d always daydreamed about in my childhood seeing Super Sonic & Tails take down a threatening villain, whether it was Eggman or different powerful creature such as Chaos or the Biolizard. You can imagine how fucking giddy I was beyond belief to see this artwork of Episode 9′s cover for the radio play. Tails not only got to have another one on one with Eggman, but a team up with Super Sonic in his own respective Super form? Sign me the Hell up! Talk about an all you eat buffet of good writing for Tails’ journey reaching its climax. Getting to hear this play out, alongside the amazing song of Fly With Me, made it authentically feel like something straight outta if there were an installment of Sonic Adventure 3 being brought into reality, which certainly feels like it now.

     Episode 9 has so much awesome stuff with Sonic & Tails working together in their super forms. Particularly, my favorite scene is at the beginning when Sonic teaches Tails how to navigate his newly acquired speed in his respective Super form. My heart melted hearing Sonic help Tails through it all, while he was overjoyed about how fun this new form is for himself. Wholesome Sonic & Tails content is the perfect daily serotonin for me, easily. It’s an awesome fun fact to know they used a scrapped boss from Tails Tornado segment in SA1 for Eggman’s flying dragon three headed robot in their big final battle, once again using old canon material in a very effective manner to boost the quality of their fan made story.

     It’s been a real thrill to hear Mike Pollock play a straight forward serious Eggman making my day in more ways than one, considering that’s another thing I’ve been yearning for desperately besides Tails being a competent character again. His performance in Episode 9 when Eggman gave that speech about how long he’s been at odds with Sonic & Tails stubborn will power was simply excellent. The moment he told his mechanical dragon to crush them I got serious chills. That’s the Eggman I remember and grew up with. He could be a hammy villain sure, but Eggman wasn’t a doormat that could be swiftly beaten. Robotnik can be considered a serious threat in his own right and this radio play nailed it down to the very letter with how much he predicted their actions.

“Sonic, all I ever wanted to do was be like you. You’re not scared of anyone or anything. I could never be like that. At least, so I thought. I grew from that, but then I got so caught up in trying to prove it that thought it wasn’t okay to depend upon anyone, especially you. I just didn’t want to be that scared little kid in Station Square anymore, but now I understand. It’s okay to depend on your friends. It all means is that we’re stronger together, so the next time Eggman comes back and wants to start any trouble with you, or any of my friends. Emeralds or no emeralds, he’s gonna have to get past me and he won’t!”

Sonic By Episode 1′s End: Aww, yeah! Adventure, here we come!

Tails By Episode 10′s End: Aww, yeah! Adventure, here I come!

Turn your thoughts into power. Be all that you can be.

     The ending legit got me choked up because what of they decided to do for wrapping up Tails journey in a poetic fashion. Having Tails go off on his own separate journey to grow more independence pulled on my heart strings perfectly. Very much so, as I’m transitioning slowly, but surely, into gaining more freedom to go out into the outside world in my own life. Concluding the story, by Sonic & Tails holding onto the two Emeralds their bond had formed from positive energy, due to their powerful friendship, was so heartwarming. This is how you write an overview of what makes Sonic & Tails chemistry work so well as it does.

     Sonic & Tails R’s ending represents while some things never change, like Sonic and Tails bond for each other, it also shows there’s very much a necessity for people to grow, hence Tails’ whole solo journey in the epilogue. People can’t stay in the same place forever and will need go about finding their own path, even if it means saying “goodbye” periodically for a notable amount of time.

     It’s for these reasons I’ve listed in great explanation above throughout this detailed post cement Sonic & Tails R high on my list of favorite Sonic fan projects. They captured the magic of what made the Adventure games so beloved. Gonna be looking back on this passion project for many years to come. Everyone involved in this year long effort of a project dating all the way back Summer of 2020 ought to be immensely proud for how much their hard efforts paid off in the long run.

Thanks for taking the time to read my thoughts here! 

Hope you enjoyed. 

[calliecat93]

When I was fifteen years old, I found out about Star Trek: The Original Series. Back then, Star Trek as I knew was only The Next Generation, and I was apathetic about that. I found out through simple curioaity, but I had nothing to better to do so I looked into it. It sounded kind of interesting, so I found the show on Hulu and decided to give it a shot. I quit midway through the third episode. I saw it as old, cheesy looking, and dumb. Why waste my time on something old? Over the years, the more I got involved in online fandom culture, the more I would see it pop up. The more I would ehar about how having PoC inr egular roles was revolutionary just because it showed that they existed. How the show enrained so many science fiction tropes and ideals into modern Americn media in the vein as Dotor Who has in Britian. Heck a review show I used to watch went over the comic adptations of the films, and came off as so passionate about the franchise that I remembered my previous stance. Remembered how I threw it aside as a relic of the past, despite me even thn seeing the value as I valued classical animaiton and children’s media very highly.

IDK what provoked it, but in January of this year, I decided to watch the entirety of Star Trek. Maybe it was quarentine rentine making me snap. Maybe it was me giving in at last to those urges that had been prodding at me for years. Regardless, I made the choice, and it only made sense to begin with the one that started it all. I am now 28 years old. I have grown far more patient and respectful with the things that came before my time. Media holds a great deal of value and whether I understood it or not, Star Trek was vital to popular media. I was ready to give it a second chance. I expected to go in with a greater appreciation, but otherwise not have many strong feelings abou it. I got through those three episodes again with my feelings better than before, but not too different. But I was determined to keep going. So for two months, I watched episode after episode and this weekend I ended it with the original films. Now here we all at the end of the journey. How do I feel?

I felt very regretful for throwing it aside the way that I did.

I greatly enjoyed TOS. Far more than I had ever expected. It is very much a product of the 60’s. There was a limited budget and it showed, though they made the most of it. There were many ridiculous plots, rampant sexism, and hammy acting that is utterly laughable. Some days I could go along with it, other days I just wanted them to get it over with. And yet, none of it kept me away. There were ideals revolutionary for the time like PoC standing equal to others, themes of all kinds such as anti-war and humanity, great science fiction concepts that may be standard today but don’t rob them of their enjoyability, and so much fun but also many moments that made you think. But most of ll, it had such lovely characters. For me to care about a show, I have to care about it’s chracters. I knew a few things via pop culture, butt hat’s not the same as understanding them as a viewer and media can frequently exaggerate the reality. And as I found out, there was far more to them than what mdia lead me to believe.

Kirk I only ever knew as a brave captain who made out with a lot of women. While that’s true, I can’t call him a reckless womanizing asshole. He was brave, optimistic, diplomatic, and charming. He could be light-herted, but also very much a devoted Starfleet Captain whose duty is his entire being. I was shocked at how much I grew to care about him. Seeing his triumphs, his failings, his strengths and flaws, even on an off day I cared about him. Even when William Shatner hammed it up too much, I enjoyed seeing him. Spock was who I knew the most about consideirng how popular he was and I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I also grew to love him. His logic, his struggle with his dual being as half Vulcan and half Human, his loyalty to Kirk and his dedicaiton to his duty. I could see why he meant so much to people, esecially witht he level of depth and work that Leonard Nimoy put into the character. There’s s amny little things that you begint o notce and it makes Spock feel all the more real. But by far the biggest appeciaiton I grew was for McCoy. He was the character I knew the least about aside form him being a doctor and remembering the first episode. But GOD I love his character so much. His crankiness, snarkiness, and his arguments with Spock were entertaining but seieng how compassionate, devoted, and caring that he is especially when I watched The Empath ahead of time and saw his sacrifice... damn. Not to mention DeForest Kelley’s perormance with him imo being the best peformer aside from Nimoy. He gave it hus all even during the dumbest episodes and that always earns my respect. I didn’t think I’d care about Bones that much, knowing him as that guy who’s more important than the rest but not even close to as much as Kirk and Spock, and he walked away as my absolute favorite character who I will continue to give the love and appreciate that he deserves.

The others were great too. Scotty was funny, great at his job, and the amount fo times he saved thm all via some miracle is to be admired. Sulu was significant for being an Asian man as a regular and in a high position, and I just loved having his prescence. Uhura being a Black woman treated as an equal by her white male peers and being a dedicated, sassy communicaitons officer as well as her lovely musical talents made her a delight. Chekov when he came along added a nice, youthful prescence without him getitg annoying and having a Russian as a hero at that time was also a big deal. While the show struggled BIG TIME with gender and feminism, it was major at the time for presenting PoC and those of other nationalities as equal to others, and the cast clearly did their best to make them feel like actual people. I respect that a great deal. We all should sot hat we can keep improving from there.

I didn’t expect to care. I expected to get the show over with and have something to occupy my time. And yet, I do care. I care about these characters. I care about the shenanigains that they get involed in. I worry when they get into distress even though I know that they’ll be fine. There were plenty of things I knew in advance like Spcok’s deaht in the movies... and I cried anyways. I knew that nothing long-term bad would happen in the series, yet I feared for the cast and their situaton anyways. I grew invested in them. In their relaitonships. The Kirk-Spock-McCoy dynamic was by far my favorite thing and it kept me wanting to keepw atching. Not to occupy my time, but because I genuienly wanted to see what they got into and how they got out of it. To see Kirk and Spock’s mutual respect and trust in each other. To see Spock and McCoy argue over logic and emotion and be wiling to defend the other, to see Kirk and Bones joke and be at ease with each other as the close longitme firends that the are, and just having the three together... it was such a perfect dynamic. Hell I didn’t expect to ship anything aside form maybe Spirk due to knowing it’s significance to fandom, slash,a nd the LGBT+ community. And I came away shipping all three dynamics...a nd veering on all three together, but IDK if I’m quite there yet. But whether shippy or platonic, their relaitonship together is perfect and I loved it.

Now, the journey is over. Oh I plan to go back and do it all over again. I plan to pay even more atteniton. I plan on giving each episode as good of an analysis as I can give. I plan to try and seek out things like the novels and the comics so that I can have more itme with them. I plan to watch the reboot films to see what happes in a different universe. I plan to watch TNG and hope that I enjoy those charactrs that I ignored my entire life just as much as I did these. But for now, it’s over. It is a ride that I am thankful to have taken. I came in indifferen, and am leaving a fan looking forward to whatever else awaits. Thank you Star Trek TOS for this amazing two month journey. Thank you tot he cast and crew who put so much into it despite everything working against them. Thank you to the fans who watched it and kept it alive for all of these decades. And to those who read tot his point and all of my watchthrogh posts, thank you for sitcking with me. It was, without doubt, an experience that I’m never going to forget.

[tacosandtomcos]

I don't get it, how did the show treat Tom unfairly, Tom was never a protagonist. I think Tom justice and the series show how he's growth as a character when he broke up with Star showing how he truly change back from the beginning (when he was just know as the angry ex boyfriend that even didn't really matter to begin with), plus not to mention how he got a little bit more than before, so again how did the show treat Tom badly.

just because he’s not the main protagonist does not mean he deserves to have been shoved to the side by the end of the series, when you spend time much time with a character and building up a character, and building your relationships with a character you want them to have a real conclusive end where all of these components matter and come full circle.

This is not what happens to tom.

Sure, he improves greatly, and i love him for it, but does it lead to a conclusion for his character where he’s recognized for his achievements, do his achievements and relationships’s he’s grown end up important down the line?

No, they don’t.

Tom improves but no one ever recognizes his efforts or do they apologize to him, he grows but it impacts very little of anything outside of his own personal arc. Zuko’s redemption led to switching sides and fighting his father and sister and becoming the new leader.

Tom’s redemption led to....having nothing to do with the finale and being ignored by his girlfriend until she basically leaves him for his best friend.

Tom goes through all this trouble and grows and it doesn’t impact the plot and it never leads him into a satisfying end for his character, his arc just....ends.

it’s setup without a real payoff.

You want an arc to lead somewhere, if you’re going to have a character improve over the course of a show at the end you want to see their improvements pay off for them, that they EARNED their ending because off the choices they made and the flaws they overcame.

Tom’s the kinda character that was warranting of an ending where he not only improves, but was recognized for it and valued by his friends because of everything he had done for them.

that he went from being unsocial, and angry and alone, to being feeling better about himself, and emotionally better and valued by great friends.

He puts his life before their’s, he helps their efforts, he actively tries to be understanding and respectful about everything going on, he apologizes for misteps and corrects himself....

he does all of this, he improves this greatly and what happens? nothing, star never apologizes to him, in fact both star and marco completely forget about him, and they have no problem whatsoever dating despite the fact he’s fresh from a pretty hurtful breakup for the guy.

his relationships with neither don’t end up mattering, because he spends so much time with star and by the end she cares very little about him, how he feels and his own safety.

and Marco, despite being way better, their friendship has little to do with much of anything since very little episodes put it in the focus or talk about it.

by the end of the series, the show is saying that star and marco’s relationship matters WAY more then tom’s with either of them, they basically state neither care about tom all that much and neither character ever tried to correct this.

Neither of them ever make an effort to show how much they value tom as a friend outside of inviting him at rare times or doing small favors that don’t matter much.

and If the ending for his character was supposed to be “You two should be together”, that’s incredibly stupid, don’t have a character go through so much effort to improve to have good relationships and feel more comfortable about themselves and end it with “i’m still not good enough, you two are perfect together”. There’s nothing more unsatisfying then for a character to go through an arc just to serve for getting OTHER PEOPLE together and not for something with themselves.

yeah, sure, it’s not realistic to improve so deeply and always expect to gain something from it.

But as an arc to a character it’s DEEPLY unsatisfying for someone to improve and to gain relationships with the protagonists, and the way they end that character is “Sorry, you mean less to us, we care about each other more” and earn nothing after putting out so much.

Tom gives but he gets nothing by the end of the show, he improves but it makes no difference to how his relationships are treated, he considers these two to be his best friends and neither give a heck about him.

It’s not enough for tom to improve, his improvements need to actually lead up to something meaningful for his character.

and dang it’s unpleasent to watch a character improve so much and watch him constantly suffer for it because of people who are supposed to be his best friends and he not only feels worse about himself because of it, but never ends up feeling any better or ever feels appreciated or valued much either.

Maybe you’re fine with it, but i didn’t watch 4 seasons of this show to watch someone improve so much, and get thrown under the bus for it over and over and then have them end the series without them getting so much as a worried expression from their friends and then not even get a proper farewell because “star and marco’s relationship mattters WAY more”.

Your side characters are still characters dammit, if eclipsa could get an end with her family and somewhat of an end with her own mother, why can’t tom be given an end where he is hugging his best friends and feels valued rather then second rate?

[youtiaoshutiao]

go go squid! eps 1-30 - thoughts

i’ve actually read the novel for this a few years ago as a teen and it was just alright in my estimation, it was cute overall and a fun read but i largely forgot about it in the past few years. checked out the drama out of curiosity as to how they’d adapt it. have watched up to ep 30 at this point and i’d say i’m rather ambivalent (though i’m still pretty engaged) so here’s some rambling about my thoughts about my watch so far.

Ngl, the first 7 eps were unbearable to watch imo. I have a super low tolerance for secondhand embarrassment when watching movies and dramas (which is why i can’t get behind some high school movies/dramas) and it was uttermost torture watching tongnian stalk her way (very incompetently too, i must add) to k&k’s resting quarters, even getting his identity wrong (despite being fully capable of baidu searching him given that she knew his full name + found out he was part of a famous team), intending to go to watch him the next day but not even thinking about buying tickets till she was actually at the event venue and then being all righteous about not buying tickets from scalpers... Worrying about causing a misunderstanding among gun’s trainees yet continually getting near him and hence causing a misunderstanding anyway... Though i knew that it was part of her character setup (high iq genius but nil experience in love?) but i couldn’t bear to watch all this unfold haha. Coupled with the very draggy endless flashback scenes and all the testosterone-pumped angst about solo (and now 30 eps in i’m very into Li Xian’s turn as han shangyan but my eyebrows were hurting watching him furrow his brow 24/7) i was almost prepared to quit but was told that everything would get better around ep 8.

And lo and behold... it did. As predicted, around ep 8/9 a switch flipped and i began to be more engaged and enjoy the drama more. I was trying to pinpoint what exactly changed my opinion and i think above all, it was the character of han shangyan that really captivated/held my interest. I started seeing gun not just as the typical 霸道总裁 trope that’s just meant to be confident and commanding and therefore hot but more as a very complex and well fleshed out human (more so than the novel i think, but i can’t really remember at this point as it’s been years, and anyway the novel is a pretty short book while this drama is considered quite long for a modern fluffy cdrama thus allowing more room for exploration).

I really appreciated seeing all the dualities to his character, e.g. his god-like status in his industry and being the idol of thousands and thousands of youth yet seeing how this celebrity status does not translate to being estimated highly by the people around him, and how it does feed into his ideas and perception of himself to a certain extent, though he is also adamant on doing what he deems right, not caring what people think. How he as a leader of k&k appears unflappable, in control, and is determined, eyes fixed on the prize; yet his softness and care for his boys and the elderly he employs and his past teammates shine through in quiet moments and little actions. He has lofty dreams and big goals and aspirations for the future of his team, yet he is also a man bogged down by tons of emotional baggage, stuck in ruts of nostalgia and guilt and unprocessed anger about the past and unable to let go of past enmities or relations. Even his small little quirks amuse/intrigue me, like his sucking on sweets whenever he’s bothered, like his weird obsession with that one Beyond song and playing it whenever he’s Brooding about his past (though it’s probably just the drama’s way of shilling Netease Music lol)

Reading Han Shangyan’s personality/character arc as such, I found myself very invested in what was happening to him/what he was doing/his interactions with the other characters in the story. Even the flashback scenes and SP team scenes that I found very droll initially and still do to a certain extent now held more of my interest as a gateway to understand HSY more. He’s definitely not a perfect character and is deeply flawed, but I appreciated that they portrayed him in such a manner as he definitely felt more real. (though when it came to how this comes into play with regards to his r/ship with Tong Nian, I had rather mixed feelings about it, which I’ll elaborate on further below)

Similarly, I also enjoyed the fleshing out of side characters like Mi Shaofei, Solo, Su Cheng, Xiao Ai etc. Mi Shaofei’s arc especially was very moving and wistful to me, seeing him have his dream of being a champion rekindled at the start of the drama and going back to be a competitive CTF athlete, yet having his age and his lack of practice cause him to not be in top form and doing badly, and eventually making the decision to retire. Seeing him express regret having quit together with Han Shangyan back in the day in a pique of anger and not having this arc resolve in a neat, fulfilling way - I really appreciated it and thought it illuminated quite a sobering reality that timing and circumstances may not always yield the best outcome, that actions from the past that you thought were the right thing to do may come back to haunt you, that you may regret your past actions, that you may have to close the door on certain things even if you really want it. And I really like Mi Shaofei’s personality as well, seeing how he has a good read on his friends’ temperaments and personalities and knows how to diffuse tense situations (especially when Han Shangyan is being prickly and abrasive), how he values the collective above himself, like being happy that SP team scores improved greatly even when the improvement came about due to his retirement. I’m glad that he now has a new path which he can work towards his original dream of being a champion, albeit in a different way that he had initially envisioned.

The main thing niggling at me/making me feel conflicted as I watch the drama is actually Tong Nian’s character/Tong Nian and HSY’s relationship. I don’t really know how to explain what exactly bothers me so much about this, but here’s a shoddy attempt:

In comparison to how well fleshed out Han Shang Yan’s character arc is, Tong Nian’s arc sadly feels very underwhelming in comparison, and I wish similar character development was afforded to her character. 30 episodes in, I literally know nothing about her inner thoughts, motivations, character etc that is not Gun-related gushing. And this is all the more a pity given that her character’s setup was so cool - being so smart and intelligent, being so advanced in a STEM field, also having such a successful online career out of her singing hobby - all these hint at such an interesting female lead, but ultimately feels like an empty shell of a person. There really is no scene where she exists independently, separate from Gun or Gun-related thoughts pervading her mind - e.g. even when she is pitching some cool project idea showcasing her computing skills to the police department, she’s hung up on Gun after breaking up with him; when she’s invigilating a class she’s still thinking about him; she’s coding some new game for him; she’s doing some debugging... but that’s because she’s devastated after he behaved in a shit way towards her; she’s at some tryouts to be the singer for the ctf theme song! she’s showcasing her singing! but somehow... the show still managed to make it all about how she’s heartbroken over him; she uploaded a new song! ... but it’s about how she’s in love with him...

The show tells me she has a life outside of her crush on Gun, but it doesn’t show it as such. Though I also understand that this is due to the drama being centered on esports and hence involving HSY more, and Tong Nian is an outsider to the esports scene and thus her own activities would not be featured as much. It is possible that should they have chosen to feature more about Tong Nian, it might have affected the cohesiveness and pacing and how tight the plot is. But but but... she is the female lead, after all?? I literally know more about Mi Shaofei than about Tong Nian, and he is a supporting character! And precisely because the show did such a good job of fleshing out HSY, whose job and aspiration and passion and friendship-related angst etc lend a lot of fodder to shape his character and that is totally unrelated to his romance with Tong Nian, Tong Nian’s character development seems really lacking in gravitas in comparison.

This sense of imbalance spills over to my perception of them as a couple. I definitely am not opposed to or feel squicked out by huge age gaps in principle, as long as there isn’t some power imbalance and no teenagers are involved. But something about the combination of Tong Nian being all about Han Shangyan (at least that’s how the drama portrayed it, even if it was unintentional) while Tong Nian is only one part of Han Shangyan’s life + Tong Nian’s almost worshipful sentiments towards Han Shangyan + the show’s tendency to highlight how much sleep or time she sacrifices to do stuff for him, on top of the huge age gap made me slightly uncomfortable...?

I think I felt it especially during the plot arc of the second break up. The events of this arc were standard asian drama angst fare - interference from well meaning but biased parent leading to melodramatic wallowing in angst and mean behaviour attempting to drive the other party away... If purely viewing this arc from the lens of character exploration, I think the (rather ridiculous) events in that arc like HSY promising Tong Nian’s mother to not bother Tong Nian anymore and all his subsequent shitty behaviour towards Tong Nian shed some light on HSY’s inner self abasement and 自卑感 and was fascinating in that regard. But then seeing how Tong Nian who definitely puts him on a pedestal just internalised all of that horrible behaviour and accepted it and even kept on excusing his actions or asking him if she had done something wrong or if he was mad at her about the cat (though i also was mad that she just got a pet as a gift without asking beforehand lolol) or if he wanted her to do anything... that was SO painful to watch. (Until he implied that he cheated on her, thankfully she drew a line at that!!) I felt like it was bordering on cold violence to some extent? Not that any part of the second break up was Tong Nian’s fault, but just the way the show portrayed Gun’s way of pushing Tong Nian away and Tong Nian’s subsequent response made it harder to just dismiss the entire saga as just pure asian drama typical noble idiocy angst and left a really bad taste in my mouth. And above all what made me quite exasperated was how in the end, HSY didn’t even apologise to Tong Nian about it, and even attempted (and was successful) to get back into her good graces by listing all the reasons why he should be pitied and hence activating Tong Nian’s ‘Han Shangyan is so pitiful and I love him and want to give him everything’ mode, and being so smug about it??

(I feel like I come off as being rather inconsistent here lolol, earlier gushing about how much I love HSY’s character and now ranting about him. I think I just feel very confused about what to feel when watching the drama, and partially I think it’s because the entire romantic plot and all the events of the drama... require some suspension of belief and are not really very cohesive or well plotted, in the sense that it doesn’t seem to flow organically together with the characters’ emotions and responses? i.e. the character’s emotions/motivations/thoughts don’t correspond to their subsequent actions and the other characters’ subsequent responses to said action doesn’t seem proportional at times. So at certain plot points like how HSY got back together with Tong Nian so easily I’m not sure if I’m supposed to feel outraged or just take it in my stride?? I’m not sure if I’m making sense)

Oh, another thing that bothered me was this weird machoism (?? not sure how to explain it) that I sensed at some parts. An example off the top of my mind would be the entire sequence of HSY and Mi Shaofei going out together after Mi Shaofei announced his retirement, with Tong Nian and Yaya trailing at their heels. Once again, from a character development angle, I enjoyed the dialogues between MSF and HSY, between MSF and Yaya. But seeing MSF and HSY pass their coats to Yaya and Tong Nian then embarking on some bromantic tension-filled run together, while Yaya and Tong Nian are left hovering around waiting for them to return and holding their coats; or seeing MSF and HSY give each other Meaningful Looks and then downing a whole bowl of alcohol in some testosterone-fuelled display of Manly Sorrow and Solidarity as Tong Nian and Yaya watch from the sides, worried... Then having Tong Nian and Yaya each attempting to comfort their respective men... idk, i think coupled with the fact that the show is centred around esports, and most of the esports characters are male, and a larger proportion the main female characters we see are not directly involved and are more on the sidelines, it just gives off the sense of like, the men in this drama having their struggles, their aspirations, their sorrows be forefront and central in the plot, while the women are just there to fawn over them and support from the sidelines and tend to the guys’ emotional needs and baby them when they are being grown children. I’m definitely not explaining this well enough and I’m not sure if my impression is valid or I’m just being a hater or being subconsciously misogynistic and projecting or something lol. I’d love to hear what anyone thinks heh.

Thankfully, that part of the plot is over and now the romance part of the drama seems to be settled and the drama I’m assuming is gearing up towards winning the championships. This is promising haha because personally feel like the esports plotline is more captivating than the romance. I sense that now that Tong Nian/Gun are a properly established relationship and both are fully on board the dynamic might change a bit so I shall see how I feel about their relationship in the last quarter of the drama!

With regards to the cast, there was all round quite solid acting imo. I thought Li Xian seemed to be overdoing it with the frowning and grouchiness initially but I think it was alright after a few eps. His microexpressions and meaning-loaded gazes and quirked-lip-smiles are pretty affecting. I watched some interviews of him and he seems really different from Gun in real life so that’s quite impressive. Plus I love his slight slouchiness when portraying Gun in the more personal scenes where the facade of gruff boss!han shangyan disappears lolol. For all my problems with the way Tong Nian’s character was portrayed, Yang Zi does a great job in her role too. I think her crying scenes have always been on point and it was no different here. Special shoutout to the actors for Mi Shaofei, Solo and Xiao Ai, who portrayed their roles really well I think!

Lastly on a random note, I’m quite amused by how the soundtrack copiously borrows from the Suddenly This Summer soundtrack, but I’m not complaining because the OST is pretty evocative and whimsical and makes me hugely nostalgic for STS :)

[teamhawkeye]

So I’ve had a while now to reflect after finishing up the Far Cry New Dawn story

WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT

It...was a mixed bag overall. There were some things i liked - but there was a whole lot i didn’t like

The Good

The landscape. Hope County has always been gorgeous and it was nice to see it post-Collapse blooming and thriving for the most part

The music. Love it or hate it, it fit the Mad Max-esque theme the Highwaymen had going for them, both score and licensed soundtrack

Improvements in gameplay. Specifically with the GFH. I used Boomer almost exclusively in FC5 and two of my biggest complaints were 1.) he was not able to ride in vehicles with me and i felt bad making him run behind me everywhere and 2.) even with a ton of perks, he was very easily incapacitated by enemies. With Timber, they gave him the ability to ride in vehicles so you no longer have to feel bad about making him walk and they buffed him greatly in comparison to Boomer - he was often like a little walking tank and I greatly appreciated that they took those things into consideration and made tweaks there.

New Photo Mode. oh my god, YES. it still wasn’t perfect by any means, but my god, it was soooooo nice to be able to give your Captain life and emotion!

The Outpost system. Escalating difficulty so you could go back and still have a challenge even as you advanced your perks and weapons was a nice touch, so things never got too easy or stale in that area

Expeditions. It was fun being able to leave Hope County for a bit and see new locations and spend some time doing stuff other than milking the Outposts for ethanol

The Not-So Good

Abandoning characters from FC5. They may be dead and gone, but how are John and Faith and Jacob so glossed over? John maybe had the best fortune in nods to him and the last game, having both his ranch and bunker serve as important locations in New Dawn...but what about Faith and Jacob? Why was there no mention whatsoever to Eli, Whitehorse, Pratt, Hudson, or Dutch? And beyond the dead from FC5′s canon story, what about missing Resistance members? Jess Black, Wheaty, Tammy, Tweak...what happened to them? why were we given no closure on their stories at all? There was so little time spent reflecting on the events of the previous game or its characters - it very much felt like “they’re dead, not questions now, move on”...but the characters of the last game were a big part of what made it so great and it felt like a great disservice to the fans to have them swept under the rug like that.

Main story. I mean...what the fuck even was that last third part of the game??? The first third of the game started off on solid footing but it went off the rails well before the end. And there seemed to be a severe lack of cohesion between what we saw and learned in FC5 to what we see and learn in New Dawn. Joseph’s story about his daughter seems far less important knowing he had some bastard son hanging around one of the bunkers the whole time - why was there never any allusion to him whatsoever? He certainly felt shoehorned in as a result. And how is it one of the Big rules of Eden’s Gate was “no fornication” but Joseph can get away with it? That doesn’t line up with the antagonist we faced off with all of FC5. And what was with the magic??? Like, there was a touch of that in FC5 with the Bliss and the scope of just what it could do...but a ton of the Bliss’s power could be argued to be auditory and visual hallucinations. There was just straight up...magic to explain some of the weird things they included in New Dawn and it made that make some of it feel weak and hollow

Disservice to its villains. Mickey and Lou were done dirty, it’s just that plain and simple. Ubisoft didn’t give them much of anything to do and wasted all their potential. One of the main draws of FC5 was just how good the villains were and one of the largest complaints i saw from FC5 was just how much more interaction we all wanted with them. New Dawn gave their villains a backseat to almost everything else going on in the game. Mickey and Lou almost felt detached from the story at times. With the FC5, one of the best things about the Seeds was how connected they felt to everything you did: they met you face to face a number of times, radioed in constantly to taunt and harass you, upped the ante when you put the heat on them...with Mickey and Lou, it never felt like they actually took you seriously. Or didn’t even care, despite saying otherwise. They address you directly maybe once all game aside from when you have cutscenes with them face-to-face. Their strongest moment was in their defeat and it showed what major potential they had as antagonists - and to be sympathetic as well - and Ubisoft really blew it there and that’s one of the biggest shames

Disservice to its new characters. The new Resistance/Survivor characters got shafted too. You could easily go all game without knowing a single thing about any of the new GFH or Specialists for Prosperity - there’s just not the time to really get to know them or even like them all that much. Rush was certainly built up...to only be kidnapped and potentially left untouched for quite some time and when you go to rescue him, he’s sidelined immediately with very little interaction with him thereafter. His death wasn’t nearly as poignant as Eli or Virgil’s from FC5 - those were two characters who were constantly talking in your ear or available to talk to and help progress the story along. Rush was put there simply to die and give the Captain motivation to keep going and it’s a damn shame since he deserved better - don;t get me wrong, I liked him and was affected by his death, but the emotional impact there is just not as strong when Ubisoft gave him so little time or opportunity to really get close to him like previous installments did with characters. 

Expeditions. I know i said this was a good thing - and largely it is - but it was so small and underused, it was such a letdown. They kinda touted Expeditions as being a replacement for Arcade of FC5, which made me think there was going to be a ton of locations to explore and replay...but in reality, you got like 6 maps and that’s all. Maybe they’ll add more, but that seemed like that got hyped up for nothing

Scale. I get that this was a smaller game, reflected in the time it took to crank it out and the lower price, but god does it feel small. You can almost count how many missions there are on two hands. There were so few collectibles or side missions - idk what’s supposed to be the draw after finishing the main story when you have virtually nothing left to do. And beyond the game’s play length, the map was chopped in half and it was bullshit, quite frankly. Why the hell is the Bliss so concentrated now up in Jacob’s region - shouldn’t that have been the Henbane, since that’s where it was focused and created and still polluted the water there even after destroying Faith’s bunker? It felt cheap to carve off chunks of the map under the guise of “oooh, radiation zone! turn back!” We should have been allowed to explore the remains of Faith’s and Jacob’s bunker, of the Wolf’s Den, or finally be allowed inside the Veteran’s Center! Or go back to the chopper crash site on Joseph’s compound, the truck where Hudson, Pratt, and Whitehorse died on Dutch’s Island, or the truck Burke crashed into the river in the Henbane - all were completely gone and that felt super cheap, like they made no lasting impact when they were such huge moments in FC5. I feel like the two things most of us were excited to do when we learned we were returning to Hope County were learning about what happened to the characters of FC5 and seeing references to those who were lost and then to be able to explore and investigate every corner of the map we had in the previous game to see how the landscape how changed in every place we once knew so well.

Replay value. Honestly, aside from a second playthrough to sweep up achievements/trophies i didn’t get the first time around, i’m not all that inclined to keep the game installed on my console’s harddrive and replay it. If anything, playing this game has reminded me of everything i loved so much about FC5 and made me homesick for it - i’m already yearning to return to pre-Collapse Hope County and i haven’t even been done with New Dawn for 24 hours. It’s a shame when i so love the story that spawned this sequel, but it doesn’t possess any of the heart and soul that the original has.

There’s probably more i’m forgetting, but i’ve been typing for a while now and my brain has called it quits. I just know i went in with too high of expectations and was always going to be disappointed when New Dawn didn’t measure up to FC5...but it fell so short and that is the biggest issue i have. It could have been so much more and that’s the real tragedy

[streaks-of-lavender]

Ouran High School Host Club AU

So, since I apparently matched the sides to host club members in an unusual way, I decided to give a more in-depth explanation. Which of course means I went way overboard and it got so long I’m debating whether or not I should put it under the cut. Anyways, have some rambling character analysis. Also, SPOILERS. SPOILERS EVERYWHERE. FOR THE OURAN MANGA AND ANIME, AND FOR THE SANDERS SIDES. You have been warned. 

I’m gonna tag @not-so-innocent-bi-sander because I can’t stop bugging her, apparently.

Patton: While Roman would normally be the obvious choice for Tamaki, I went with Patton, because pairing Roman and Tamaki feels like taking them at face value and personally I don't think it does their characters justice. Patton seems much more fitting for Tamaki. One of the things made apparent about Tamaki throughout the anime and the manga is his inherent goodness. Yes, he can be dramatic and annoying at times and often doesn't think things through, but he has a heart of gold and it shows. Everybody loves Tamaki. He brought the host club together. All those people who were hurting and broken that normally would never have given each other the time of day, they were all brought together by one thing: Tamaki and their love for him. Tamaki is giving and kind despite his stubbornness and drama. I think he has a lot of similarities to Patton. Patton is the dad who loves all his children (the other sides and Thomas) unconditionally. At the same time, he isn't afraid to call them out when they need it. He's silly and fun and everyone loves him, even if they underestimate his intelligence at times. An obvious parallel is that Patton is the dad character, while Tamaki insisted throughout the series that the host club was a family. Slightly more serious, Tamaki and Patton will both push people away and lie about how they're doing because they don't want anyone to worry or be a burden. This is more apparent in the host club manga than the anime, but it's still there. There's also Kyoya. Tamaki wasn't afraid of Kyoya, he didn't back off when Kyoya tried to push him away. He forced his way in and was quick to call him out on his bullshit. The two became best friends and had such a beautiful, unique relationship. Patton and Virgil were pretty much the same way. Patton wouldn't take no for an answer, he was the only one willing to see Virgil as he truly was. He refused to let Virgil talk bad about himself. And when Virge left, Patton was the first one to notice. Basically, Patton and Tamaki have the most similarities in my opinion. They have a lot of love to give, they bring people together, they're silly and fun and dramatic (Patton can be dramatic, too. It's not just Roman). To me, they seem like an obvious match.

Virgil: If Patton is Tamaki, then who could Virgil be except for Kyoya? They're best friends no matter how irritated Kyoya (aka Virgil) pretends to be. And there are notably comparable things about Virge and Kyo. Kyoya spent his whole life trying to meet impossible goals, friendless, pushing people away, constantly being told he wasn't good enough by the people who were supposed to care about him. Sound familiar? Virgil went through the same thing for a long time (see: everything leading up to Accepting Anxiety parts 1 and 2). And then Patton came into his life the way Tamaki came to Kyoya. Tamaki was like Kyoya's savior. He showed him that his family was wrong, that he was enough, that he could be his own person and it was okay. And Kyoya loves him so much. For proof, go back to the episode "And so Kyoya Met Him," in which Haruhi asks how on earth Kyoya and Tamaki are friends and Kyoya then proceeds to monologue for a good 20 minutes about how the two met after staring at Tamaki and smiling for a solid 15 seconds (Moxiety shippers, have some fuel). Patton was the only one who was never scared of Virgil, who accepted him from the start, who wasn't about to let anyone hurt his dark strange son, even Virgil himself. Patton loved him all along even when the others didn't. And now the two are best friends, and you can bet that Virgil will do anything to protect his dad. Somehow, despite all their differences, the two just work. They fit perfectly. Tamaki and Kyoya. Patton and Virgil. It works. 

Roman: Oh, Roman. What to do with you? He's a total drama queen who needs constant attention, sometimes isn't very nice, butts heads with the others, but still tries his best. Hikaru. Hikaru, Tamaki's rival, Kaoru's beloved twin, hot headed, impulsive, a bit rude at times, but genuinely cares about his friends. Neither of them exactly have the best track record. They've (unintentionally) hurt the people they care about, but they feel bad and want to fix the situation. They're the characters with the most room for growth in my opinion, and they're trying, gosh darn it. Sure, they make mistakes. Sure, they can be ridiculously impulsive. Sure, they speak without thinking a lot of the time. But they try so hard. Hikaru and Arai or Tamaki or even Haruhi. Roman and Virgil or Logan. They messed up. They hurt people. And they're trying to make it right. Haruhi actually slaps Hikaru at one point when he goes too far. The sides and Thomas can't touch each other, but Thomas has given Roman the verbal equivalent (Accepting Anxiety part 2). Overall assessment of characters: sometimes problematic but doing their best. Very good boys. Hikaru is loved by his family, especially his brother. And by Tamaki. Patton as a side loves Roman, and Patton as Tamaki loves Roman as Hikaru. At one point in the manga Hikaru got sick and fainted while on a class trip, and when Tamaki found out, he freaked out and instantly went to see him and make sure he was okay despite being all the way in Tokyo. That is definitely something Patton would do. But Hikaru and Kaoru have a special bond, which leads into our next person, Thomas. 

Thomas: Thomas would definitely be Kaoru. He can be somewhat naive at times, but often he's level-headed when the others, especially his brother, aren't. He has a special relationship with Hikaru. Kaoru loves him so much, but also isn't afraid to call him out when necessary, much like Thomas with Roman. A lot of the time the sides (besides Patton) can be a bit rude to Roman, but Thomas is generally really accepting and quick to show Ro how much he cares. Much like Hikaru and Kaoru, their relationship is cute and sweet and it just works really well. Similar to how Thomas is at the center of the sides, Kaoru doesn't really have an extreme to match anyone else. He's just happy to be there with the people he cares about. That sounds like Thomas to me.

Haruhi: This one took some debating, but I finally decided that Logan would be Haruhi. They're both very smart, but they're not really good at the whole "social interactions" thing. Haruhi cares for her friends, but is also quick to get frustrated with them and doesn't really understand how people work. Like, she's compassionate, but she's also blunt and often oblivious. She seems to have a hard time reading the mood. Before the host club, she spent a lot of her time alone just studying because she didn't see the point in other things. The club helps her with that the same way the sides help Logan. Both of them struggle with seeing things from a different perspective. They'll write things off that they don't see the value in. But they try, they want to learn and improve, and their friends are happy to help them with that. 

Hunny: Deceit would be Hunny. I'll be honest, I don't really have as much solid reasoning for this one. Hunny seems cute and sweet and innocent on the surface, but he's actually incredibly smart and powerful. That boy knows exactly how to manipulate people into giving him what he wants. So yeah. Deceit.

Mori: Jamal. There's really no reasoning behind this one. I ran out of sides and I greatly appreciate Jamal. He's cool. That's it. (Side note, I’m really, really sorry if I spelled his name wrong. I couldn’t remember. If it’s wrong and someone knows how to spell it right, please tell me.)

Renge: Joan. Because it would be really funny. That’s all.

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Ready Player One review

People who say “The book is always better than the movie!” tend to be foolish people who view literature as an inherently flawless medium incapable of doing wrong. To say that, you need to ignore literature that is objectively better than the source material to the point even the authors prefer it, such as Fight Club, Jaws, and Who Framed Roger Rabbit, or films that greatly improved the work they’re adapting by trimming the fat, such as V for Vendetta and (oh boy I’m probably gonna get shit for this) The Lord of the Rings trilogy. Today’s film is one such film in the latter category, directed by a man behind one of the films mentioned in the former category, a film no one except me thought would be as good as it is: Ready Player One.

The book is easily one of the most contentious novels I’ve ever seen, a truly “love it or hate it” affair. I liked the novel; I read it when I was going through a really rough time back in 2012 or so, and a lot of its themes resonated with me. It’s a cheesy, charming book that unfortunately has a few really cringey bits of writing in it and unfortunately due to its medium spends a lot of time explaining references you wouldn’t see otherwise. I’d put the book on the same level as Eragon; it’s cheesy and has some dumb writing here and there, but overall it’s enjoyable. But even I realized a film could help trim a lot of the fat of this novel and polish it into something grand, and when I heard Spielberg was at the helm I slept a lot easier, figuring that would be the case.

And it was. This movie is a lot better than the book in most regards. But let’s look at the plot first:

In the year 2045, in a world where things seem bleak and joyless, people turn to the virtual reality world of the OASIS, where they can be anyone or anything they want. Its creator, a man named Halliday, created a contest for all the people of the OASIS to take part in after he died, in which the goal was to find the ultimate Easter Egg. Whoever found the three keys and then the Easter Egg would become rich, powerful, and most importantly they would own the OASIS. Wade Watts, known in the OASIS as Parzival, is an average guy who eventually stumbles across the answer of how to get the first key. But he’s not the only person gunning after the prize; the corporation IOI and its douchey head honcho Nolan Sorrento are after total control so they can spam ads and basically make the place a microtransaction nightmare. Can Wade, with the help of his best pal Aech, his love interest Art3mis, and his buddies Daito and Sho manage to stop IOI or is this end of line for the users?

WARNING: THERE’S GONNA BE SPOILERS BELOW.

So I’m gonna go over some of the things I didn’t like in the adaptation first, which honestly mostly amount to nitpicks. The diminished importance of Rush is a bit sad, though it’s kind of understandable since all of the challenges were streamlined and simplified for the movie. That doesn’t suck as much to me as the complete cutting of the Ladyhawke segment, as this book is what introduced me to that movie and I was hoping to see some reference to it. Changing up Aech the way they did kind of diminishes the impact of her reveal, and speaking of which, a lot of characters and backstory are glossed over or ignored, most egregiously Ogden Morrow. The book went into a bit more detail into Morrow, co-creator of the OASIS, and Halliday’s relationship, but in the film Morrow is seemingly shunted aside for much of the film. I don’t think any of this really ruins the film per se, but it certainly makes it a different beast from the book.

Now, time to sing the praises of this film: the visuals are stunning. The OASIS is a major focus of the movie, as it should be, and we get to see so many creative visuals and ideas take place, as well as insane amounts of crossover characters. You’d need to freeze frame every single crowd shot to catch them all; just watching it as I did I saw Duke Nukem, Jason Voorhees, the Battletoads, Hello Kitty, Harley Quinn, the Joker, Batman, and more among the crowds. It’s a lot like Wreck-It Ralph in that regard. Frankly, I kind of wish the entire film was just in the OASIS, because all of it is just so fascinating and fun and visually appealing… special props need to go to the extended trip into The Shining, which was recreated with eerie accuracy up until the parts where things go off the rails. I think this movie may be Spielberg’s greatest achievement visually speaking.

The parts of the film that take place in the real world aren’t nearly as good, but I don’t think they were necessarily bad either. They definitely had their good moments, and they certainly helped progress the plot forward as well as being important to the film’s overall message of “Don’t ignore reality in favor of escapism, because reality is where what’s most important really is.” And a good message that is, especially in today’s day and age. Still, some of the acting in the real world can be wonky, mostly whenever Wade is having romantic moments with Samantha AKA Art3mis. They do get better as the film progresses, but their romance arc in this movie is easily a weak point with how rushed and awkward it is. Guess Ernest Cline’s co-writing credit is really shining through there.

Our main characters themselves are all fairly well done, in OASIS and outside of it, though again, Wade and Samantha’s relationship in reality is a bit awkwardly written, and it’s not much better in the OASIS though there’s some more cool visuals to help you stomach things, but overall those two are enjoyable protagonists. Aech is still as cool as ever, though I am a bit disappointed they changed her character so much it made the impact of learning she’s a black lesbian (the latter fact is there but glossed over) a lot less impactful, as instead of her avatar being a white dude, it’s a hulking cyborg ogre. Still, I can’t deny Aech is still as cool as ever. Daito and Sho are also cool and have their roles expanded a bit from the book. Better yet, Daito does not get killed, so no awkward seppuku references that will make you cringe!

The villains are pretty cool too. First up is the OASIS insider I-R0k, played by T.J. Miller in his first act of penance for The Emoji Movie. It’s so fucking funny seeing this hulking, menacing death lord with skulls and shit all over him talk in the most nerdy voice imaginable. Still, he manages to shockingly be a menacing and capable threat, unlike his lame book counterpart. Then w e have the new villainess, F’Nale Zandor, a new character created for the film who serves as big bad Nolan Sorrento’s right-hand woman, acting out his evil schemes in the real world. She’s pretty cool and badass, and plays her role well enough; she’s sort of like a low-tier Bond henchman. Then we have Nolan himself, and while he is a stereotypical 80s corporate villain – a fact that even he lampshades – it’s hard not to appreciate a villain whose online avatar looks like Senator Armstrong and who calls forth Mechagodzilla as his ride in the final battle.

Speaking of the final battle, it is absolutely epic, but there has been a bit of contention due to the inclusion of the Iron Giant, and how it somehow goes against the non-violent themes of his titular movie. Well, you can rest easy in knowing that it’s just a giant mecha being piloted by Aech, and mostly what it’s doing is protecting everyone else from Mechagodzilla. The Iron Giant vs. Mechagodzilla is the greatest matchup I never knew I wanted.

Spielberg managed to do exactly what I expected him to do: he distilled everything that was good about the book, filtered out what didn’t work, and made a fun movie out of it. I can’t really justify totally calling this a style over substance film like I could with Batman v Superman or Miss Peregrine’s, because there actually is enough substance here to be serviceable and it has a very good message about the dangers of escapism and how allowing corporations to take away the neutrality of things is bad, but it’s definitely a movie you’re gonna wanna see for all the visuals more than anything. It’s a lot like Doctor Strange in that regard.

This is a great movie. Yes, great. If you love some really fucking cool visuals and can handle tons of cheese, this is the film for you. Honestly, it’s weird, but I’d really recommend this to everyone who disliked the book; you may find in a lot of ways that this is the book done RIGHT. As for people who love the book, this may be very much a love or hate affair; me, I loved it. I honestly can’t wait to watch it again and see what other secrets and cameos I pick up on, and just to bask in the glorious visuals of the OASIS. Leave it to Spielberg to polish something like Ernest Cline’s writing and produce a diamond, or at least a gemstone of significant value. It’s not a perfect film at all, but it IS a fun, enjoyable, and exciting one… kinda like a lot of the 80s films that inspired it.

[duallygirl178]

Dearest O'Malley chapter 23

Chapter 23

a few weeks later, Natalie worked off a lot of weight and her body looked like a coke bottle. What she didn't realize is she looked hotter than a ghost pepper on the barbeque. Natalie walked out with a boxful of clothes that she used to wear and so she asked; "O'Malley, can you drive me to GOODWILL? I need to drop this box off."

When I looked up at her from my nap, she looked tone and fit. I gasped and my jaw just dropped.

"IS THAT MINE?" I retorted with shock.

She had dropped about 20 or more pounds, her legs were toned with muscle, and her entire waist was shaped like Dolly Parton's figure. My eyes couldn't look away. I said it again when my eyes scanned Natalie as if I had no idea how much Natalie lost in weight. at first she had no idea what I was talking about, until she looked at her waist and smiled.

"What would Nathan say?" she asked me. At first I choked on my words for a second and I cleared my throat and said: "Nathan would lose his coco puffs on all of that. Wow girl, look at you, you have the body of Dolly Parton...I'm very proud of you." I said, sounding like a proud parent.   Then, I gave it a test by taking my left tire and I felt around the ankles and I gave her prat a swat like Nathan does sometimes. It was hard as metal but it made me smile. I was really impressed.

"Nathan's going to be so impressed. Tell you what kiddoh, when Nathan comes home from work, I'm going to take you clothes shopping after the thrift store. You really went ahead with your bad self there." I said.

I opened my empty trunk to help Natalie take her old clothes to the thrift store and we went on our way to GOODWILL. The workers unloaded the three boxes while they commented on me. I acknowledge it as a positive comment that they valued old cars such as I.

After an hour, Nathan and Ol Reliable got home from work and when Natalie went out to greet him, Nathan was nonplused with awe. He didn't notice it before but those curves really amazed him. Nathan caressed Natalie and swatted her butt the way sh liked it. She told him she wanted to go get new clothes shortly. Nathan agreed but first he would  have to eat before they went anywhere. Nathan and I discussed how improved Natalie was while she made him his favorite dish; fancy tots with cheese and ranch dressing. He liked how her figure attracted his attention right away and I told Nathan that she could get a lot of cars piled up if they didn't be careful.      As we were talking, Robin swung by to visit for a spell or two and when Natalie walked out in front of him. Robin's eyes popped out and said "Who's that?" As if he didn't recognize her. I looked at him with a puzzled face.

"It's just Natalie, remember?" I said.

"For real?" Robin crooned shocked.

I nodded to assure him. He looked at Natalie and agreed on himself that it was Natalie and she lost weight. Robin was impressed.

"Wow, looks good. Hey listen, I was just going to Goodwill myself and wondered if you'd like to tag along and get new clothes." Robin said.

"We were just going there ourselves to drop off some old clothes and get new ones. Why don't you join us?" I said.

Robin smiled and agreed. The four of us; Nathan, Natalie, Robin and I headed to Goodwill and dropped off the three boxes of clothes. One of the workers commented about me and that I should be turned into a low-rider. Natalie disagreed that she liked me just the way I was and I thought it was rude of the worker to say I should be a low-rider. After a bit, Natalie and Nathan went inside and Natalie shopped around for some new clothes. I was explaining to Robin how good Natalie looks and how she changed from being no chunkier than a bug to a fit woman. Robin told me Natalie looked like a new person and didn't even recognize her. We waited for a good 20 minutes and then we saw them come out with a bag of clothes. I predicted that Natalie found some new clothes and I couldn't wait to see them. shortly, when we got to my house Natalie showed me her outfits she bough in her hands. She took out a wardrobe from the bag and showed us each one. There were about 4 pair per outfit. The next step was for her to try them on and out on a fashion show.

The moment Natalie got in, Nathan, Robin, and I went home where Natalie tries on the first set of clothes she bought in one of the bags. She came out to show us in the carport. She was wearing leather looking vise shirt, long-legged boot cut jeans and a cowgirl hat. When Robin, Nathan and I saw her, we were amazed. She looked really hot! I smiled greatly, looked at Robin, looked over at Natalie and told her; “I think she found her inner hotness”

Agreeing so, Robin looked back at me, smiled and said;

“Yeah I think Nathan would totally fall in love with this new look, what do you think, Nathan?”

Nathan had Natalie turn a little, giving us a view from side to side. She turned  from the left side to the right side. The outfit was enough to put Sheryl Crow to shame. After 20 minutes of examining Natalie’s new outfit, she tried on the second outfit and not a moment too soon. Ol’ Reliable’s eyes widened, almost not recognizing her. He blinked and asked; “Am I dreaming or is that Natalie? She’s lost a lot of weight”

Natalie turned around once more before changing into the third set of clothes, Nathan gave her fanny a swat in appreciation before she did. Natalie showed us the third set of clothes she bought.  She came out wearing her horse tank top and shorty-shorts with a chain hanging out from the belt loops. We were shockingly amazed on how hot she looked. Nathan was twice as stunned.

“You look amazing  in those shorts.” he said.

Natalie smiled and softly said; “kind of makes Sheryl Crow look ashamed.”

I chuckled. I knew what she meant. As she was about to go change into her fourth pair of clothes, Nathan gave her a love grab and kissed her.

Then, Natalie came out wearing a jean jacket, with a blue shirt, and leggings. She looked like she was ready to go to a car show to judge all the cars in the lot. Nathan gave her another love swat on the caboose and was all over her. I liked it as I was looking at it.

“You should wear that piece to the car show that’s coming up. I like that look.” I said.

“Yeah baby, you look tighter than a cap on a glass coke bottle.” Robin said.

After Natalie showed us her outfits, I got a bath from her in a set of her old clothes. I watched her lather me up with soap. I felt like I was at a bikini car wash back in the 1980s. Then, she rinsed me off completely and dried me off with towels. Ironically I felt a little warmer than I usually felt. She dried my tires gingerly with the towel as she tried not to get mud on it.

“You little rascal, I’ll get you.” I smiled and Natalie blanketed my eyes with the towel in a playful way. She giggled as I tried to swipe it away.

Later on that night, we watched movies I haven’t seen in 20 years. Natalie found; “The Love Bug” from 1968 on NETFLIX. I hadn’t seen that one in 25 years and I remember watching it with Gonzo one time before Impa went missing. I remembered seeing a few subliminal messages that I took a lesson to. I also remembered watching a few more movies back in the day like Hot Rod Girl on television and California Kid from the 1970s in the theaters. Man, all those movies brought me memories I could refer back to. We watched a few good movies too; ones I haven’t seen yet that was made years ago in the 1950s and through 1970s. Although these movies were made a long time before or after I was born. We were watching Hot Rod Gang, Running Wild, and Killdozer. Natalie and I were making fun of Killdozer a little because it was cheesy and didn’t get much money in the millions. Nathan was sleeping on the couch by the time hit 11:40PM. He didn’t seem to mind.

“Uh guys, do you realize it’s been like three days. I’m not gonna run out of gas.” I said in character.

“Oh look I’m already screwed. How nice.” Natalie said to one of the guys running and hiding.

We laughed back and forth. That was a good one. I couldn’t imagine a better night. A bit after we watched Killdozer, we started to get sleepy. Natalie dozed off on me while we watching one of Mel Gibson’s movies. I looked at her and I turned off the movie until it was quiet. I nudged her until she woke up an went to bed without Nathan.

The next day, Natalie was telling me she had needed someone to practice her healing art on and I told her, she could practice on the two of us since there wasn’t anything she could use as a project. I had needed to spend some extra bonding time with her and what better way to connect than being a subject of the energy healing art.

That afternoon, Natalie spent a little time with Ol’ Reliable and me in a little relaxing activity of some energy work she learned many years ago. Natalie started with me first since I was the oldest. I felt myself slumbering into Natalie’s grip and without realizing it, I was drooling. It was about 54 minutes later when Natalie was finished and I felt dazed into the abyss of pure tranquility. I had so many hard memories in my past that I deserved a special treatment from a very special gal I was attached to. I felt 20 years young again.

“It’s good to be an old fella.” I said after the session. I was still a little sleepy.

I tried to get up but I fell right back down.

“I think you better rest a bit longer and let all the healing soak into you.” Natalie said.

“Good idea. I should rest.” I said. “what did you see in your third eye?”

“A lot of things; a desert with miles of wide open spaces and it was spectacular when it was sunset. In your kidney area, there was the whole entire Grand Mesa Colorado” Natalie said.

I smiled dreamily and laid down to rest.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While I rested, Natalie practiced her energy healing on Ol Reliable next. He had gone so strong without giving up or breaking down. Ol Reliable steeped down into relaxation and didn’t resist. She spend a good and plenty 45 minutes practicing her energy work on him and when I looked over at him. Ol Reliable was

(will continue this later)

[firjii]

A5, C1, F1, G4, J5, L3, N2, R4, U4, Y2, and Z4! Any OC you like, mix and match, up to you.

A fine list. I had to think about these overnight.

~For Bae Lavellan~

A5. what is their most impressive talent?

She actually excels at many things, but her most uniqueskill is that she can speak backwards. She’ll do it when she’s bored, she’ll doit when she’s upset, she’ll do it to unsettle someone she dislikes. She cansustain it for quite awhile if she’s feeling talkative. Leliana thought that itwas a secret code or cipher at first. When pressed, Bae didn’t have a goodanswer for why or how she’d learned to do it. It’s especially surprising whenyou consider that she’s not fluently multilingual – she was a hopeless studentwhen it came to elven, so she mostly gets by in Common.

J5. what brings them the most joy in the world?

Interesting question. Her skills aren’t necessarily what shetakes pleasure in – they’re just things that she happens to be good at. Sheenjoys problem solving and looking for things that other people miss (it’s anuncontrollable reflex anyway), so she enjoys climbing, especially if the goalis a quiet and private spot with a good view. When she was still living withher clan, it was one of the only ways that she could really clear her head. Shecan be a bit clumsy with other kinds of movement and doesn’t have big muscles,but she’s very flexible and climbing just…makes sense somehow. She could alwaysreach heights that others didn’t dare to go to or couldn’t see a way to get to,although she rarely did it for competition’s sake and not everyone realize howgood at it she was.

~For Gelya Tabris:~

G4. what parts of them do they like and dislike?

She always wanted more muscle. Life in the alienage meant alot of crime, and not just involving humans. There were few depths thatpickpockets and muggers wouldn’t stoop to. As befits a rogue, Gelya always hadfair reflexes, but no matter how much she tried to build muscle mass, she couldnever make real progress (partly because she was never exactly well-fed andpartly because she was born very prematurely and was never going to have alarge frame anyway). A man of even middling strength could have easilyoverpowered her, though luckily many elves pitied her instead and sometimesshunned her a little or even regarded her as mentally ill (which isn’tcompletely incorrect, though most of her psychological issues are directly dueto alienage life, not genetic predisposition).

She is, however, a very fast learner, and she knows it. Shecan improve greatly after making just one mistake, and once she’s learned howto do something, she never forgets it. She’s not especially skilled inanything, but it’s always been obvious – even to her – that her chances ofsurvival are ultimately better than many others’ because she understands how toadapt and adjust (even if it kills her a little inside sometimes). It’s a small comfort, but it’s enough to get her through the day.

~For Mervyn Lavellan~ [y’all haven’t seen him yet since he’strapped in the PS3, but he was my first Inquisitor and first DA build]

F1. what do they do for fun?

Though he didn’t grow up playing it, he ADORES chess and anyother games that even vaguely resemble it. He’s not always the absolute bestplayer, but his strategizing skills are a perfect foundation for learning it.He frequently hounds his advisors for a chance to hone his skills and learn newmoves. He can be quite cynical about non-elves sometimes, but he greatly admiresthe other races’ board games and sees the value in applying the skills neededfor them to real life and vice versa.

~For Radi Lavellan~

C1. how do they sit in a chair?

At a formal dinner table? Tidily and carefully. Her sitting posturein front of others is so polished that you’d think she’d grown up in Orlesianhigh society.

But in an armchair by a roaring hearth? All bets are off.She usually just ragdolls and passes out because she’s very prone to worrying andlong days and basically never gets enough sleep.

L3. are there any foods they hate?

Bread pudding, rosemary, and most pickled foods. She’s alsonot crazy about most liquor unless it’s cider, beer, or wine.

N2. what have they never done that they want to do?

While she’s socially confident and isn’t particularlyinhibited, she was never in a relationship pre-Inquisition. Growing up, she sawteenaged friends and family gradually marry off or at least get involved inmatchmaking, but she never even spent private time for a picnic with someone,never mind a kiss or something more. Cullen is her first everything.

It’s not that she didn’t want anyone prior to that (she’s not ace or aro), butshe saw enough families get separated by war, feuds, etc. that she couldn’tquite commit to the idea herself. She also always focused on protecting othersin the clan, so tbh she was honestly too busy keeping track of the clan’ssafety most of the time to really step back from worrying long enough to thinkabout it.

R4. have they broken any rules they now regret breaking?

I think she regrets that she doesn’t regret breaking rules. She’s usually done so for thegreater good and she only defies authority when its logic no longer serves agood purpose, but it’s happened often enough over the years that she waspainted as a cocky youngster early on. Some in the clan praised this and otherscalled her a traitor for it.

Now and then, she has a quiet moment of reflectionand wonders if things would have been better if she’d let others share some ofthe load. She’s not assertive by default and didn’t quite choose to be theguardian type – it sort of just happened in some moments when others didn’thave the same willpower. By the time she’d realized what she’d become, it wastoo late to change course…especially considering there was nothing actually wrongwith who she was.

U4. have they ever been doubted?

Considering she’s fairly atheist for an elf? You betcha.Plenty of people in her clan always resented her input/advice/opinions onimportant matters. Even the Keeper only let her be Second – Radi doesn’t try tostep on others’ toes and she doesn’t openly try to tell other people how tothink, but her lack of firm belief in the gods definitely meant that she waslooked down on, held back, and not always taken seriously.

Y2. what inspired you to create them?

It’s like this: my last DA OC was pretty nondescript on theoutside but basically scarred beyond recognition on the inside. I thought I’dtry the opposite with Radi: someone with a lot of literal scars but a bit lessof the “acute psychological trauma” side of things (not that there isn’t any,but it’s not the outright paralyzing sort like Bae has). She’s alsoneurotypical, so the scores of things that bother/confuse/upset Bae don’tnecessarily stand out to Radi.

I also have a bit of a hangup about making my OC’s look “tooperfect.” Granted, none of mine have horrible deformities and I’m thrilledevery time someone calls one of them cute, but mine don’t have fancy hair, alot of makeup, large eyes, flawless skin, etc. I’m not complaining becausethat’s 10000% deliberate. I spend much moretime making them look the way they do, not less.

While I definitely wouldn’t call Radi ugly, she does have some verydistinctive features which may or may not be attractive according tostereotypical beauty standards (a very angular jaw, noticeable cheek hollowsthat point to her scarily underweight tendencies rather than nice bonestructure, a cleft and sort of puffy chin, recessed eye sockets and puffy eyes that make her look a lot more squinty/suspicious than she actually is, etc.).

Furthermore, although she’s cis female, I wanted her to bean example of a woman who doesn’t necessarily get positively recognized for heroutward appearances since her features aren’t widely praised (or even widely acknowledged) for women. In fact, a fewpeople have already misgendered her. That actually makes me happy because it shows that Idid my job right.

And, of course, I loved the idea of having a character whohas very visible, very striking scars but actually isn’t that bothered by themcosmetically because they’re proof of just how tough someone can be – even ascrawny mage.

Z4. what’s their dream pet?

She’ll take every opportunity she gets to have a new pet, regardless of species, but she’s fascinated by turtles and tortoises. She’s goodaround most domesticated animals but appreciates the ones that have a quietsteadiness.

[calliecat93]

Star Trek Beyond. Since it looks like a fourth will will forever be stuck in Developmental Hell, this is currently the final part of the Kelvin Timeline. So far, haven’t been a fan. The Timeline has potential, but the character decisions must... fail. So dod Beyond manage to salvage anything?

In my opinion... yes. 100% yes. This film was great and I loved it~!!!

It DOES feel a little too late for me, but not too little. It’s still action heavy, but it’s still very good action. All the pros pf the first two films are still there. Effects, cinematography, acting, diversity in casting, and I failed to mention how all three have fantastic music. All of these continue to be highs, but the lows for me have been their lack of understanding the characters and TOS’ philosophy. This film had a new director and writers, which included Simon Pegg (Scotty) and while IDK how much into ST J.J. Abrams was (or I see conflicting accounts), it’s clear that the filmmakers this time DID understand and care for the original spur e material.

Kirk is FINALLY Kirk. There’s no womanizing. No cockiness, or at least not the same level as last time. He’s got the experience. He’s got the level-head. He’s got the strong will that made him such a great captain in TOS. It was good to place him during the Five Year Mission since that gives justification for his newfound maturity, though it means we don’t get to see it. But still, Kirk is so much more likable and competent. His crisis about his place as captain after going through the same thing over and over is a little out of place, it helps keep him differentiated from TOS Kirk while still honoring that incarnation and showing what was so great about him. They FINALLY got it right. Them also allowing him to reminisce about not getting to know his father also added so,e emotional depth that the first was lacking for his arc. It’s very much correction that may be too late, but is appreciated and finally I can call this man Captain James T. Kirk.

Spock and Bones are together for most of the film, and they’re both great! Spock was the one I was the most fine with and that continues here. Prime Spock’s death of course was sad, but with Nimoy’s passing it was inevitable and best not ignored. They used this to have Spock question his path and wanting to follow his predecessor and his legacy, which both in the films and in RL is VERY understandable. In the end, this isn’t Prime Spock. This Spock is his own being and needs to chart his own course. Which I’m glad that he decided to do in the end. Also t he ‘tracking device joke had me laughing SO hard XD Uhura relationships still unnecessary, but I’ve just accepted it at this point and it didn’t irk me the same way here as before.

Bones, compared to the last two films got it SO much better. He doesn’t really have an arc, but his character is allowed things to so. They pair him with Spock, allowing THAT dynamic to finally shine. While it’s not as emphasized as int he series, it feels like Bones is back in his proper place: the heart to Kirk’s body and Spock’s mind. He’s completely sympathetic to Spock’s loss and is supportive for Kirk, understanding how much his dad’s death and in turn his birthday affects him and being that emotional support that he needs. He is that emotional support that the two need and he is the one who keeps them alive, saving Spock’s life with his medical skill and limited resources. I still wish we had more but he didn’t feel left out and he feels like he freakin’ mattered.

Hell all the main crew felt like they mattered. Scotty got such great material and his friendship with Jaylah was really nice. Which I LOVE Jaylah BYW, a badass character who is smart, competent, and adorable without may unnecessary sexualization. Uhura was also a badass. I mean she ALWAYS has been but she got to kick ass here and was just fantastic. Chekov and Sulu were great as always, and of course it’s only appropriate to mention that this would be Anton Yelchin’s final performance as Chekov due to his passing. It’s sad especially because he was doing so well as the character and had so much ahead of him. But for the work he did in bringing this incarnation of Chekov alive, he did it beautifully and I thank him for it. The whole film felt like an ensemble piece, not just ‘Kirk and Spock and those other guys’ which even TOS was guilty of. I really love these characters and I enjoyed seeing them all be such a fantastic team.

The story is basic, but it didn’t need to be this complex piece about say... Starfleet turning into a military organization. Another major issue with the other two cause GDI just because you CAN do something doesn’t mean you SHOULD. Villain is fine enough for this film, though so far I feel like the films REALLY need to work on improving that part. But I also forgive it because they keep the focus on our heroes. This is a character driven film. The only real complaint is The Triumvirate still feels non-existent, but it IS greatly improved especially since we flesh out Spock and Bones’ dynamic. We now have the pieces and can imagine things for this incarnation and whenever the three were together, it just felt right. The three of them in the transporter room with Bones hating them all so much is PERFECT. It may not have been fully showcased, but they understood it. I don’t doubt that at all. The ending also had me smiling big and felt deserved. It marks that optimism for the future and for whatever awaits in the universe. Just as Star Trek was meant to mean.

So yeah, Beyond was a major improvement. This is what you get when you care less about getting those summer blockbuster box office numbers (IDK when this came out outside the year but still) and care about your characters and plot. What you get with people who care about the property you are rebooting, retaining the spirit but doing something new and more inclined to today’s values. I still like The Wrath of Khan, The Voyage Home, and The Undiscovered Country more and still haven’t seen the TNG films, but this is a good film that deserves to stand along those three. It’s the best reboot film for sure. If we get a fourth film, I truly hope that they keep the same care that went into this one. You don’t need flashy effects and action or plot complexity for a good film, you just need good characters, a good story, and people who care for and know what they are doing. This one honored TOS while being it’s own thing, as any good reboot should, and I respect that greatly.

So for rankings... I’ll give 2009 a 2/5 for good cinema elements, but otherwise an only okay plot and the characterizations/relationship establishments being poor. Into Darkness is a 2.5/5 for being better in the latter case, but still not great and for trying to cash in on elements and developments of the past without putting int he work that made the, great then. Beyond? 4/5. It’s not the best ST film (though again gotta do TNG), but a marked improvement over the other two with characterization, plot, and just felt like something made bu fans for fans. May be too little, too late but I am still happy that it happened a d was so welcomed after how I felt about the other two. The Kelvin Timeline has potential and this showed it, but whether it’ll have the chance to continue it remains to be seen. But the fans have something that they can get creative with. I want it to continue to end on a better note and see these characters more, but if it ends here, it’s not a bad place at all.

[shitloadsofwrestling]

Gregory Iron shared the photo above, along with the following caption:

READ & SHARE: I don't normally address things like this, but I'm making an exception in this case in an effort to make a point. On Sunday afternoon I wrestled for a promotion in Oconto, Wisconsin alongside my one legged tag team partner, Zach Gowen. It was brought to my attention that a local "wrestler" named "Cooter Bocephus" had an issue with this, because I, a performer with cerebral palsy, was booked over him. In a statement on his Facebook profile, under the name Bo Cephus --which has probably garnered zero attention from the internet wrestling community until this very moment-- he wrote the following: "This weekend a promotion had a man with cerebral palsy "wrestle."...isn't the goal to make what happens in the ring believable? Make you stop and think whoa, that guy or girl is a bad ass ...how does a person with a deformed arm/hand put a headlock on another person and make the fans believe it hurts, or the person really has the other locked in? ...my question is when is enough enough?" Let me address Mr. Bocephus' post, and if someone would kindly tag him, I'd greatly appreciate it. "The Handicapped Heroes" were brought into Wisconsin to perform as what we in pro wrestling call "an attraction," or "a draw." You see, Cooter-- if that's your real name-- the goal of a wrestling promotion, or any business for that matter, is to get asses into your place of business and to spend (or "draw") their money, thus making the business profitable. "The Handicapped Heroes", which features a wrestler with one leg from Detroit, and a wrestler with one partially functional arm due to cerebral palsy from Cleveland (that's me), have a unique story and look. When you put us on a flyer and advertise us, it's an attention grabber. Furthermore, booking a one of a kind team like us helps attracts sponsors and could even get the promotion featured on the news as further promotion! In fact, our story was covered by ABC News Wisconsin that very day! After I did some research, I'd argue that the character and story of "Cooter Bocephus," an out of shape local wrestler that has never wrestled outside of Wisconsin or Minnesota that portrays a redneck in jean overalls-- a character that's already been done on a larger stage and much better, I might add-- probably isn't going to draw many eyes to the product or from local TV stations. Furthermore, based on your lack of name value and overall inexperience (according to Cagematch.net, you've only had 27 matches since 2009) I'm going to assume that the cerebral palsy "wrestler" didn't take your spot, as I'm guessing that I cost much more money to book than you do. Now let's touch on your headlock comment, Mr. Bocephus. I mean, this headlock issue seems very important to you. You're probably the same type of "wrestler" that despite your lack of success in the industry and the fact that you've averaged about 3 matches a year over eight years, you throw around insider terminology freely as if you've traveled the road thousands of miles and know it all, despite never profiting a dime... ...actually I just checked your old posts, and you do. Go figure. Yes, I do have cerebral palsy. And yes, while I'd never word it this way-- because it sounds ignorant and disgusting for anyone to do so-- I do have a "deformed right arm/hand." However, as I mentioned earlier in this post, it's "partially functioning." While I shouldn't even have to explain this, my left arm is still fully functioning, and thanks to incredible grip strength from years of only utilizing my left hand, I can still lock a tight grip on to my right fingers and hand, successfully utilizing a headlock. If it didn't make sense, I wouldn't do it. I think it's fair to mention, though, that based on your pictures online, I think it could be argued that my "deformed" arm has more muscle definition than any muscle on your entire body. Also, after watching one of your matches, your headlock, as well as your in-ring psychology, could definitely use some work (match is included in the comments below). [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3_ZmMWwZHU&feature=youtu.be] One more thing. One of the words that Cooter used in his post was "believable" when it comes to in-ring performances with cerebral palsy... ...this is coming from a man whose finishing maneuver involves pretending to stick a rubber duck up his opponents' rectum. Hey, nothing against being silly if you're over and drawing money-- look at Joey Ryan. However, the fact is the only reason anyone knows "Cooter Bocephus" is because I took 15 minutes out of my day to acknowledge his existence. My point here? If you want to go far in pro wrestling, or anything in life, work hard. Travel. Go out and get as much in-ring experience as you can. Diet. Exercise. Be able to properly assess your situation, and figure out why you haven't got as far as you think you should be. There's always room for improvement. I try to improve daily. Don't be a Cooter, sitting on the internet, crying. Find an excuse-- or find a way. -Greg

[freshginandtonic]

My Watch is.. still going

Since starting a new position at work and waking up at 2:30 every morning I have become a hermit - bad for my social life and general wellbeing, but a great time to start watching a new TV series. Or rather, a show that’s not new at all, just one that everyone has been watching for 8 years, and I’m just jumping on the bandwagon now. Yes, I have finally gotten into Game of Thrones. As I write this I have five more episodes of the final season to watch, so I figured now was as good a time as any for some self-reflection on the fact that, in between working ten hours a day, the rest of my time has been devoted to finding out who will end up on the Iron Throne and sleeping.

I’ve always been of the credence that yes, one day when I’m 60 and have enough time, I will in fact sit down and watch Game of Thrones. That all changed at 4am in the last week of May, when I arrived at work to find a package on my desk -  w the words ‘unbowed, unbent, unbroken’ written on it - I later learned that was the motto of one of the great houses of GoT - and a USB inside, with the first season all ready for me. Thanks to my colleague Will, my watch had begun.

Throughout each episode I’ve live texted Will my thoughts, emotions and reactions to just about every scene - usually in all capitals. I’ve noticed this has greatly added to the quality of my viewing - it’s nice to know you can send a one line quote from Season 2 episode six and he’ll know exactly where I am in which episode and can respond in kind with a follow up line, appropriate gif or meme. It’s different to the normal viewing experience because while you don’t have the immediacy and intimacy of an in-person response, the anticipation of a text reaction feels like more of a shared, special event - I’m taking time while watching this thing to let you know I’m watching the thing: here are my raw thoughts. Far more exciting.

My phone had to be put down for some moments though - particularly for the Battle of the Bastards - it was such a sensory overload I couldn’t be trusted to text properly AND keep track of Jon Snow. 

So I began, a novice in season one (in love with Jon and Robb and protective of Ned - how well did THAT turn out?) and I quickly realised I wasn’t going to be able to get through this without some help. So I had some red wine to cope with the first big death of the season (it’s been so long I can’t really remember who it is now) and got on with it. Then came Ned’s death (cue gasps) and onwards to the most important part of season three - no, not the Red Wedding - you better believe I’m talking about Robb Stark’s first relationship and sex scene w cute healer Talisa. I will say I never thought a scene with a leg amputation could be choked with sexual tension, but let me tell you GoT made it happen (context: Robb is on the battlefield being smouldery, Talisa comes to help a wounded enemy soldier and has to cut his leg off while she and Robb exchange heated flanter) and then they finally get it on after she tells some heart wrenching story about her brother (sad but it went right out of my head as soon as I saw Robb’s bum. It’s the important things).

There’s been a lot written about the shock value of Game of Thrones - killing main characters for the sake of killing them, using sexual violence as a plot device, and gratuitous violence. Regarding the sex and violence; first, there’s a Lot if it. A lot more than I thought. Lots of boobs and bums and moments where I had to pause when a family member came into the room. I was pretty surprised at how normalised this became for me - before long I found myself glad and inwardly cheering when someone got axed, poisoned, or ripped apart by dogs (you all know who I mean here.) 

When violence was used, sometimes in not-so-great moments (shall we be reminded of Sansa’s awful rape scene) - it did  sometimes serve as a real catharsis to see some truly terrible people be given their comeuppance (Ramsay’s great ending, Joffrey’s wedding, ) Other people who don’t deserve it are brutalised as well (once again Sansa, and how many others I can’t remember). There’s definitely no discrimination on that front.

 There’s also a weird sense of redemption. Not in every character (obvs - what show is this again?) but being able to follow a character’s arc in one go without break has made their journey all the more meaningful. Particularly for the character of Theon: (a brief summation: he betrays his adopted family and best friend, then gets mutilated and psychologically tortured and broken down before he breaks down and changes). Seeing him come to back to life and find his morals again has been a real highlight and emotional strongpoint of the show for me. I cheered and teared up for each bout of progress he made - fair play to him, he took his fucking time and made loads of mistakes along the way, but he got there.

Regarding the controversial Ending™ my dad told me he read about one guy who binged the whole show like I’ve done, and he had a markedly improved opinion of the final season compared to other people. Everyone I’ve spoken to has, in their own words, said there’s a Golden Period (roughly seasons 2 - 6), and then everything from then on is basically horse shit. I don’t know if that’s right or I’m in a position to judge yet, but right now there’s nothing more satisfying to see characters who have been on separate journeys for literally 8 seasons come together and interact after so long.

So to sum up watching seven and a half seasons, roughly 68 hours and 4080 minutes of TV in under a month - it’s been A Lot. I think I have popular and unpopular opinions about the characters and storylines (pop: Jaimie and Brienne need to bang) vs (unpop: Dany’s character development - nope and she needs to stop conquering cities pls). I am glad I’ve waited this long to watch it all in one go (if I had to wait a year to find out what happened to Jon Snow after the season five finale I would have fucking RIOTED). I’ve appreciated the small moments: the Night’s Watch banter, the dire pups, Jon and Ygritte’s excellent enemies to lovers relationship (a personal favourite trope of mine), and everything Varys says, to the bigger pieces of the puzzle: Jon’s true heritage, the Stark’s getting avenged, Arya’s and mainly Sansa’s transformation from the girl who wanted to marry Joffrey to the absolute badass bish she is from where I currently sit.

So is my life changed? Nope. But at least now I’m part of the cultural carpet. My watch is nearly over, but what an absolute time its been.

HONOURABLE MENTIONS OF GREAT MOMENTS FOR THOSE IN THE KNOW (AKA EVERYONE ON EARTH)

Sam getting ripped for reading by all the dudes in the Night’s Watch

Dany’s excellent outfit choices in s7/8 - a particular shoutout to the winter outfit of season 7 episode 8 and the grey frock with the red dragon cape (LIVING for the texture)

Ditto Cersei - taking power suits to a whole new level since taking the Iron Throne (this particular outfit is an absolute LEWK and the picture doesn’t do the spiky shoulders justice)

Jon’s transition to the man bun post-resurrection (I personally detest man buns but I absolutely loved this change for him)

Sansa’s dead straight curtain of hair - there’s something super satisfying about it after years of her wearing those Padme Amidala style ‘Southern Style’ hair

The entirety of House Tyrell (particular mention to Lady Olenna who deserves all the awards in the world for only killing one character in this show)

Lady Margaery’s sassy backless dresses (she knows how to make the most of the King’s Landing climate)

Jaime and Brienne’s entire relationship (from the enemies to friends trope to him GIVING HER HIS SWORD AND A WHOLE SUIT OF ARMOUR) - if that’s not a love confession then I will just cut off my own damn hand

The entirety of the shirtless Flex Scene™ of the pilot

Sansa saying the iconique phrase ‘How do you answer these charges, Lord BaELISH’

Any time anyone said the words ‘King in the North’

Battle of the Bastards - need I say more. I won’t big it up like so many of the magazines and entertainment websites did, but it felt like one of the most realistic depictions of a medieval battle you could find. I felt it in my gut. I don’t know how you couldn’t. When Jon couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t breathe.

Bran literally being the group member of the assignment who drags you down bc he just sits in a cave

[ciathyzareposts]

Game 365: Muryaden (1989)

You are not misinterpreting this screen. The troll is having his genitals stimulated by a magic stone. It’s that kind of game.

           Muryaden

France

Elrik et Deckard (developers); Bytlejuice (publisher)

Released in 1989 for Apple II

Date Started: 12 May 2020

Date Ended: 14 May 2020

Total Hours: 5 Difficulty: Moderate (3/5) Final Rating: (to come later) Ranking at time of posting: (to come later) 

           At first glance, Muryaden is another Ultima clone, but I guess it was intended as a sort of anti-Ultima. It was made by developers who held at least mild contempt for not only Lord British but the entire history of American RPGs. I get this from a web page that one of the authors used to maintain; I would appreciate if anyone who speaks French fluently would scan this page and let me know if there’s anything in the following account that I got wrong. I can read French, but I’m having trouble with this French, which seems to include a lot of slang and nonstandard uses of words. Do French people really use ricaines as a slur for “Americans”?

      Anyway, the chief complaint of Elrik and Deckard seems to be that the American approach to fantasy RPGs was too “clean.” They were less interested in high fantasy of the Tolkien type and more interested in gritty Conan-style sword and sorcery, with attendant sex and gore. In their authors’ desires to ensure that their programs wouldn’t be banned by “austere Puritan traditionalists,” they argued, American RPGs always take place in a “quasi-religious atmosphere” in which a noble purifier “arrives at the right time to deliver the world from a diabolical oppressor.” The plots are interchangeable and the universes are “clean and hygienic,” with no sex, brothels, or even any latrines.

           The game is credited to “Elrik” and “Deckard.”

         I think the authors go a bit too far in imputing motive to American RPG developers (and not far enough in appreciating them for, you know, inventing the genre in the first place), but I’ll concede that they have a point. American CRPGs in the 1980s are awfully vanilla. I don’t know that the solution lies in graphic descriptions of demon ejaculate, but at least it gets points for originality.

      The backstory for the game thus reads less like someone trailblazing a new era in realism and more like the fruits of the perverse imaginations of two sex-starved young men. I’m going to elide quite a lot, partly to prevent Google from putting an NC-17 warning on my blog, partly because I didn’t always understand the language, and partly because I just found it gross. Some misunderstandings of my previous positions have led to an incorrect “The CRPG Addict has a problem with breasts!” belief, but I have no problem with the perception that I have a problem with graphic description of anal manipulations with tentacles. That belief is 100% accurate.

The story begins when a sorcerer named Mithgul moved into the middle of a fairly generic fantasy kingdom. He holed himself up in his fortress and got to work on various inventions and experiments, almost all of a sexual nature. He created a “stone of beauty,” an artifact that endowed its holder with “unlimited charisma,” such that he could drive a crowd of people to mass suicide. He mated humans with demons and beasts to produce all kinds of abominations. He collected fluid samples from dozens of species and invented a number of creative aphrodisiacs.

               The game is at first visually indistinguishable from one of the Ultimas.

          Mithgul’s efforts came to an end when the seed of a demon mixed with some other chemicals and caused an explosion that destroyed Mithgul’s tower. Unfortunately, the escaping vapors engulfed the nearby town of Bar-Calenlad and turned the entire population into nymphomaniacs, leading to massive population growth. A local order of paladins didn’t have any hope of maintaining their chastity vows, and soon their fortress had expanded enough in population to form a new city, Bar-Tolainor. Trolls escaping from Mithgul’s dungeon formed their own city, Echorkeliant. Generations later, each city has developed its own sado-sexual traditions. Lately, a villain named Beltrik the Skatomancer has re-inhabited the ruins of the fortress. He’s kidnapped the daughter of King Valdrin and caused such strife among the trolls that they’ve split into two factions. Into this milieu, the character is dropped without an explicit quest yet.

                 Character creation.

         Character creation doesn’t break much new ground. You assign a name and race (human, elf, dwarf, hobbit), after which the game randomly rolls for wisdom, strength, dexterity, and intelligence, modified by race. These four attributes together determine the derived statistics of vitality, charisma, skill, and perception. Your choice of class (sorcerer, priest, warrior, thief) has further effects on these statistics, and finally you can specify a “type” (charmer, skillful, attentive, resistant) that makes further modifications.

           My early-game character sheet.

          The game begins with the character standing on the plains outside Bar-Calenlad. The game world is a small 58 x 58, but it seems larger because of frequent random encounters. There are the three cities mentioned in the backstory plus a few dungeons and Castle Gondarnost. The interface follows Ultima‘s tradition of mapping commands to individual keys, such as C)hercher (search), O)uvrir (open), and P)énétrer (enter, as in a city).

           Can someone tell me what the phrase y-a peau d’Zébi means?

           Enemies mostly include fantasy standards like orcs, trolls, bandits, mercenaries, zombies, kobolds, and giant spiders and snakes. They’re not seen in the environment until they attack. Combat is a little more complex than Ultima but not quite as complex as, say, Wizardry. You face only one enemy at a time, and you have options to fight, change weapons, cast a spell, use an object, advance, back off, surrender, or steal. “Advance” and “back off” are unusual commands, but there’s a distance consideration in combat, with enemies and characters occupying four potential spaces from très proche (very close) to très loin (very far). Certain weapons work better (or don’t work at all) at various distances. 

         Fighting an ettin from “close enough.”

                    The cities are menu cities that offer various options depending on the city. Bar-Calenlad offers an inn, a Temple of Eros, a guild, an alchemist, a weapon/armor shop, and a fence. Early on, I didn’t understand the options for the other places, so I just bought a dagger and robe (the only items my strength would let me wield) and headed out to fight.

             Menu options in the troll city of Echorkeliant.

           It took me a lot of deaths (fortunately, reloading is quick) before I realized the importance of getting physically close to the enemy when all you have is a dagger. The good news is that when you’re that close, enemies spend a lot of their turns trying to back off, which you can allow or not. If you’re successful in disallowing it, the enemy has wasted the turn; if he manages to back off, you can just advance your next round. These advantages helped make up for how lousy a dagger and robe are as melee weapons.

         After I strike a decisive blow, the thief tries to back off.

          Still, combat was pretty hard, so after I’d won a few battles, I went into the town to check out some of the other options. Fully healing takes only a single gold piece at the Temple of Eros, which is nice. But equally beneficial are temporary boosts to each attribute that the temple offers for 20 gold pieces. If you load up with a couple of these (strength, dexterity, or vitality) before heading out, they greatly improve your chances in combat. You can get similar boosts from potions at the alchemist’s, only these you can carry with you and use in the field at the appropriate times. Finally, when you earn a few hundred experience points, you can spend them at the guild for permanent attribute increases. As you buy these, the game re-calculates the derived statistics. All told, it’s a tight, satisfying combination of character development and economy.

Even better, you can pay experience points to change classes. If you decide you want some magic in your life, that’s only 100 or 200 experience points away.

           In 7 more experience points, I can increase my dexterity or change to a sorcerer or warrior class.

        I spent a couple hours fighting, building my fortune, and buying attribute increases as I tried to count the number of tiles in the land. Once I was loaded up on buffs, I headed off on the first quest lead, which I got from the inn. When I first checked into the inn, I saw three options with escalating values, and I assumed they were different quality rooms. Later, thinking I was buying a room for the night, I chose the first option. It turns out that the three options are subjects about which you’re bribing the bartender. For the subject “Ered-Morglin,” I learned:

           It is a cyclops who directs the mines of Ered-Morglin. His talents as a blacksmith allowed him to make powerful relationships. However, the wise men of Bar-Tolainor suspect him of having allied with Beltrik. They promise their eternal gratitude to whoever brings them the head of the one-eyed monster.

        I explored around until I found the dungeon of Ered-Morglin. Dungeons are top-down in this game, not first-person. Otherwise, they’re like exploring cities in the early Ultimas. Some enemies appear out of nowhere, just like in the wilderness, but others are in fixed locations. Secret doors are clued with little breaks in the walls, just as in Ultima IV.

          Note the secret door in the wall to my left.

          If there’s any way so far in which Muryaden lives up to its backstory and intent, I suppose it’s in the room descriptions that you receive while exploring the dungeon, although none of them are as bawdy as the backstory.

        You see a convergent layer of manticore excrement and blood.

The remains of an orgy: the bowels of elves marinated in the blood of gnomes.

You see a statue of Grumsh impaling an elf on a lance!

         The combats in the dungeon wore down my vitality to the point that I couldn’t really take any damage or I’d have to reload, but I stubbornly kept at it until I found the cyclops and managed to kill him and take his head. I also found a key beyond him that must be important somewhere. There were only two treasure chests in the dungeon; both had a modest amount of gold.

             I have slain the cyclops and can now take his head.

            I triumphantly carried the cyclops head to the city of Bar-Tolainor. I visited the sage, who I don’t think gave me any reward at all unless you consider a new quest a reward:

         My premature ejaculation is a sign! You are the chosen one. Your destiny is to fight the libidinous Beltrik whose secret I will reveal to you. In fact Mithgul did not perish when his complex exploded. He and the demon he had summoned suffered the full effect of the brunettes. Thus they have fornicated for centuries until the effect of the malefice dissipates. The demon then became familiar with Mithgul. The archmage is daring and perverted by his experience. Had lost much of his knowledge. He renamed himself Beltrik and dedicated himself to the forces of chaos. Here is a letter of introduction to the king. Valdrin will no doubt offer you a substantial reward.

            Meanwhile, from the other two auberge options back in Bar-Calenlad, I learn:

            In Térégroth resides the Matriarch and her supporters. All are fanatical worshipers of Vaprak and pay bloody tributes to him. The ritual sacrifices organized in honor of the Destroyer are also cannibal orgies, where sins of flesh and money are indiscriminately consumed. This citadel has never, until now, been threatened, thanks to its high walls and its mithril door. Yet each door has its own key; that of Térégroth could also open the Matriarch’s chastity belt.

The lair of Beltrik, the lustful wizard, remains unknown to this day. The sages, however, called it Coron Raugul and claimed it was protected by an invisibility spell. They also say that it is guarded by a nigh-invincible golem. This sentinel, however, has a weak point: its diarrhea, which it can only wipe with the sheets of a spellbook cursed three times. This book is the Pnakoticus Qhultis of Count Bren-lette, also called P. Q. The golem will gladly let pass anyone who offers him a roll of this precious paper. [The joke here is that P. Q. in French is the abbreviation for toilet paper.]

            So few golems in ricaine RPGs are cursed with diarrhea, and I just want to say I think it’s what’s been missing. 

          Getting a clue on the final quest.

           Unfortunately, I ran into a technical problem that’s going to prevent me from continuing with the game without starting over. While I was exploring Ered-Morglin, testing the walls for secret doors, I found an illusory wall that let me out of the dungeon, onto a random part of the map terrain. I figured that it was a secret “back door.” By walking one space back the way I’d come, I returned to the dungeon. I didn’t think anything of it, and I finished the dungeon. Because it was closer the cyclops than the main entry, I used the “back door” to get out. I was able to turn in the quest without any problem.

I soon realized that the “back door” wasn’t that at all but a game corruption. The game still thinks I’m in the dungeon, and if I wander on the map into any coordinates that the dungeon level covers, I suddenly find myself back in the dungeon. Since there are towns and dungeons, and I think even the castle in that coverage area, that’s no good. I need to be able to enter those areas on the main map without warping to the dungeon. Unfortunately, trying to exit from the dungeon the regular way just freezes the game. I thought maybe if I found a second dungeon and entered and exited, it would work, but those aren’t on the accessible part of the map.

           As far as I can get.

       Fortunately, I don’t need to win it myself because “Deckard’s” web page describes what happens: The player takes the letter of introduction from the sage to King Valdrin of Gondarnost, who steps out of his harem long enough to give the player a new quest. Valdrin’s daughter was kidnapped by Beltrik, used as a “toy” for a while, then given to the Matriarch of Térégroth. Valdrin wants her back so he can marry her to the troll king, Bortrog, to seal an alliance between the cities. Valdrin also suggests that Bortrog would reward the character for killing the Matriarch.

            Defeating the Matriarch. Don’t ask me why the screen shots are in this color.

         The key found in Ered-Morglin turns out to be the key to Térégroth and the Matriarch’s chastity belt. The player goes to Térégroth, kills the Matriarch, recovers the chastity belt as proof, and frees the princess. The game makes a point of noting that the princess’s cell smells of urine, because that was important. The princess appears in your inventory, and from then on you can “use” her like any object for things I’ll leave to your imagination.

     You return the princess to Valdrin, who does marry her to Bortrog. Bortrog rewards you for the Matriarch’s belt. But he doesn’t think his new bride is sexy enough, so he wants Beltrik’s beauty stone. The scroll found in Térégroth turns out to be the key to finding the invisible city of Coron Raugul. It’s also the item necessary to give to the golem to let you pass. 

           The player confronts Beltrik.

        In Coron Raugul, the player defeats Beltrik and his pet demon and finds the stone, which turns out to be called “Muryaden” for whatever reason. Bringing it back to the troll king results in a congratulatory screen in which the troll king gives you the stone (after he’s done using it). His mage attunes the stone so that it will serve like a permanent Potion of Healing. The player can continue killing monsters and building his statistics if he wants.

           The winning screen.

           It will surprise no one that the plot elements of Muryaden aren’t my favorite parts of the game. The authors’ complaints about a certain lack of grit in the typical RPG of the period are not wrong, but the solution would lie in the future, with more complex characters, more nuanced plots, an in general better writing, not in the toilet humor of a couple of teenagers. At the same time, though, there are plenty of elements of the game that I don’t mind. I like the low-key nature of the quests. I like that the main character is more of a mercenary than a hero, and that none of his employers are sparkling clean. I like that the developers kept it small and short, understanding that they didn’t have the mechanics for an epic game. And as I said above, character development and combat are pretty tight. It earns a 24 on my GIMLET, doing best in character development, combat, economy, and gameplay (3s). That’s not a horrible score for an independent Ultima clone.

Elrik and Deckard continued their partnership with Muryaden Livre 2 in 1991. I can only hope that the extra two years matured their storytelling while preserving their inventiveness. I’m not sure what happened to them after that. “Elrik” was a pseudonym for Eric Bertrand, and there is a programmer of that name with numerous credits on Ubisoft titles, but his ludography doesn’t pick up until 2006, or 17 years after Muryaden, and I’m not sure if it’s the same developer. “Deckard” seems to be a Jean-Marc Boutillon; from an interview he gave, I don’t get the impression that he worked on anything more than these two titles.

We are going to move on to Abandoned Places: A Time for Heroes after another Britannian episode.

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/game-365-muryaden-1989/