#SAI IS NICE SIMPLE AND LINEAR

[freakxwannaxbe]

I want to cry every time I try to learn how to use CSP there is so much all at once and it's not instinctual at all aGHHH

[reploidbuddy]

So uuuh am i I the only one whose favorite Shadow the Hedgehog 05 level is Lost Impact

[fiapartridge]

summer lovin' | luke hughes

luke hughes x bsf!reader

summary: it's another summer at the lake house and everything is different, yet nothing has changed...

word count: 1.7k

warning(s): cursing, little heated makeout sesh but nothin too spicy

i love lake house imagines, they're always such good vibes

It was the first night of the summer and you couldn’t be more excited. You and the boys had a tradition every first night of the summer before everyone else came (“everyone else” being Duker, Z, Turcs, Coley, and Alex). You would jump into the freezing cold lake, your mom would scold the four of you for tracking water into the house, Ellen would start on dinner, and you and Luke would go rifling through the cabinets, trying to find all the ingredients to make s’mores. Your mom always had the kitchen stocked with food by the time you guys were done jumping into the lake.

Once everyone’s bathing suits were on, it was a race down to the dock. And every single year, after everyone’s bedroom doors swung open, and your eyes met in a showdown that would rival that of a cowboy duel in old western films, you would say the starting line. “LAST ONE TO THE DOCK IS A ROTTEN EGG!”

And all hell broke loose.

Jack hip-checked you the second you flooded into the hallway, you grabbed Luke’s ankle, yanking him to the ground as Quinn gave Jack whiplash by pulling on the back of his cap. The journey to the dock was always ruthless. Ellen liked to call it “The Hunger Games” and she swore she could always feel a slight rumble once everyone’s doors to their rooms flew open and they fearlessly bounded into the hallway.

Jack slid down the stair railings, you climbed on top of Quinn’s back as he rushed down the steps, and Luke took the stairs three steps at a time with his long legs, beating everyone to the bottom floor of the house. 

From the living room and out the back door, it was a simple sprint to the dock with the occasional pushing and shoving, mainly from Jack. Quinn liked to maintain a linear path with a quick pace and Luke always held your hand (it made it easier to drag you into the lake once you got to the dock).

Once everyone’s feet hit the wood of the dock, it was only seconds later until they were in the water, kicking back up to the surface. 

“You bitch!” you laughed as Luke took hold of your ankle, pulling you back down. As soon as you popped up from the water, you grabbed his curls, dunking him back in.

Jack and Quinn were already back on the dock, sitting side by side as they held makeshift mics and commentated on your guys’ fight. 

“Y/N has him by the neck! OH, and he’s back under the water!” Jack announced, putting on his professional announcer voice. “She has this one in the bag! I would tap out now if I were you, Lukey.”

Quinn shook his head. “No way! Moosey can slam dunk her five foot ass in his sleep!”

You resurfaced, latching onto Luke’s shoulder. “I’m not five feet!”

“Right,” Quinn nodded. “Four foot eleven, I mean.”

You rolled your eyes, splashing him as the two boys laughed upon reentering the lake, dowsing you and Luke with water. Luke grabbed hold onto the bottom of your thigh, swinging your leg over his back, and hiking you up his shoulders. The air felt cold against your exposed skin, but you couldn’t care in the slightest. This was your favorite moment of the summer.

No parents, no rules, and as much as you love the other boys, it was nice just being with the “core four” as your mom and Ellen liked to call your group.

Once the sun started to set, and your energies began to die down, you made it back into the house, getting greeted with the smell of homemade dinner and, based on so many summers before, Ellen’s famous apple pie. 

“Water!” your mom pointed out as you all groaned in response, quickly wiping yourselves down on the back porch and reentering the house.

 “Get showered and meet us outside– the weather is so nice tonight,” Ellen smiled, kissing everyone’s cheeks as your footsteps up the stairs rattled the walls of the house. You always felt so tired and heavy after swimming in the lake for hours, but you somehow always had energy. Quinn claimed you were on crack (“There’s no way she isn’t! She’s slept for four hours in the past two days and somehow still wants to play tennis!”), but Luke always knew that you were just excited. You talked about the summer all the time, and with Luke and Jack being in New Jersey, Quinn being in Vancouver, and you being in California, it was hard to find any time to be with them.

“Welcome to the 20th Annual Hughes L/N Summer Vacation Fun Time!” Ellen beamed, clapping as she watched everyone’s contorted faces. “What?”

Quinn was the first to burst out laughing, followed by Jack, you, Luke, and then - surprisingly - your mom. “You really have to think of a shorter title, El,” your mom snickered, passing the mashed potatoes around the table. 

You were having dinner in the backyard, fairy lights strung around poles, fireflies dancing in the warm summer air, music humming out of Jack’s old mini speaker (you bought it for him for Christmas a couple years ago and he never leaves home without it), and the sound of water gently rushing against each other, which pulled you back to the present. 

“No! You called Dad and told him that I had herpes!” Quinn pointed at Jack from across the table, the rest of you laughing like there was no tomorrow.

Jack rolled his eyes. “I didn’t tell him you had herpes, I told him you had mono,” he scoffed, shoving a piece of steak into his mouth.

“Yeah, I was the one who told him you had herpes,” you chuckled as you jumped out of your seat, sprinting away from Quinn as he chased you around the backyard before picking you up and throwing you over his shoulder. 

“I will drop you into the lake, Y/N/N.”

Your eyes were filled to the brim with tears, you couldn’t stop laughing. You hit his back. “Let me down, Huggy, or I’ll tell him you have Gonorrhea and Syphilis, too!”

Quinn dropped you back into your seat, shaking his head. “No more med students at the lake house.”

Everyone laughed before Ellen broke out into a story about the time Jack fell into the toilet when he was three. 

“I was small and the toilet bowl was massive, okay! It was destined to happen!”

Luke smiled at you, watching you giggle and joke with his family. No one else knew this, but Luke visited you in California every couple months. He liked to blame it on the gigantic ocean waves and also getting to see Z and Turcs, but you both knew it was more than that. But you also both knew that you would hate yourselves if this perfect dynamic was ruined because you guys tried to be something. 

Luke leaned in, whispering. “Roof after dinner?”

You simply nodded, knowing you were going to go whether he asked or not. It was another tradition, but just for you and Luke. 

By the time dinner was over, your back was resting against the exterior of the house, sitting 20 feet above ground level. You waited for Luke to join you on the roof as he said he was going to help Quinn text this new girl he was talking to. You were sure that Quinn would do much better without the unique stylings of Luke Hughes’ so-called “rizz,” but you let him be, excited to see them crash and burn later on. 

As Luke slipped through the window and sat down beside you, you watched the stars blanket the night sky, illuminating the atmosphere around you. It was easier to see the stars here at the lake house rather than in California where you were constantly surrounded by bright lights emitted by tall buildings and trillions of cars.

“I wish I could stay here forever,” you sighed, resting your head against Luke’s shoulder.

“What, you don’t love California?” he joked, knowing that you absolutely hated it. You hated being away from home, you hated being away from your friends, you hated being away from your family, and you especially hated being away from Luke. He was your best friend, and for the past couple of years, it felt like he was more than that.

“I thought I loved it. But there’s no you there,” you frowned, nudging the side of his arm. “There’s no Quinn, there’s no Jack, there’s no Ellen. My mom is on the other side of the country, the people are rude and stuck-up, and… I just hate being away from you.”

Luke sighed before sitting up, slipping your head off his shoulder. “Why don’t you just come back?”

You narrowed your eyebrows, not quite understanding what he was talking about. “What?”

“Why don’t you transfer to UMich? I mean, our moms live in Michigan, it’s only an hour away from Jersey by plane. You already know all my teammates from college, your friends go there, it has one of the best nursing programs in the US. I mean, it makes sense, right?”

“It’s not that easy.”

His arms rose. “Why not?”

“I still have to apply and–”

“You’ll get in,” he stated, his hands holding onto your shoulders. “You’re the smartest person I know, Y/N/N. Michigan would be stupid not to accept you.”

And it would be stupid to kiss him right now, right? 

Right?

Before you could even question it, your lips were already on his, moving back and forth like the lake when you guys would go wakesurfing: messy, hungry, sweet, exhilarating. Luke grabbed the back of your thigh, hiking you over him as he held onto your waist. Your hands were tangled in his mess of curls, your tongues fighting for dominance. 

“I’ve wanted this for so long,” Luke muttered against your lips.

You smirked, biting on his bottom lip as he elicited a low groan. He kissed down your jaw, settling on your neck as you leaned back, giving him more access to the skin there. Your breaths were ragged as he sucked on a spot that felt so good.

“Don’t stop,” you breathed.

“NO WAY!” Luke’s lips were off you in a second as you both made eye contact with Jack who stood by the window, his jaw slacked in shock and two cans of White Claws rolling out of his hands. “QUINNER, GET YOUR ASS IN HERE! THEY’RE TRYING TO HAVE SEX!”

[mufos-photo-album]

Experiments in Wayfarer Language Visualizations

(Fancy words for "how I plan to represent the Wayfarer language in a webcomic format". Transcript at bottom of post)

[ID: Two screenshots of the Wayfarer language being spoken, represented by a yellow-colored text bubble with Journey symbols underneath the written text]

Up until now, I depicted the Wayfarer language by using some combo of yellow-colored text bubble and over/underlaying some Journey symbols underneath.

When it comes to adapting this for a webcomic, I wanna change this up, since grabbing/cropping the symbols is too time-consuming, but only having a yellow-colored text bubble feels plain (even though it gets the message across that what is being spoken is a different language).

The complexity factor is important to me since the Journey/Wayfarer calls are a lot more layered/complex than other calls in Sky. This auditor[y] aspect is something I wanna convey visually.

Below is the solution I have cooked up for this future problem. No more symbols (unless the contents are deliberately obscured from the reader), and auditor[y] complexity is conveyed by the complexity of the text bubble itself. I hope to make replicating this effect easier for myself in the future by having a template I can trace over.

[ID: A linear scale measuring level of fluency (of the Wayfarer language). The left side is "fluent" and the right side is "doesn't understand". 4 characters are arranged across the scale indicating their level of fluency. Piripu is most fluent, Odiwa's Wayfarer is pretty good, Kucevoz's could use some work, and Mufotsuki doesn't speak Wayfarer. Each of them has a differently styled speech bubble to convey this information.]

This kind of set up would allow for some fun language-based interactions.

Pictured to the left: When everyone at the function is speaking a language you don't understand, and the only word you recognize is your own name.

[ID: A simple doodle of Piripu and Mufotsuki talking. Piripu, in Wayfarer, says: "... It's nice and all, however Mufotsuki tends to talk a lot in her sleep". Mufo, only able to recognize her name, replies: "Are you talking about me...?"]

[mistercrowbar]

Heya! Firsr I wanted to say that I love your art it always makes me smile when I see it. I'm trying to learn how to draw, and eventually want to be able to draw stuff like yours. Do you have any tips/ advice on how to improve on drawing characters?

I could give the Fine Art Answer and go on about drawing from observation, from photo reference, making master studies, gestures, linear perspective, colour theory lightning composition etc etc etc but really

Let obsession grab you and ride it

I’ve known plenty of people whose art skills took off because they got into D&D and wanted to draw their OCs and they kept drawing and drawing and learning along the way. It can start as simple as, how do I draw my character making a really angry rage scream, and so you go to a mirror and make silly faces and draw from that. Then it can go to, I want to draw my OC and their party in that funny scene we RP’d at the tavern, so you start grabbing references for the interior of such a place, dabble in that perspective thing to lay out the bar, find references for the pirate NPC’s parrot, add some other elements just to frame everything nicely and bam, you’ve drawn yourself a full scene, got experience in drawing interiors, and learned some avian anatomy.

I do emphasise starting small and having fun. I illustrate full time for a living so that’s why most of what I post is silly sketches, I just wanna get the ideas out there without stressing myself. You wanna make art a habit, you want to make it something you look forward to doing, instead of getting wrapped up in thinking every new work has to be a masterpiece. Try to learn one thing at a time and add it to your repertoire instead of lumping a bunch of lessons in at once.

One thing specifically for characters, don’t jump right into making a reference. They’re likely to evolve the more you draw them as you get a better handle of what traits you want to emphasise or details that kinda get forgotten. Like, look at Aldiirn, I’ve had him for 3-4 months and he’s put on at least 30lbs lmao but also a bunch of other changes to emphasise round shapes like nose eyes hair. No one’s holding a gun to your head to keep things consistent.

So yeah! You can crunch and do the master studies and learn quickly, but if you’re just in it for you, have some fun! Draw your blorbo a million times and try branching out for one new thing here and there. If you are just starting out, it could be helpful to learn the basics of constructing a head and general body proportions. I don’t have any tutorials to recommend but I’m sure there must be something on youtube.

[prettyboykatsuki]

warm-ups | nagi + sfw + worm

✬ wc ; 1k | ✬ tags ; gn!reader, fluff, established relationship, gardening + worms

✬ a/n ; i used to write warm-ups before writing and i haven't in a while. so i decided to try again and i think i'll keep doing it since it helps me get into the groove of writing.

the process is i have 4 wheels that help me decide a random noun for the prompt. i rolled bllk, nagi, sfw, with worm as the prompt.

Nagi doesn't really understand you.

A lot of the time, he has no idea about what goes on in your head. He's always been airheaded about how other people feel. Though Reo and everyone else dub him the lazy genius - it's not a title Nagi often feels deserving of. He likes soccer for different reasons, but mostly because it's interesting. Engaging, laziness aside.

But he's simple, at the end of the day. He doesn't like doing things that are hard and hates anything that troubles him. He's not in the business of changing for anyone or for any reason. Maybe it's the calmness of his character, but he always attracts the strangest people.

Passionate ones, more kindly. People like Isagi or Reo who seem to always be thinking about something or putting everything into it. Nagi tries in a different way, and only sometimes. Only when he thinks something is worthy of his attention and only to know about something he's personally intrigued by. He's sure his Bluelock alumni would call it his ego, and Nagi agrees with that assessment.

He likes playing with Reo and he's good at it. He likes being good at it. These simple, uncomplicated reasons make up most of his drive. Nothing complicated or hard, nothing like a puzzle. He's linear in his train of thought.

He wonders, often, why he attracts people who are so full of energy.

Nagi doesn't really understand how you've come into his life. You're... a different person to him. He likes you. There's not really any big, complicated reason other than the fact he likes you. It's easy to be around you.

And he was interested in you. How you so boldly confessed your feelings with an embarrassed smile and a head-bow so deep he couldn't see your face. Nagi was attracted to you because it's interesting. He doesn't think he's met anyone like you. Someone who is awkward in the way you are.

If Nagi is being honest, he thinks you're a little weird. You stumble over your words and overshoot your own confidence. You cry easily and often and get embarrassed about things he doesn't really wrap his head around being embarassing.

You only need to do something once to get over it but once seems to frighten you. You like a lot of the same things he likes, but you like things he's never heard of too.

And, you look pretty in the sun. You have a nice laugh, the kind that comes from your stomach and not your chest. You like holding his hand (and he likes holding yours, too)

Above all, Nagi loves you. To him, such a thing is uncomplicated. It's not that there's any big reasons.

(Though he has reasons, but he doesn't see them as something blinded by love. To him, it's objective truth that you're loveable. It's a linear train of thought. Anyone who knows you would think the same.)

Nagi can't understand a lot about you. Right now, he can't understand why you're sweating in the sunlight. It's early spring, the frost has melted and the sun has returned to stay.

Currently, you're wearing a sun-hat and overalls and gloves, working up a sweat as you dig up some garden beds. Nagi is there, sitting on something as you work. You begged him to just come spend time with you and it wasn't like Nagi was going to say no to you.

"You don't have to help," You had assured, maybe a little embarrassed by it "I just think it'd be nice to have company."

So Nagi has kept you company, and you haven't asked for much help other than the occasional prompt to pass something to you. Nagi has been reading Shounen Jump for most of his stay - but right now, he's having a hard time paying attention.

You're in two different worlds, and Nagi watches you in yours. You're putting worms in the soil, and you're talking to them. The sun is peeking through the leaves like they want to look at you much like he is. It feels like every bits of it's attention is on you.

You're smiling as you do it, unflinching as they squirm in your hands. Earthworms, you bought from somewhere in town - you put them gently in the soil. A bead of sweat rolls down your head, along the crown and down your cheek. You look dirty, hot and sweaty.

But you're still so bright, so warm. You hum a little to yourself, softly, as if you don't remember he's next to you. It's nice to see you like that.

"Thank you for the help," You say, to the worms. Not to Nagi, but the worms "Let's make a nice garden this year," You say to them, kindly. You watch them wiggle into the dirt and smile.

Nagi feels a little envious. He wonders if love is more serious of a thing, if he's feeling this way over some worms. He puts down the comic in his hands and finds himself squatting next to you, body moving all on it's own.

You jump a little at his presence before relaxing.

"Oh, Seishiro," You say. His name sounds nice when you say it "Sorry, are you getting bored? I'm sure it's no fun, sorry," You say apologetically. He shakes his head.

"No, it's okay. I want to help," He says. You look surprised.

"It's a lot of work, though?"

"It's okay," He says, rolling up his sleeves. He wants to say because he loves you but he thinks you'll make a funny face if he does. So instead he says "I want to help,"

You brighten. You beam at him, and Nagi thinks that love is very uncomplicated.

"Okay! I don't need much help but,"

Nagi doesn't hear all of it as he watches you talk. He doesn't know why you're so insistent on working for a garden that can wither at any time. He doesn't really understand you.

But maybe he doesn't need to, to love you this much.

[jahtrashh]

I saw your take on Zuko and like I agree so much. this fandom either idolises him or hates him and I always found that sooo weird. same goes with characters like Jet who are somehow treated like perfectly functioning adults by the fandom and held accountable of their actions as if they were grown men. and that’s so freaking weird. the point of Zuko’s redemption arc is that his arc isn’t linear, he makes mistakes, learns from it, makes up for it. as for Jet, although not a big fan of the way the writers handled his death, he’s literally being seen as an unredeemable monster, as if worse that characters like OZAI OR ZHAO by many fans and… just… how ?? why ?? they are both 16 ?? like yeah, they did so much bad stuff, they did really messed up stuff but they are also quite literally products of their environment and a freaking 100 years war. how is Zuko, fed with propaganda, on a ship since he’s 13, with a freaking general as his only paternal figure at that time, surrounded by men twice his age who are also either soldiers or at least army related, and still 16 at the time, suppose to be a “nice guy” archetype that does nothing wrong. like please be for real one second. and don’t get me started on Jet. whole village burned to the ground, orphan, had to raise so many kids, probably grew up in extreme poverty. ofc he’s messed up. ofc he’s violent, blinded by rage. but again, 16 !!! HE’S 16 !! it kills how people don’t realise that teenagers (especially teenage boys) are anything but mature, collected and emotionally rational. like bfr.

but in the atla fandom ig saying this would make me a zuko/jet apologist. whatever that means. as an adult i just see a bunch of messed up kids in the middle of the war, and that’s basically it. at best i feel bad for them, at worst i pity them.

Say it louder for the people in the back. I don’t know how to dumb it down enough for people to wrap their damn head around how these are in fact, also, teenagers involved in war. The world is in shambles during war, right and wrong are easily blurred during those times, and it takes a very special person to be able to differentiate between the sides without getting too caught up in what they believe is right or wrong.

Zuko could’ve stayed a racist, imperialist, dipshit. But by the end of the show, he turns into just a simple dipshit who accepted his life changing 180 with open arms. Yes he said some insensitive shit to aang about his beliefs and mocked his anti-violent views even when he joined them in season 3, but AGAIN, not only was he still learning how to be a decent human being, he was also blinded by his own hatred of his father, mixed with the very much pro-violent nature of the fire nation, PLUS the lack of education on Aang’s culture and philosophy which was AGAIN, taught around PRO-PA-GAN-DA the FN created. All of which, takes time to unlearn. On top of figuring himself and who he was, which is what most teenagers, more often than not will have a whole crisis about ALONE. I honestly don’t know how people expect a redemption arc to go, we’ve all had to learn how to be better about things, and the progress isn’t going to be liner nor will it always be easy. That is human nature. That is LIFE.

And on Jet’s case, why do people think it’s such a terrible thing to make some characters who were victims of war crimes, to be angry, to lust for revenge against the perpetrators, or be irrational and violent. THEY HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO. The FN took the last bit of Jet’s life that he barely even had and stripped all of that completely away from him like the savages that they are. Why is it a terrible thing to be angry at people who didn’t think twice about the families, the sense of community that his village had? I agree that Jet was going too far when he was trying to take it out on innocent people, but can you really blame him? He didn’t have an adult to help him out on the importance of emotional maturity and how to be angry at the ones who actually harmed you like Zuko did, and even if he did, teenagers won’t be emotionally matured TRULY until they develop into adults. He had to be the mock adult for the kids younger than him, he didn’t have time to decode himself and better his actions because he was too focused on protecting the freedom fighters and himself against the FN’s abuses.

People don’t realize that this is not babying them, or being so called “apologists” this is called understanding why these two are the way that they are. Why are they like this? And it’s so much to take in and talk about at once that you’d need an entire college level essay to completely break down and comprehend how deep war can affect not just adults, but teenagers and children. Those two groups don’t have true moral compasses, so the environment and circumstances can really impact and easily mold their minds to fit the standards in said situation in order to survive it. This is called self-preservation. A more than common trauma response.

I mean seriously, I heard someone say they can understand Zuko hate but not Iroh hate, when he has in fact, done much worse than Zuko has ever done in those 3 years at sea. I love Iroh, but he’s an adult, why are we choosing adults over traumatized and war-fed teenagers who mainly comply in that shit to seek approval from their actually psychotic, genocidal, narcissistic, and abusive father that would dispose of them if they didn’t fit his standards? Why are we quicker to blame the teenagedvictim of the FN’s attacks and cruelty, than the actual people, adults, who conducted the attacks?

Are we truly regressing as a fandom? The show wouldn’t give them their traumatic experiences and talk about their abusers if they wanted the viewer to antagonize the victims. Goes to show that the loudest voices screaming “irredeemable monster” and “they want people to feel sorry for him” never truly know who these characters are and how they operate, they need everything spoon fed to them which is very unfortunate. The real irredeemable monsters are right there in their face and they choose to look somewhere else.

It’s so obvious how people in this fandom pick and choose who to feel sympathy for, when they all needed it.

[ijsthee]

Hi friends, here are some lesser known/underrated games I want more people to play, including steam links! (many of these are also on other platforms, steam is just easiest to link)

tldr: heres the list on backloggd with the same comments

Outer Wilds (exploration, puzzle, mystery) - not by any means an underrated or even unknown game, but a game I simply have to recommend to anyone, any time. My favourite game ever. Genuinely imo one of the best games ever made. Anyone will tell you not to look up anything about this game (and theyre right, uncovering every part of this game IS the game) but I recommend if you really get stuck or frustrated, play with a friend or ask someone who has played it for a nudge!

Tunic (zelda-like, souls-like, adventure, puzzle) - an homage to retro gaming that I am slightly too young to fully understand.. and still one of my favourite games! A simple (but charming) zelda-like with souls-like elements on the surface, an intricate mind-breaking puzzle game at its core! Highly recommend if you like games that you have to keep physical notes for

Lorelei and the Laser Eyes (puzzle, mystery) - Puzzles puzzles puzzles! One big mystery puzzle game dripping with atmosphere and intrigue, a non-linear story that will pull you in and puzzles that youll be thinking about for hours after exiting the game. its a crime that this game seems to be slept on for now

In Stars and Time (rpg, story-driven) - the story-driven time-loop RPG that tumblr needs. WILL make you cry. the characters are at the heart and core of this game and they are AMAZING. Extremely trans story also

The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles (visual novel, mystery, story-driven) - so listen i know Ace Attorney is not niche by any means. But it feel like either people dont really know about this game or havent given it a shot yet. Well I'm here to say if you have any interest in Ace Attorney, these games are some of the best the whole franchise has to offer. The story is intriguing and interconnected in ways the best Ace Attorney stories are, the main cast are charming as hell, the music is amazing, they are by far the best looking 3D Ace Attorney games of the franchise, etc. If youre familiar with ace attorney i dont need to sell you on the whole murder mystery bit, i just need to emphasize that this is some of the best mystery writing in the whole SERIES

Chants of Sennaar (puzzle, language) - puzzle game where you gradually learn the languages of various peoples by context and logic! Not only is the language and puzzle aspect of this game really well done, it also has a really nice theme and beautiful art style

Hypnospace Outlaw (puzzle, 1990's internet) - play as a moderator on an alternative universe's 90's internet, put your detective skills to use in order to find those pesky users breaking the rules! or spend hours digging through peoples pages to learn wtf ''frostpunk'' is and what happened at ''coolfest'', y'know, like the internet

Nine Sols (metroidvania, souls-like, action/combat) - can be described as a ''sekiro inspired souls-like metroidvania'', if buzzwords do anything for you. If not I will mention that it has a beautiful art style, incredibly satisfying (tough, but fair) parry-focused combat, and intriguing lore and story. Its good!

[adobe-outdesign]

Have you reviewed the nacli line yet???

(This is a rollover review from yesterday; any new asks will be answered tomorrow.)

When we first heard about Nacli (great name) through leaks, I thought that a salt Pokemon was one of the more interesting concepts mentioned. It was definitely a concept that hasn’t been explored yet, and the natural square shape of the mineral could lend itself to some interesting visuals.

Nacli’s about what I was picturing in my mind from the original leaks, and I have to say, I do like it. The mushroom shape is inherently appealing, contrasting the very square chunks of salt with a more naturalistic sedimentary bedrock layer. It also lends itself to some interesting top-down symmetry, with the body mirrored by the chunk of salt at the top. It’s simple and instantly appealing.

The colors are also very nice; the brown makes sense for a rock-type and compliments the whites in the design nicely, while the orange makes the eyes pop.

I will say that said eyes are the only part of the design that throw me a bit, just because they seem to be hollow, and can also change color. Granted, I guess it’s not any less strange than Geodude just straight-up sporting human eyes, but I would’ve at least liked a lore explanation as to what’s going on there. Everything else about the design is pretty perfect.

One thing I like a lot about this line is the way it evolves. Instead of evolving in a very linear way and sticking to one body shape, it instead “rearranges” as it evolves, going from a mushroom-like shape to a quadruped to a biped. It makes sense (as rock doesn’t have one specific shape it has to take), and makes it so the middle evo is its own thing, fitting between the other two but a worthwhile Pokemon in its own right.

For Naclstack here, I like how the palette has been expanded on to include darker shades of brown while still being monotone, which keeps the line looking cohesive while adding a good deal of contrast. The head being white helps draw the eye to it despite the otherwise relatively complex design, while the square head and legs mirror each other.

I think my only problem with this design is that I feel like it’s maybe a bit too blocky; there’s still some bedrock present, but only at the back. I feel like the brown chunk that forms the body could’ve still been all bedrock (as I don’t know why salt would be brown anyway), to give it the same texture contrast that Nacli has going for it. That would also make it so the head and chest would be similar to an upside-down Nacli, which would be a nice visual nod.

Also, the legs float, which is a bit odd.

Garganacl is akin to a golem, and follows in the proud Pokemon tradition of “big weird hulking third-stage rock-type”. It feels suitably powerful compared to its pre-evos, and as mentioned before, the body shape changing each time prevents it from looking too similar to either Nacli or Naclstack.

This might be weird to say, but I’m going for it anyway: I love the way this thing’s limbs look. Going from the super dark brown in the middle of the body and then gradient-ing out to light brown and white just looks super pretty, and helps focus the eye towards the middle of the design. The chunky three-fingered hands are also delightful, as are the nice mineral sparkles sprinkled into the bedrock layers.

What I’m not as big on is the upper body. I feel like the “shoulder pads” are just WAY too huge; they completely dwarf the head, to the point where it’s kind of hard to even figure out what’s going on with the face. The middle piece of salt on the top of the head also feels extraneous and only adds to the problem. I guess it’s just there to mimic Nacli’s similar head block, but Naclstack doesn’t have it anyway. I don’t mind it having the shoulders in the first place; I just would’ve liked to see them dropped down like 40%. If you did that and made the head dark brown—maybe even remove that white waist piece in favor of more brown—you’d have a clear focus on the core of the body and the head, and the design would be much easier to read as well. It’s still very good; it just could’ve been stronger.

As a side note: I love how Garganacl’s salt is used to heal wounds. Not only does it work as a play on “rubbing salt in one’s wounds”, it also works as a pun on the word cure (which means both to heal something and to preserve meat with salt). Absolutely brilliant writing right there.

Anyway, overall, a strong line. The concept is unique, the colors are incredibly pleasing, each stage has something going for it, and there’s interesting textural contrast in the design that you don’t see often with Pokemon. The only thing holding it back is Garganacl’s shoulders and head, which get to be a bit hard to read; otherwise, it’s quite nice.

[forthegothicheroine]

Best Fragrantica reviews of (some of) my favorite perfumes, Part II

First installment here

Maison Martin Margiela By the Fireplace

Careful not to be worn by this perfume instead of being you the wearer. Not that it is oh so powerful, but it may be too bold of a statement piece for, ahem, some. Wearing BTF when you don't look the part and don't give it sense will have you smelling borderline unhealthy. Like your organs inside have worn off and darkened (and burned out, I guess). Truly as weird as it sounds. The raw thing smells very exciting. I love it ashy. I don't see myself daring any soon, however. And I don't find that it worked for the men I know either, as they have (and I cringe to say) whiter auras and don't fit the "handling cognac by the fire" thing. So I've yet to see it really work, which I'm sure will be great. It's a lovely perfume.

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Bewitched

This is the smell of a witch's brew. She made a special tea for you to drink. You pass out. When you awaken you find yourself in her garden full of poisonous berries, patchouli, weeds, clary sage, and flowers whose petals have been plucked. This is an herbal scent, like walking inside a shop selling only herbs. It's medicinal and like a tea. Not always easy to take in...The smell of sage and musk give it a unisex/masculine quality. I would say that it's more of a guy's type of cologne than a woman's. I would wear it for Halloween with a witch costume or as Morticia Addams. It's really a very engaging scent but it's linear and simple. It's a little green tea and berry. It's got a bite but it's witchy and dark, but not a strong cologne either. For a niche indie frag, not bad.

TokyoMilk Gin & Rosewater

I was in a boutique that carries the Tokyo Milk Curiosite & Bon Bon lines, and I was entranced by this. Florals are not usually my thing, by the way, because I get monster headaches from most of them. Suddenly the salesgirl is RIGHT NEXT TO ME leaning in conspiratorially and says in an awed tone that 'Blake Lively LOVES this one'. OMFG, Blake Lively, you say??!? Like for serious, the real Blake Lively?? OMFG, do you have like, more in the back?!? I'm totally going to buy every bottle you can shove in my basket because BLAKE LIVELY would hang out with me if we ran into each other and then my life could end. Um, not. I almost DIDN'T buy it because of the salesgirls then going into a tizzy about how amazing Blake is. I could not care less, although I'm sure Lively is nice enough. But it did smell cool, so home with me it came, along with the matching lotion.

Serge Lutens La Fille de Berlin

It’s an overwhelming fragrance that smells like the bottom of my grandma’s small square leather purse when we went to mass (her old dried up lipstick💄 the powder compact, the newspaper, the pack of strawberry-ish scented kleenex, the peppermints). It’s vintage, it’s a bit suffocating and I have it printed in my memory 4 ever.

Juliette Has a Gun Magnolia Bliss

Anastasia Steele, no longer a virgin. In her Audi A3, the smell of her new car, first edition books and a new life... That's what comes into mind with this perfume. The night Christian took her for the first time on his helicopter. I can imagine this is exactly what she smelled like that night. With Ellie Goulding's Love me like you do playing in the background. 

Maison Francis Kurkdjian Baccarat Rouge 540

I’m too embarrassed and ashamed to wear this in public just in case a fragrantica influencer comes out of a bush and starts pointing & laughing at me in front of everyone

Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille

what all the hot daddies in every lana del rey song smell like

Jo Malone Velvet Rose & Oud

If your family was religious, traditionally Asian, or both, you'll know this scent. This is the scent of a temple. This is the scent of an altar. Personally I can never wear this because smelling this brings back so many memories of burning incenses, visiting funerals, and saying prayers and wishes. My bottle is literally sitting on an altar.

Perfumer's Workshop Tea Rose

Speaking of the devil. This scent is the one with the Prada's shoes.

4160 Tuesdays Doe in the Snow

This is borne on a Christmas Eve, under the moonlight, a baby fawn just out of it's mother's womb. The moon is full light casting blue shadows snow lightly falling delicate flakes each one unique on the nose of the new born... Pure fresh Christmas morning air stillness not a sound blanketed with drifts of snow that is Doe In The Snow... pure white innocence...velvet petals so delicate under the driven snow...I have seen this in a dream... Another love... I get it...

[cidthesquid]

The game is actually really good! - Style Savvy DS #2

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Ok, So I've dived back into this game a bit since my last upload, here's my new look:

Generally I use longer hairstyles in this game, but I've really been digging this hairstyle! Also turns out this game offers two separate hilight channels, and even colored hair ties:

It's pretty crazy to see how in-depth this customization is, especially for the time! Here are some outfits I made:

...Yeah, maybe those glasses were a bit much.. Also got to meet some character who was referenced in Trendsetters

Rococoo is a lot of fun, it's sad hear you can't talk to her again in style savvy trendsetters, but it's still nice to see she had a cameo.

Oh, I also got to enter my first fashion contest! The theme was "simple", here's my entry:

It's the 'Beginner Contest', so it was fairly easy, but I had fun. (I would have picked better shoes, but had nothing else stocked)

And Just like with trendsetters, the progression is fairly linear (so far) And it uses the 'shop rank' system that we don't see again until 'Styling Star': (as stylist rank)

And after completing this contest, you're able to give an interview for the upcoming magazine issue,

you can pick two "must have items" and design an outfit to be featured on the cover.

Here's the outfit I designed:

Even back on the DS, Style Savvy had a great layering system! I think this is a really fun 'Rock' Style outfit with a dash of 'cute'.

Anyways, that's just about it, I'm mainly focusing on 'Styling Star' at the moment, But I will pick up and play this game from time to time, So until then, I hope you enjoyed this post!

—————————————————————————

Thanks for reading! I had a lot of fun making this, so I hope you had fun reading it as well.

As always, all comments, questions, and suggestions are welcome! (I’m also looking for feedback on this new style, how’s the formatting?)

You literally can’t bother me, (unless you go out of your way to be a jerk), so post whatever you need to say!

[chipchopclipclop]

TELL ME ABOUT IT. I am so filled with Fear about Veilguard. DA has the potential to put me in such a chokehold and the last thing I want is these seemingly nice companions getting stuck in a shitty game. Or any other companions. Or my poor Inquisitor

I don't have high hopes lol (after all this production hell and firing of staff) and moreover i dont like how it looks still 😂 ppl saying it looks so diff to the cinematic one idk what ur seeing but (??) power to you.

i was telling a friend but everything in it looks very smooth and clean stylistically, which isn't what i really like about dragon age at all art direction wise anyway (even in inquisition which was hashtag #nextgen it still felt a little bit like eating grime everywhere u went) ik were in super epic mage city but everything is so clean, even the designs of the mages is really simple geometrically. It's to the point it all looks kind of boring to my eyes and very bland, which in turn makes me barely interested in the setting (which is crazy bc its tevinter) also idc abt solas like that but thats my personal issue with not giving a fuck abt the writing lol

everything we've seen in game as well weirdly looks like a pre-rendered cutscene or super cinematic, even regular conversations, in a way that feels stilted. I'm not saying it is ofc, i believe its gameplay but i don't like the direction of it at all lmao. this is all a shame bc alot of the companion concepts look very fun (necromancer old man literally is just my bg3 tav rofl) also i like running around big open world maps so them going YAYY LINEARITY isnt making me cheer !? ppl didnt like it in inquisition bc there was just fuck all to do in the maps 😂😂😂 it is going to be a mid as hell game basically. average dragon age experience though.

[sonnet-of-anarchy]

Supporting someone with an ED:

TW mentions of EDs/ disordered eating.

As someone recovering from a restrictive ED, as much as my own mind has hindered my progress, I’ve sometimes found that those close to you can often send you into a spiral without realising. It’s not because they’re trying to be unhelpful, or have any intentions of making you feel worse but because they don’t understand the illness. So, if you would like to send this to someone, or have your own input to add, please share this to spread awareness! Of course, this is just my experience :)

1. Avoid terms such as ‘you look better’ or ‘you look well’. Whilst it might seem odd to avoid what you see as a ‘compliment’ to someone in recovery from a restrictive ED, this can be viewed as a reminder they aren’t as thin or unwell anymore, and that their weight has visibly altered. By saying someone looks ‘better’ it could upset them as they may then feel like you don’t think they’re struggling as much. There are lots of other nice things to say - perhaps compliment their clothes, their accessories or an achievement!

2. “Don’t worry, it won’t make you fat.” Whilst someone might think it makes sense to assure someone who strives to be at a low weight that eating won’t make them ‘fat’, this just cements the idea of a higher weight as a bad thing, or a thing to avoid. Instead, you could say “think of all the things this food will allow you to do” or “I’m very proud of you for nourishing and energising your body.”

3. “Sick enough” this is a common phrase that should be avoided. There is no look, no set point for EDs and to assume such can be very damaging. People suffer at any weight, with roughly 2% of ED sufferers being medically classed as underweight.

4. “Why won’t you just eat?” It can be frustrating for those who don’t understand the mental illness, but getting angry does not help so much as encourage. People with restrictive EDs are often irritable due to malnutrition and so a calm, support network is needed. Don’t threaten or shout.

5. “You want to look like that?” As much as it might seem reasonable to discourage someone from engaging in disordered eating, reverse psychology is not the answer. Any negatives of body image can be damaging, even if they do criticise unhealthy behaviour.

6. “I didn’t think you’d eat all that, well done!” what sounds like a praise can actually cause someone to spiral. Some things are best left silent. For example, my boyfriend gave me a fist bump when I ate something challenging.

7. “I thought you’d be better by now.” A big one for me, and most often leads to a critique of self-worth and value. Recovery takes time, and is by no means linear.

8. Distractions are sometimes helpful. What helped me most in recovery was a plan around and after meals. Watching TV, crafts, journaling etc. it makes days more ‘normal’ and less revolved around food.

9. Don’t exclude. It might be tempting to ‘let somebody rest’ whilst they are recovering, or exclude them from plans, but sometimes it’s always better to ask. A simple text can mean the world.

10. We live on a floating rock. Remind people that they are more than their eating disorder, and there’s a much bigger future and world ahead.

If you think someone is struggling, don’t let them do it in silence. Most often EDs are sneaky or concealed so make sure you research the signs and the appropriate help 🩵

[lurking-latinist]

All right. The people have spoken and they want solitaire reviews!

The first category of solitaire games on Wikipedia's list is "simple builders." This basically means games where cards come up and you can either put them in the right place or not, without a lot of intermediate strategy. This is not my favorite kind of game but can be restful and quick, which is nice. It's frustrating when they're not very winnable, though, because if you're not doing strategy AND you're not winning, like, what are you doing? (The one I hate most is Clock on classicsolitaire.com, which is completely mechanical and linear--if you turn on the autocomplete function, you literally don't have to do anything at all, just watch the computer play for you. You will win 1 out of 12 times. You might as well just roll a d12 and say you win when you get a 7.)

That aside, the actual first game in the simple builders section, Amazons, looks pretty interesting. It's called that because queens are high, evidently (girl power!). According to Wikipedia "it is the short pack equivalent of the compulsive but frustrating game of Auld Lang Syne" (...promising...) and dates back to at least 1898.

It uses a standard pack missing twos through sixes and kings (which is a piquet pack missing kings).

...I am now learning that evidently B has successfully got me in the habit of doing a weave shuffle instead of a riffle shuffle. (He has expensive board games and collectible cards and doesn't like them being riffled because it bends them.) I didn't know I'd acquired this habit.

I accidentally spoiled myself by looking at the 'Strategy' section of the article (with its one single tip - but it does claim this tip gives you a one in two chance of winning) - I think in future I'd like to play a naive game before getting strategy tips.

On my first couple of plays I missed a key rule - the card has to be immediately BELOW the foundation of the correct suit to be played there. Otherwise the game is unlosable! Glad I caught this.

Review: The short pack made me feel weird - this is purely subjective as I'm used to 52-card games. So at first I kept forgetting that 7 follows Ace (very Doctor Who) but I got used to it even over the course of quite a short game.

My game almost came out but then in the end I was trying to build on the fourth foundation and I only had three cards left, so they never got up to that foundation. So I'm counting that as a win for all practical purposes.

Overall, an interesting game. It's nice that it only takes eight spots, you don't have big fans taking up your table space. Wouldn't be too hard to teach somebody, either. I would play this again.

Auld Lang Syne, despite being referenced, doesn't have its own article; it redirects to what sounds like a quite different game entirely. Perhaps more than one game is called that? The Amazons article made it sound like it was just "Amazons, but with a 52-card deck." Which I might try. Sounds fun, and I like small numbers.

All these articles are based on the same few books; I might have to get one of the books.

[starkeaton]

just beat metroid dread. the game is fucking amazing. (no spoilers in this post)

the movement is polished to perfection, every move flows together perfectly and the animation feels great.

the emmi sections are perfectly nerve wracking without being frustrating.

the boss difficulty is perfect (in my opinion as someone whose favorite game series is mega man). i died to each boss about 2-7 times. checkpoints were immediately before bosses, and a short ways back in regular gameplay, which i found to be appropriate.

the world design is sort of linear but in the sense that you are always following an invisible path of breadcrumbs which is perfectly designed to lead you to where you need to be to progress, while the rest of the world has optional stuff. this might be frustrating if you don't notice the correct path and instead wander off, but if you understand the game is designed like that, you should be fine the whole way through.

the story is simple but effective. the dynamic action cutscenes are fun. the combat in general has a nice flow to it, especially in boss fights, though i think sometimes it's a little too easy to just use the counter to insta-kill what should be a tough enemy.

every new ability integrates perfectly into samus' moveset. flash shift in particular is extremely fun to use against bosses.

there were only a few optional puzzles in the game i truly disliked and they were speed booster puzzles. that ability is very complex, much more complex than its introductory textbox tells you about, and a few of its' puzzles can get frustrating when you don't know what you're supposed to be doing.

overall though as a platformer fan i would say it is genuinely a 10/10. the amount of polish is off the charts. cannot recommend it higher

[moon-blanket]

Thoughts about beating Quinn’s ass. It’s finally time :o)

Sam checking on them to make sure they’re in the right headspace to do it, if it’s what they truly want to do-- not what they feel like they have to do. :’o)

I’m glad that the blood bond was acknowledged again, even if it’s on Quinn’s part. There’s something so cathartic about Darlin’ breaking his bones while he tries to wax poetic and manipulate them. I like that they didn’t exactly go crazy, of course they had EVERY right to, but they must have known that he expected them to do that. So the fact that they just left him there ? While he practically pleads for them to come back to him ? Icing on the cake. 

Dropped to my knees the moment Sam got into the room, I’m glad he was offered a turn-- even checking to make sure that Darlin’ was okay with it, because this arrangement wasn’t about him. But Quinn hurt him just as much. 

His message was simple and to-the-point, yet all the more impactful. It was nice to see Quinn’s icon shatter for the final blow. Our man did that !!!!!!

Like Sam said, it’s far from over-- but the clouds looming over their head are a little lighter. Time heals all wounds, but progress isn’t linear. But they have each other, their love, and the people supporting them. And that helps a hell of a lot.

Him checking on them after the fact while saying how proud he is of them. How healing takes time, and they’re one of the bravest people he’s ever met. They’re both healing, it’s so wonderous to witness.

David planning another vacation for the pack to get everyone’s minds off of this situation while waiting for the end of this mess. That’s our Fiancé :’o), and now It’s time for HBS !!

Once again, GBA did a GREAT job voicing Quinn !!! Such an excellent and convincing delivery !! He really knows how to put his all into a character !