#Spiritfarer when I find you spiritfarer

[sword-symphonia]

non persona post?? My word she's gone mad (SPIRITFARER REVIEW WAOW!!!!) (Very long, I'm sorry) (But not really)

This review discusses themes of death, loss and terminal illness, as well as containing language. I swear a fair bit. Sorry, I typed everything as I thought of it, bad words 'n all.

Good afternoon,(it is 9PM in Ireland) fellas! Welcome to: SPIRITFARER- REVIEWED BY A TEENAGE GIRL WHO IS VERY NORMAL ABOUT HER INTERESTS!! Move over, IGN- it's the weird little guy in the corner (me)'s time to shine! I simply word-vomited this so unfortunately this review is very unprofessionally worded- however, I have faith it will be a fun read. I hope. Also, it's mostly spoiler free! ...I hope! I'm sorry!

So! Hi. I'm Luca. I have crippling thanatophobia. What's that? A phobia of death. And what's Spiritfarer about? Oh, baby. You aren't gonna fuckin' believe this! And, would you believe it, this game... actually helped me with that fear!

Currently, I'm only nine hours in, but. Well basically the damage is irreparable and I fear I shall never be the same again. Now, luckily, I have not cried. Yet. But I will! Oh, BABY I will!!! I have gotten five spirits so far (I'm coming for you, Gustav/threat) and have already had my first trip through the Everdoor. I wasn't ready. Come back, my dear. Please.

Spiritfarer is a game I've wanted to play for quite a long time, so to have been able to buy it about a month ago was one of the most exciting parts of my year so far. No, really! I was HYPED! HELL YEAH, THIS HAS BEEN ON MY WISHLIST FOR AGES! That kind of feeling. And then I started playing, and... hooooly shit. Guys. Dudes. Bros. What the hell. The VISUALS. WOW. W-O-W WOW!!! HOLY BALLS!!!

Look at this. Witness it with your eyes.

Bloody breathtakin'. I'm in tears. The game is absolutely chock-full of colourful (and not so colourful) locations, characters, landscapes... god, I'm so unwell about the visuals. And the ANIMATION!! AUGH! Every character has unique animations that just... oh they illustrate their characters so well. Augh...

Atul is nearly always happy, bouncy and smiley in his animations- a reflection of who he is!! One of his happiness perks is playing joyful music! He is literally just a guy! And Alice! Alice is a kindly old lady, and this is reflected in her design and personality- one of her animations involves dusting herself off, and I just think it gives the perfect image of a sweet elderly woman simply making herself more presentable. Also, she calls you dearie. What if I started bawling? What if I threw myself on the ground roaring and wailing?

Another favourite of mine is Astrid. She's also a kindly old lady- but with sass. Alice is an absolute sweetheart, but Astrid? Astrid won't say no to a cheeky bit of gossip now and then...but shh don't tell anyone gossip is bad shhh HEY WANNA KNOW ASTRID'S NICKNAME FOR STELLA??? Munchkin. What the hell. I love that nickname. Wish I had an adoptive granny that would call me Munchkin. Astrid, my most dearest darling, how I adore you. AND she's pro worker's rights- damn, what a woman. Also, her eating animation is funny. Absolutely DECIMATES a sandwich, so she does.

Tragically I will shut my yap about the characters now as there are quite a few of them and unfortunately I cannot put anyone through that (but know that Gustav and Daria also make me insane), so let's move on, eh? Who fancies a bitta tunes? I sure as hell know I do! LISTEN TO THAT! RAAAAAGHHH!!!! The music isn't a massive part of the game, per se- but it doesn't have to be! The music, of course, adds a pleasant ambience as you play- but it's not in your face! It's a nice, calm, beautifully composed soundtrack, with a special, unique little tune for every minigame. While I have no musical bone in my body personally, I am something of a- how do you say eloquently- whore for a good soundtrack. I love music, I love creativity!! Hooray!!

I actually don't have much to say on the music, but know that I do love it! But, I really really really want to talk about the themes of Spiritfarer... like, really bad.

Okay, so... I'm actually going to get into personal territory here, and it's going to get a bit heavy. If you'd prefer to skip over that, then please, by all means, feel free to skip down until you see red text.

So, there's another reason this game is so dear to me. And that reason is the fact that Spiritfarer actually helps me to process my own grief. While it didn't come out until four years after the loss of my older brother... it helps. And if nine-year-old me had had Spiritfarer at that age, I feel like she would have been able to cope better. I was unlucky- my brother passed away at 1AM, while I was asleep. To this day, I regret not being able to say goodbye... but Spiritfarer illustrates this in a poignant way- sometimes, we won't be able to say goodbye, wether due to extraordinary circumstances or simply... not realising how little time you really have left with someone. This brings me to the spirit I actually look forward to the least- not for any fault of his character, but simply what he symbolises to me.

I find myself dreading meeting Stanley later on in the game. Stanley, the youngest spirit you can meet within the game, is a lovely little boy of eight, taking on the appearance of a little mushroom creature. Nothing is wrong with Stanley, but... it's important to remember that every spirit is... well, a spirit. Someone who's died. And given Stanley is only a small child, it hits that bit closer to home. He is younger than my brother was upon his death, but he was still a child. While it isn't specified what illness it was that Stanley died from, I still see a lot of my brother in him. Spiritfarer does help me and bring me comfort, but at the same time, I'm not sure I'm ready to meet a character so close to my own experiences. The fact Stanley always seems so chipper and smiley despite his difficulties... does not help. Bit too similar, you know?

My relationship with Stanley is an odd one. I don't dislike him- absolutely not, far from it- I dislike the fact his character, a little boy, has to exist. I dislike that children like him exist in real life, and the fact I've met so many of them. It's a hard truth to swallow, and not one I'm fully prepared to deal with.

OVERALL:

I think this game can be enjoyed by everyone, even if you've never experienced grief. It's a beautiful story, and its gorgeous visual charm and cozy mechanics have something for everyone. You can fish, mine, cook, craft, and basically everything in between! Also, there is a hug button. You can hug people. Game of the decade. I love hugs! It's so... god. I just... really like the hug button, man. Oh, and did I mention you can play co-op?! If you have a friend you'd like to play with, they can join the fun as Daffodil, Stella's beloved pet cat! Look at him, isn't he gorgeous!!

So, would I reccomend Spiritfarer? Short answer:

Yes.

Long answer: Yes, absolutely. It's an absolutely wonderful cozy game, with tons to do. There's no voice acting, but I don't think this game needs it- it tells an absolutely wonderful tale without it. Each character has a distinct personality and quirks- Summer is vegan and will adjust her diet as such, while Atul will quite literally eat anything you throw at him. Giovanni is brash, confident, and enjoys the finer things in life, whereas Astrid likes things plain and simple. And Daria? Daria just really likes fruit.

If you have an interest in Spiritfarer, I highly encourage you to check it out. It's available on a number of platforms (Playstation, Steam, even on mobile- although that's through Netflix, and also not very good. In my opinion, anyway.) I highly, highly, highly reccomend it to all cosy gams enjoyers, or even just people who like games in general. There's even little bits of platforming here and there, if you're into that! Do you yearn for the mines? How about becoming a woodcutter? Or maybe you just really like smelting. Well, excellent news- you can do all those things in Spiritfarer! The gameplay, music, visuals and most importantly of all, the story, make this game a highly worthwhile purchase in the long run. Chances are, if you like Stardew Valley, you'll like Spiritfarer.

Thunder Lotus Games has shattered my soul in ways I may never recover from- however, I am not upset about it. God, I bloody love Spiritfarer. This review took two and a half hours to type, I shit you not. God bless.

[siffrins-therapist]

👾censoredmandibiles Follow

OK time to settle something

EDIT: this post WAY ended up breaking containment. GO CLUTCH YOUR PEARLS ELSEWHERE

🦑tentacleovi Follow

YO FREE BLOCKLIST IN THE NOTES HOLY SHIT

#RIP OP's notifs #i don't go here but i suggest making popcorn before diving into those notes #some of it is puritan bs you'd expect #some of it is discourse i never even knew existed

41.6K Notes

🕷️friendofcharlotte

I think a painting my friend got at a thrift store was painted by Mr. Italy Veneziano? Is there a way to authenticate it? Google isn't helping.

⭐wishonadeadstar Follow

Try here. Turns out my nan's portrait of her farmhouse was originally painted by Mr. Romano when he was living in NY during the 1920's.

🕷️friendofcharlotte

THANK YOU

8 Notes

📽️bisexuallightinggoggles Follow

hey yo so the US rep put like 100 hours into playing that game Spiritfarer just this week... anyone want to go check on the guy??

💿newagepirate Follow

There are literally government workers who's literal job it is to check on him

⛰️lesbianmothernature Follow

how tf do you know he put 100 hours into playing a game anyway????

📽️bisexuallightinggoggles Follow

We're friends on Steam. He adds like everyone who asks.

And for everyone in the notes asking what Spiritfarer is it's one of those cozy simulator games here's the trailer.

#isn't the 'deathiversary' of his friend Davie this week? #i'm definitely not the first person to think of that #okay looking at the notes was a mistake #like i'm not one of those ppl who puts #'DNI if your username makes fun of davies death' but #immortal or not #even if it happend centuries ago #you can still be sad your FUCKING FRIEND DIED

12.3k Notes

🥾hikingawayfrommyfeelings Follow

So if I become a citizen of Ladonia can he just... visit me through my computer?

🦝trashypanda Follow

He gets mad when you summon him :(

🦘callmejoeythewayi Follow

"summon him" Like a fucking demon?

🫒shrekbignaturals Follow

We are NOT rehashing that old discourse.

🎱magic8saveme Follow

Oh god I just revived my blog after escaping x/twitter and last time I saw that disk hoarse, my dash was just post after post of this for DAYS

🪄magictrio-dropout

#was there actual discourse about whether the nation-people were demons? #cuz the discourse i saw on my dash was #whether tales of things like demons vampires and #other immortal or 'came back to life' creatures #were born from when the nation-people resurrecting #or like #doing creepy stuff

IDK about tumblr or the first bit (I've personally never heard that at least not from anyone being serious) but the other stuff has been debated in academia for decades! One of my literature professors is ADAMANT that the vampire myth can be traced to old folklore about the reps and them reviving and possibly the blood-drinking comes from an evolution of the myth when before, old stories talked about blood soaking the earth where vampires rose. If anyone's interested, here's where you can find my professor's paper about it.

🎃warongayxmas

So like. *grabs a bat and slowly approaches a hornet's nest* Then does the Jesus story have the same roots then?

🫒shrekbignaturals Follow

WE 👏 ARE 👏 NOT 👏 RE 👏 HASHING 👏 THAT 👏 DISCOURSE👏

🥾hikingawayfrommyfeelings Follow

Wtf happened to my post???

#so did OP become a Ladonian citizen or what?

187.4k Notes

🐦‍pinchforawish Follow

MY DAD GOT TO SEE MR ENGLAND LIVE BACK WHEN HE WAS IN A PUNK BAND

🐦‍pinchforawish Follow

TUMBLR WTF HOW TF DOES THIS VIOLATE GUIDELINES

🏴dinotonugget-deactivated

Finally. Proof that the site runs so shittily bc Mr. Eyebrows works for staff

🫎moosecrossing Follow

Spoke the truth and got fucking killed for it

67.9 Notes

[batsvnte]

𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬 — 𝐉𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐮𝐚𝐧 , 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞

pairings! Jing Yuan & Blade (separate) ;; Black gen!reader (They/them) ఌ angst w/comfort, platonic relationships ఌ cw! mc is mute, implied use of sign language, blood + mention, death implied on Blade’s part, ooc maybe, spelling mistakes/improper grammar, not proofread ఌ synopsis! A new soul is tasked to guide spirits to finally cross with peace ఌ song rec! All is Soft Inside - AURORA

Xenos’s notes - I kinda just downloaded a bunch of games last night for no reason. This was mainly inspired off of Spiritfarer and I love that game sm.

With Jing Yuan, he found you intriguing.

You were neither dead or alive. You were an soul that was wandering among the universe to find ones that were lost. Most of were strangers that you have never met before. Few of them were family that you long lost since you had started traveling the universe. Everywhere you had been, except for the Xianzhou Loufu. The natives were long live species, and a spirit had warned you that it wouldn’t be necessary to go to Xianzhou. Solely because of the dangers that lurked around the corners.

Jing Yuan barely even sees you. You haven’t visited for nearly 500 years. Since there was problems arising of the fallen becoming mara-struck and immortalized to never be able to pass, there was nearly no point of you coming back. Which brings a surprise to the Ten-Lord commission of the whispers that you were here. One thing leading to another, here stood Jing Yuan in your vicinity with your back turned to him.

“Spiritfarer..” His voice was smooth yet filled with an sense of wonder. Giving an his infamous smile as he caught your attention. “What brings you here to the Loufu?”

His gaze turns over to the woman next to you. One who was always accompanying you on your journey through the universe (aside from the little white lion cub that was tailing after you). She explains what the situation was and why you were here. It was apparent that you needed supplies for the spirits and the ship at hand. Mainly food since one had been so curious about the Xianzhou.

It was a moment of silence for Jing Yuan. Thinking over what has been said as he kept his gaze locked onto you. In your hands, you were carrying a basket of goods. Who knows how much longer you would have to stay. But he might as well help you with whatever tasks that you need to get done.

Jing Yuan was an man of patience. He enjoys hearing about what type of people you’ve met on your own and what it was like within the universe. The general loves all the trinkets you show him, showing a feign of amusement when you had showed him the bottle of lightning that you accidentally brought along. This, of course, doesn’t go unnoticed by Yanqing who had came into the gardens during the midst of you showing the lightning bottle to Jing Yuan. He made a little note to later make sure that you weren’t by yourself when it’s raining. Especially when Yanqing was with you.

He was aware that all of your tasks were complete for the time being. Yet as you two bid your farewells, he snuck a little gift onto your hand without you barely realizing it. It was a golden pendant with the linings engraved into a lion. One that reminded you of the lion cub that you shamelessly had to drag away from Mimi countless of times due to it wanting to bother her.

“Till next time, spiritfarer—“

He was nearly cut off by the sudden embrace of yours. Jing Yuan was caught off guard by this. Seeing how you were tightly hugging him as if you truly didn’t want to depart from this world. He gave a gentle smile to you as he wrapped his arms back around you. The small height difference was good enough for him to lift you up, squeezing you tightly. It almost felt like forever before you pulled away from him. Everything was at peace with him.

But with Blade, you couldn’t tell what he thinks.

Every so often there was a chance of running into him. It was never when he was alive, nor really dead. He was struck with mara and immortalized with no key way of knowing what can truly kill him. The first few times you ran into him, you managed to stay some distance since his body was constantly moving but also fading. He was on a thin line of Life and Death, but you both always knew what side he’ll always be on.

You lost count at the amount of times you’ve seen him. With an shaky sigh, you racked up the courage to approach the man who was lying face down on the ground. Nudging him gently to at least get him to acknowledge you. Which indeed worked out since he turned his head over towards you. Blade’s gaze was on you in an instant.

Were you someone who was here to harm him? Blade was on on the verge of his last breath but he couldn’t run away from danger of the world. Even in the state that he was in.

Your arms snakes under his torso. Trying your best to lift him up and help him to his feet or at least sitting up so you can get a proper look at him. The lion cub that was by your side watches as you helped Blade to be in an upright position. He didn’t do anything to protest against it. His silence was enough to know that he wasn’t done with the life he was bear to live. And yours was enough to know that you couldn’t do much for him.

It was a little cycle that happened. You would find Blade on the verge of death, and it would lead to him being brought back to life due to the mara almost immediately. On rare days you would find opportunities to get to at least know who he was. When his body has been too damaged beyond immediate repair, the time you shared will be longer as well.

It was one of those days. He was sitting alone in an empty ally. His body fading in and out at random moments, and this time with you by his side. The mara was always the one cause of his memory loss but he felt solace with you. He couldn’t remember fully of what you’re like. He knew that you weren’t a threat to him. He knew that you were an important person. But he just can’t remember much about you. Even when he did it was when he was alive and breathing well.

Blade’s eyes were consistently tracking your hand as the other was holding a snack for him to take. It didn’t matter if he was a spirit or a living being, you still offered food and water for him to take.

You paused briefly before turning your fully attention over to Blade. A solemn look upon your face that he knew. It was almost time for him to go. He watches as you stretched your arms out a little as if you were implying for something. He tilts his head towards you in response, debating whether if he should accept or not.

Blade knew it wouldn’t make much difference but he raised a hand a few inches from the ground. Letting you do what you wanted to do. Within a few moments, you wrapped your arms around him. Your embrace was warm which made him feel much more at ease than he was before. Though his body tense up slightly at the gesture. He was use to it, but he had an fear of causing any harm to you.

It took his a few moments for him to return the hug. Wrapping only one arm around you since the other was damaged badly. Resting his chin ontop of your head with his eyes closed. He felt you squeezing him tightly as if you were begging for him not to go.

Once he opened his eyes he was in the same place before. Only that you and the little lion cub was gone from your places. His body healing himself to make him conscious of what was happening in the living world. He feels the mara stirring within him once more. Blade casted his eyes elsewhere, the warmth of the hug slowly fading as if it was just a memory he made to give himself some sort of comfort.

He must’ve died. How marvelous.

[perfectlovevn]

Hello!! I just finished playing Perfect Love and OMGGG, I LOVED ITT. The entire plot-line and game concept was extremely unique!! And ouuhhh I loved Milo the most <33. Best boy, really.

Is there anything else you can mention about Milo? Like some sweet fun facts about him that were not mentioned in the game? I'd really like to know him full on out! Otherwise, that's all. Have a good day, afternoon, or night!! :D

Wooo! I'm glad you liked it! It always makes me happy to hear!

I did have a list of things here about Milo, but here are some more.

Pre Milo:

In theory, Milo can have multiple forms, not just Violence and Manipulation. He can be motherly, competitive, preppy, vain, anything so as long as Eris is able to influence them in that way.

In the same vein, Milo is actually a really fast learner, as you can see in the game. He doesn't think he is but under the pressure of wanting to make sure that his love doesn't leave him, he learns and understands remarkably fast.

Milo is deathly afraid of bugs, as seen in the manipulation route. I guess that's what happens when you're forced to eat insects as child. Thanks bullies.

I think I should probably make him shorter but I headcannoned him to be about 6ft. It's literally because I'm really bad with heights so I wanted a good round number.

He really likes rabbits/bunnies as it's his favorite animal. He still has his first bunny stuffed animal that he had as a child and has repaired it several times. He likes large lop bunnies the most but his parents wouldn't let him keep it when he was smaller.

His major is school is kinesiology for the sole reason that I think it would be funny that he's kind of buff under all those clothes. He probably does work out on occasion, but considering how sad he is I don't think he always maintains it.

The backpack he is wearing actually handmade by him. He actually is pretty good at handmade crafts and makes a lot of stuff, however, he usually ends up not finishing them or throwing them away because he ultimately thinks its useless.

If you make anything handmade for him, no matter how bad you think it is, he will keep it. He also would probably add something onto it because he can't help himself.

If given clothing, handmade or bought, he will try to sew something onto it unless you tell him not to.

He is pretty good basic first aid because he always had to patch himself up when he was growing up.

If you access the scene in the code, you'll find that he likes more relaxing games like Stardew Valley, Spiritfarers, Animal Crossing, etc.

When holding hands, he will usually hold Eris by the fingers, not the palms for some reason.

Manipulation Milo:

He's learned he's like rubbing his face on things he likes (not at all influenced by my habit of doing that). Because of that, he likes to rub against Eris's hair a lot.

Pre Milo can actually hold his alcohol pretty well because of his size, but doesn't drink much and gets sleepy pretty fast after drinking. Manipulation Milo has embraced this and now basically can drink a ton without getting wasted. Tends to be a lot more clingy towards Eris the more he drinks.

Manipulation Milo practices speaking like Eris by recording them when he thinks they're not noticing. Practices a lot in the mirror to be as close to them as possible when talking.

Has learned to have a strong appreciation of cats and they come flock to him when nearby. Also has learned how to purr.

When holding Eris's hands, he tends to sweat a lot. Eris, I imagine can't hold his hand for very long without it getting soaked.

He never wears the first earrings that Eris gave him and keeps them preserved somewhere in his room. Always wears copies of it in case it ever gets lost or stolen.

Changed his eating habits to appear more thinner and dainty, to match his new personality and appearance.

Has gotten really good with social games, so much so that in some groups they can't play it anymore because he always wins. Also is surprisingly good at Co-op, especially with Eris.

Violence Milo:

Probably won't admit it, but likes being headpatted. Will come towards Eris and slightly nudge his head towards their hand to indicate they want to be headpatted, but will never ask them.

Eats a lot more now than he did previously. Pre Milo ate more like a bird, but Violence Milo devours his food. Seeing him eat meat is like watching a dog tear apart steak.

Because of this, he's also learned how to cook more meals. Before Milo just cooked to survive, but now Violence Milo makes pretty good meals. Will cook anything Eris asks.

Has gotten more into shooters and fighting games. He actually seems to have really good reaction timing now compared to what he was like before.

When holding Eris's hands, tends to squeeze too hard before loosening it because he gets shy. He's working on not doing that but Eris's hands have been crushed multiple times before.

Really into wolves and big dogs. Really likes german shepards and watching him play with dogs is like night and day because he's so mushy around them .

Probably has a punching bag with Ryan's face on it somewhere in his room. That picture has been replaced over and over again and that punching bag looks like it's on the brink of breaking.

Growls and whimpers in his sleep sometimes. When his back or head is stroked, it turns into a more comfortable and happy growl and he tries to hug whatever is closest to him. If it's mentioned to him by Eris, he'll probably get embarrassed. Being big spooned will also cause his leg to shake for a bit before he ends up sleeping soundly.

I hope I remember a lot of these facts later because I feel like some of this stuff I just made up on the spot.

[xtrafluffyteddy]

Secret weapon

Platonic!141 x avatar kaiju!reader

Okay okay so I got inspired by watching Godzilla and avatar so imagine the reader is an avatar driver but their avatar is a kaiju that 141 only uses when their big threats like monsters

Callsign: Spiritfarer

The last thing the 141 expected was another word ending threat to resurface especially not in the form of giant mutant bug like creatures. It had been years decades even since something of that magnitude had made itself known again, but the radiation spikes don’t lie neither does the seismic activities that are spiking on every military radar

“Boys you know what we have to do” price said urgently during their briefing as he pushed classified files towards each of his men “wake them up? Are you sure that’s safe captain” gaz asked concern in evident in his voice as he read over the files “we’ve kept them asleep for so long what if they don’t wanna work on our side” Ghost warns as he tries to find the logic in waking you up again after you just barely won the battle last time “are yae sure tae can handle it captain” soap wonders as he stares at a Polaroid of your face taken moments after you defeated Cerberus

At the end of the day it didn’t matter what they thought, they had to wake you up so you could save the world again being the only successful kaiju avatar driver you were their only shot. “Wake em’” Price commands gruffly as they all stand around your metal box only the rhythmic beeping of your heart monitor filling the room.

With a gasp you wake up staring around in shock wondering why you’ve been awoken from your cryosleep “wha- what happened?” You question raspily throat dry and itchy from lack of use “we need ya Spiritfarer” soap sighs not knowing how you’ll react to the current situation “for what? What’s happening” you press as you stand up stretching out your aching muscles “Two unknown bug like kaiju have been spotted in Asia, type unknown but they are capable of knocking out the power they’ve already made land fall we’ve tried every other measure but your our only hope left” Ghost sighs as he hands you your uniform.

As they get the pod ready the boys catch you up on what you’ve missed, who’s with them and who’s not and recent missions they’ve been on “it’s time” Price grunts as he and ghost help you stand up escorting you to your pod soap and gaz following close behind “remember spiritfarer minimal damage minimal casualties fight as hard as you can and we will try our best to help you” all you can do is nod as you focus on the task at hand “copy captain”

With a hug from soap and a pat on the back from Ghost and Price they hook you into your machine making sure everything is online and ready to go “patch me in boys” with that your eyes slip closed as you slip under your conscious slipping into your kaiju.

Price and ghost watched the cams as your kaiju emerged from the mountains forgetting just how big you actually were “fucking Christ” soap murmurs as he watches “they are huge” gaz mumbles staring in awe at your giant form that almost seemed to pulse with an electrical energy “go get ‘em spirit” price commands as your kaiju takes off running towards the threats

They were worthy advisories as you continued tirelessly to fight against them taking hit after hit and ignoring the pain of their sharp beaks tearing at your skin. “COME ON SPIRIT” Price yells as he watches you fight valiantly against the creatures “KICK SOME ASS” soap shouts as you swing hard sending the other kaiju flying into the side of a building with a roar you grasp the monsters jaws ripping them open and tearing it in half only leaving one enemy left “keep fighting Spiritfarer” ghost grunts as he watches your body twitch in its machine.

People watched on in horror as the two titans clashed and ripped at each other destroying buildings and homes “come on come on come on” gaz whispers as he watches you get knocked down your body running out of energy to keep fighting “we gotta help em” soap gasps as he rushes to get into a helo “I’m gonna drop some bombs distract the thing give spirit enough time to recoop and finish this once and for all

With the help of soaps bombs and gunshots the bug creature turned towards him ready to take him down until it was caught off guard by you latching onto its neck sinking your sharp teeth in as deep as they could go ripping it out as your claws sunk into its soft underbelly. “LETS FOCKIN GO” Soap cheers as he flies back to base leaving you to finish it off. With a deep breath you start lighting up purple prying open the monsters mouth spitting pure energy into its throat causing it disintegrate in your claws. You had won the threats were eliminated and you could finally rest again.

Once your kaiju was safely back in its containment you were woken up by price and soap lifting you from your pod hugging you tightly and congratulating you on your victory. “You did well kid” Ghost smirks under his mask patting your back. “I’m ready to go back to sleep now boys” you mumble tiredly as they helped lay you back in your cryochamber “wake me up when y’all wanna have a drink or somethin yeah?” With that the boys put you back to sleep proud of you for saving the world once again and deciding they’d wake up again but next time just to hang out and show you the world again.

[improvapocalyps]

Week 2: Video Game Swap

i have been obsessed with spiritfarer for the past week so it made sense to base my week 2 of @shepscapades's design event off of it :]

some notes below

etho's spirit form is an arctic fox, but specifically when they're in the middle of changing their coat for summer (see image above). he's got a little bit of a hunched back when standing (sneaky ninja kinda vibe).

his mood perks:

ecstatic: plays joyful music.

happy: uses smithy.

content: shops for useless items.

sad: says mean things.

very sad: mopes around on the boat.

you pick him up at an island in the furogawa region. he's flat broke and trying to argue with convince theodore to sell him something for free (it's a diamond). you buy that (for 24,400 glims) then gift it to him to invite him aboard your boat. he calls you captain/ buddy depending on his mood.

wanted to use kennedia (intellectual beauty) as etho's spirit flower originally then couldn't find a proper place to put it in the design,, it's just maple leaf (strength & endurance) now

[aviomons]

So this is a self-indulgent Life Series + Spiritfarer AU.

Grian is based off Gustav, and Scar takes the role of Stella (and Jellie to Daffodil, of course). Honestly, both Gustav and Grian being birds were enough for me, but also Gustav’s spirit flower is a poppy?? Literally perfect. Anyways, background is from the game itself from the Everdoor. More explanation (yapping) below the cut!

After SL!Scar becomes the Spiritfarer, taking the role from LIL!Martyn (each winner would have to take on the role to take the members of their respective game and take them to the Everdoor, leading them to the Watchers so their emotions could be fed on), he finds the spirits of SL members. I don’t think Grian is the first spirit he finds, I think it’ll probably be Pearl (who’ll be taking the role of Gwen from SF). While everyone is found and goes to the Everdoor when they’re ready, Grian stays behind with Scar. I think he wouldn’t be ready to move on without him.

For this AU, I feel like each member won’t take an *exact* replica of a Spiritfarer AU, but some might have bits and parts taken from those characters. For example, Grian takes inspiration from Gustav and Gwen. And Pearl with Gwen, etc. (I haven’t finished the game quite yet, and I haven’t met all the characters, so not all is solid.)

Anyways, this probably won’t be the last time you hear of this AU….

[danceontheceiling]

back home with my gencon haul

my fave ribbon was def fungi freak (it me) that i got with a purchase from a booth. the escape room person did say we were the fastest so far that con though (we got done with like twenty minutes left)

i loved this set (rainbow drops) when it first got released a year ago but i ended up talking myself out of it cause i didn't need ANOTHER set but then when i decided to do it they were sold out and they have taunted me for a year, on the website but sold out the whole time (at least anytime i check and i didn't get a notification that they were back in stock). so when i went to the dispel dice booth (i loved it, it was set up like a jewelry display case and they had catalogs you could flip through too) i asked if they had a set of it and they did!! so now i finally have these and it only took a year

i don't collect stamps but i do pins so i grabbed that from the usps collab, a gencon pin, and then gawki (where i also got the ribbon from) and also crytime art.

lilystrations made the cool token card based on spiritfarer (i don't play any card games that use them but i did still like looking at the token cards everyone had) grabbed a couple patches from a booth, and then this fridge magnet set (i liked the cube magnet too but i 95% picked the set up for the collector tarot magent) from rollacrit

and finally thought i'd pick up some tea tasters and another fridge magnet from tea and absinthe

(also not part of my haul but i did meet sam reich (sort of))

and i didn't get a picture with her but i did get to meet someone i've been following since vine!! she played in a couple ttrpg oneshots with glass cannon network (who i hadn't seen anything of before but they were very fun games) and they were like usually people know us and then find sydney through us, not the other way around. but she was very cool in person!! also didn't meet him but was about five feet away from ross bryant at one point

anyway i'm very tired and happy to be home and i spent too much money but i had a good time

[lunarsapphism]

quotes i really love from games i really love :]

"I should probably forgive him now. Find that last shred of strength left in me. Would that make me a better person? Would that make a difference? Maybe." - gwen, spiritfarer

"I have no inherent meaning. Neither do you. But we can create, organize, put in order. And thus create purpose and meaning. Transcend the primordial chaos. All of humankind does so." - gustav, spiritfarer

"And after the artist has been long gone, turned to dust, the art remains. And even after the last one of all humans will have returned to the primordial chaos, provided that we have protected it, art will remain. And so it is that art alone is left in our wake. The only veritable form of transcendence to have ever been in our grasp. Proof of our existence, and of our pitiful efforts to raise from the chaos, as would some unknown script from a long-gone power." - gustav, spiritfarer

“I believe in a universe that doesn’t care, and people who do.” - angus, night in the woods

"You are atoms. And your atoms are not caring if you are existing. Your atoms are monstrous existence." - the sky cat, night in the woods

"We are not meeting again. And the universe is forgetting you. And I am remembering you. But not because i am caring. The beginning is moments ago. The end is moments away. There is no time to forget. Before all is forgotten." - the sky cat, night in the woods

"Nothing is gonna save us forever, but a lot of things can save us today." - mae, night in the woods

“When my friends leave, when I have to let go, when this entire town is wiped off the map, I want it to hurt. Bad. I want to lose. I want to get beaten up. I want to hold on until I’m thrown off and everything ends. And you know what? Until that happens, I want to hope again. And I want it to hurt. Because that means it meant something.” - mae, night in the woods

"And the universe said I love you because you are love. And the game was over and the player woke up from the dream. And the player began a new dream. And the player dreamed again, dreamed better. And the player was the universe. And the player was love. You are the player. Wake up." - end poem, minecraft

"We are an island race. And through all our times the sea has ruled our breaks. But be wary, young ones. For there will be other ships, and other souls to sail them." - jonas (posessed), oxenfree

[redriotinggg]

To all my One Piece cozy gamers!

I’d like to recommend a game that I’ve recently been playing on my Switch.

It’s called Spiritfarer, and you play as Stella, the newest Spiritfarer, who uses her ship to bring souls of the deceased to their final resting place. As you play, you make friends who board your ship and help them find peace in their last days.

This game reminds me of One Piece not only because you’re on a ship, but because of all the tasks you do aboard it. You navigate like Nami, cook like Sanji, fish like Usopp, and there’s even a big, friendly shipwright like Franky aboard your crew (though, you’re more of a shipwright with all the mods you make to your vessel). One of the characters called me Captain and I got so excited.

There’s love, humour, drama, and sadness galore in this game. It’s ultimately a game about life and death, so I’ve cried more than a few times already.

Oh! And you have a very cute kitty companion that follows you around, and you can give them a cuddle.

I got Spiritfarer a while ago when it was on sale for like $20. I think it’s about $30 regularly without any DLCs. Very worth it for the gorgeous art, music, entertaining dialogue, and long play time. You might need to visit a few forums to get past some parts, but I’d highly recommend if you enjoy cozy sims games.

[minzart]

Popular opinions about Hazbin and The silence of the lamb? I see your art for the last one and it looks interesting, i kinda wanna understand what it is and how i can get into it!

ALRIGHT THIS IS GONNA BE LONG, since I know you also like hazbin I'm gonna put it in the end, now let's prioritize my litle cult simulator bc I bet you would like it for the family drama and divinity theme

ANYWAYS "the silence of the lamb" is actualy called "Cult Of The Lamb"! And it's a game on steam, created by the indie company Massive Monster. It's a rougue like mixed with farming-simulator(more like cult-simulator).

The just of the game is, you build a cult and go on crusades to progress the story and gain more followers+resources

By gameplay perspective it's ADICTIVE, my only experience with the rouguelike genre was deadcells(a damn good experience), and with farming-simulators was the ol sns harvest moon(an ok experience for lil me, a boring one for big me), the charming animation with a good feel for combat(i can feel that axe breaking my enemies skulls) adds to the experience,It's fast paced wich I love, farming games aren't that much up my alley bc I like to DO stuff, but when mixed with another genre like in this I love it(like i did with spiritfarer)!

Now for the juicy part, the story! I love the story, it's short but you can do so much with it(the fandom is extremely creative and surportive). The 4 bishops(gods) of "the old faith" heard of a profecy, the One Who Waits(also a god) would be free of his imprisonment by a Lamb, so the gods hunt them down and you, player, is the last one to die, however, death is The One Who Waits' domain and you finaly arrived to his embrace, his fated vasel, build a cult in his name and destroy the old faith, kill the bishops and set him free. AND BOY DO YOU DO THAT, but the game's name and the place holder name for your cult is anything to tell you it was a double betrayal :)

[Spoiler for the story and more rambling bellow + the hazbin rambling]

What I love about the story is how vague and at the same time not our protagonist is, the Lamb doesn't have a name, you can't name them, nor gender, but they sure have one set in stone fact, they FEAR death, they do not want to die permanently, it's absolutely evident the first seconds of the game, they cry in their execution and cry before the one who waits at the end and never again.

The game allows you to make some choices that have some consequences do/don't except the first choice "do you create a cult it my name? Yes/ABSOLUTELY", and I love how by contrast in the end, when you get to TOWW you can defy him and take the crown(the source of a gods power) or sacrifice yourself for his resurrection, it's an instant game over screen and a brutal one, I'm not sure if you can restart from were you last saved or if you start from the beggining, BUT DO YOU SEE WHAT I MEAN? You are forced to start the adventure like you or not THE LAMB WANTS TO LIVE and by the end they were a cult leader, they raised the dead, they killed Gods AND NOW YOU CAN KILL THEM, they let you chose death it's these little details that makes the story so interesting to me.

Also the fucking middle finger to the typical "defy profecy" trope, to defy this profecy YOU HAVE TO DIE, bc it goes "five, becomes four, becomes three, becomes two, becomes one, becomes nothing" it's profecising the end of the old faith and if you let TOWW live you break the profecy it's nothing history changing but I like this irony

The divine family drama is also juicy, you see the old faith has actualy 5 gods, the oldest sibling being Shamura the divinity of knowledge and war(and i still find facinating that ONLY shamura has in game be referenced with both domains) the one who received this profecy, then goes Kallamar the God of pestilence, Narinder the God of death, Heket the godess of famine and Leshy the God of chaos. Narinder was experimenting with rituals to create resurrection when this profecy was made by Shamura who, with the other 3(and I will read too much into dialogue Shamura made a play with words when revealing to us that TOWW was Narinder about hunger and contamination wich i interpret that Heket and Kallamar were actualy kinda into the idea of ressurection wich for me IS IN THEME WITH THEIR DOMAIN BUT NOT WAR NOR CHAOS) imprisoned Narinder in the afterlife.

But now thing get interesting, bc through the game you discover details with dialogue from other characters and with the God's themselves, like an obvious one is how, despite everything Narinder is still Shamuras favorite brother, TOWW has two black cats with him who I call diciples, bc in the game mechanic your most loyal followers can be ascended to diciples and be used to generate powers and have powerful demon forms to acompain you in crusades, Aym &Baal sons of a merchant cat you find in your crusades, she tells you that Shamura themselves came for the boys as a gift, and shamyra tells you that the didn't want Narinder to get lonely.

By the end of the first part, you can chose to kill or spare Narinder, if you spare him he BECOMES A FOLLOWER(the funniest thing was seeing every single gameplay marry him right after this) , and he gives you quests, five if i'm not mistaken, each thematically appropriated for each of his siblings domains, and the last one is him wanting to go on a missionary mission(the closest a follower can come to explore the world outside of your grasp). He has unique dialogue and voice(he sounds like he smokes 50 packs a day but then again if you noticed his desings he was literaly only a head....)

SPEAKING OF DESIGNS! Each bishop is a reference to the senses monkeys, see no evil(Leshy has lost his eyes fighting narinder, his eyes now are covered by a bandage), hear no evil(kallamar has bandages in his ears also lost to narinder), speak no evil(Heket also jas bandages in her throat from that fight), think no evil(Shamura's skull is open, their bandages and the fact that they also aren't totaly here, murmuring over and over the profecy, rarely being present at the moment) and do no evil(narinder's robes are blody and you can see his arms are skeletal, wich mean he was decapitated(also enforce by his second fase design)).

The achievements also tell details, kill each bishop and you see their sense, kill them taking zero damage and you get their opposite domain referenced(took no damage for leshy? Congratulation here is the Order archivement), and, with the dlc you can ressurect Aym&Baal and reunite them with their mother, you then gain the "damned tears of a merciful mother" and "blessed tears of vengeful father", wich can indicate lore/headcanons if you think a little bit of it.

With the dlc there's more lore, like how the five bishops probably killed many gods before setting down, how in the world seems to be in a stagnant autumn bc of you killing the bishops, how you can have the bishops as followers now, the only sad part is that they don't interact much with themselves besides generic follower talk, and that's were the fandom enters, there's also three siblings who give you weapons, cards(temporary powers/bonus for each run) and relics who have their own lore, and a new dlc enabling local multi-player is on the horizon(the art of the crowns reminds me of the relic giver who is mad with power and has a crown of her own)

So yeah the base is strong for you to expand the world with your headcanons and interactions, your lamb can be or not cruel, vengeful or merciful, a loyal follower or a usurper, the game allows you to do that, TOWW interacts with you each time you kill a bishop and some of their diciples(mini bosses), wich creates a good enough dynamic with him, after his defeat you see him change from vengeful God to chill cat(in the official art of the game it's hilarious what an 180 he does, canonicaly he doesn't give a shit if you kill him or not he's glad you are using his fucking ritual and proving him right, now he just chills out, who would have guessed he only needed to literaly touch grass)

Also the game has a really good acecibility options, if you only like the farming aspect you can activate the infinite heart and fervor, making the crusades easy and bosses a breeze(I used this bc my computer isn't a strong one so it glitches a lot and when i killed a boss i didn't want to restat bc it glitched or an atack that wasn't suposed to hit me now that the cutscene of defeat started did and i died), or if you don't like the farming part/it's getting difficult to maintain followers alive you can stop time during crusades, or all of the at once if you just want to get on with the story.

So yeah it's basically that, you can explore/expand so much with the so little given. You can also experience the main story through all cutscenes instead of gameplays, it's 1or2h long all of it i think, and slowly reading items descriptions in the wiki as your curiosity is picked if you can't play it like I did before a good sale hits steam :D

Now for HAZBIN

When we only had the pilot I really liked the world that could be build from the concept, we're heaven and hell based on Christianity existed and the show heavily leaned into the HELL of SIN aspect, the characters were... ok. I needed more to actualy fall in love with them, for the time they were good templates. Now we know we're they are going and I really like it.

The way these are the most human characters I had seen until that point, hazbin, for me, threats their characters truly as humans, they have HEAVY FLAWS and they won't be nice about it, like actual humans are, in the actual show they do a thing I love that is contrast in the same character.

See Alastor, in the pilot and in the beggining he's this mysterious guy who caries the main mysteries of the show, he's also the one no-one inside the world of the shows gives a shit about, "don't you wanna know were i was? No." Was the funniest shit I saw and I love how his ego gets beaten in the finale. Vox is a scary CEO, he will tell you to kill yourself to your face and not bat an eye if you actualy do it before of him, BUT HIS INTRODUCTION IS HIM BECOMING A MESS BC OF ALASTOR it "Invalidates"(read hides) his 5 seconds of glory as a competent villain archetype. Valentino's first apearence is through text that can be missed so it tecnicaly is actualy him being a whiny little bitch to vox about his boy toy, only for two episodes later we see him as the sexual abuser he is, AND HE IS SCARY AS FUCK, IT'S ABOUT THE CONTRAST OF HIM MAKING ME GO THROUGH "oh he's the fruity evil gay guy, angel's possesive boss/ex" to "oh fuck he's actualy really fucking scary actualy" to "THE FUCK IS GOING ON WITH THAT GENUINE SMILE IN THAT ENDING"(something something the monster to you can be the angel to other something something despite what a monster does to you they can still love it just wasn't you they love something something). Charlie is a goodie two shoes who's trying to redeem everybody bc she's just that nice and by the end I was happily surprised that she actualy had an arc, yes she's nice but she isn't naturaly empathetic, she's learning she isn't perfect and that's a good character. Adam is a damn good villain and his mere existence has implications that make the world so intriguing and if he continues alive in anyway shape of form or he just genuinely dies JUST MAKES THE WORLD MORE FASCINATING(if he lives is it through reincarnation or thorough a demon for?, if he dies, then were does he go? Another afterlife? Does it kill your whole existence and memories atached to you? Or only the emotional atchiment to yoru existence?)

It's the, "came here for the world building, stayed for the characters" meme, I also enjoy hazbin (but especialy helluva boss) bc it reminds me of Brazilian soap operas with all it's drama and messiness, I'M HERE FOR THE DRAMA AND IT IS BEING DELIVERED, also I love musicals but that's a bônus

[oddygaul]

Spiritfarer

This game was a weird experience for me. I wanna say that a story like this is more about the journey than the destination - and that’s copacetic narratively, as the unfolding stories of each of the passengers are far stronger than the capital p Plot the game builds towards - but from a gameplay standpoint, the journey itself largely felt like a tedious timesuck, and I kept finding myself wishing we could get straight to the point.

Let’s do a compliment sandwich here.

The overall vibes are immaculate, and the world of Spiritfarer is incredibly cozy. The dialogue is delightful - and not only with the main characters! Even the random villagers always have something charming going on. I think the last time I was actually this enthused to talk to minor NPCs was A Short Hike.

They’re not always cheery, either; the game has a lot of that old-school Animal Crossing edge that got sanded away over the years, where characters are actually allowed to be abrasive or even straight up dislike you. Spiritfarer has multiple passengers that, upon meeting you, are anything from fully disinterested to straight-up jerks. Some of them will warm to you over time, as in the OG Animal Crossing, but some will just never really like Stella all that much… and they will loudly, vocally share that fact with you. Even some of the friendliest, most open characters sometimes need their space. This wider spectrum of interactions goes a long way toward making the characters feel real and engaging, and it’s something I’ve missed in this space for a while.

The art and especially the animation work is absolutely stellar, too. Each of the characters have strong silhouettes, and the animators really make the most of each design’s unique attributes: Stella’s big wide-brimmed hat puffing up when you use it to glide, the Everlight’s infinite transformations into whatever’s handy for the current situation, Bruce and Mickey’s big guy little guy dynamic*, Gustav mightily leaping from floor to floor. A 3D game with this concept would likely stick to a handful of rigs for the characters and keep their movement simple, so I give a lot of credit to the Spiritfarer team for going the extra mile and putting such care into making the passenger animations lively and creative.

*Well, this one is only fun until you find out the why behind the dynamic

Daffodil is the cutest fucking name for a cat btw

Unfortunately, despite how fun they’ve made the basic movement, the actual gameplay bits get pretty tiresome. It turns out that much of the moment-to-moment gameplay is actually doing chores on your boat, and they start to feel like chores remarkably quickly; while running, jumping and ziplining all feel great, most of the production minigames, like watering plants or smelting, are tedious and time-consuming. 

For the first third of the game or so, you’re unlocking new building minigames regularly, so they all feel somewhat novel. Plus, the density of the early game lends itself to a constant multitasking that feels satisfying. You’ll set your boat’s navigation system off to a location, then decide what form of crafting or farming will be the best use of your time; the result is a great “just one more turn” loop that's pretty engaging. The thing is, due to the length of the game, the pacing simply doesn’t stay that tightly engineered. You’ll run out of new buildings and minigames to unlock, start to get tired of the ones you’ve done dozens of times, and have to return to the same islands to farm materials over and over again. 

I will say, I quite liked the cooking system. There was something satisfying about guessing what different ingredients would pop out a new dish, and the illustrations for all of them are cute enough to make the experimentation feel worthwhile.

And unfortunately, this pacing inconsistency applies to the story as well. At first, you’re running into new faces constantly, and at any given moment will have half a dozen passengers on your ship, making it feel like a lively community. The rate of new passengers slows down dramatically, though, and for much of the back half of the game I had only 2 or 3 passengers aboard, leaving the game feeling empty and rote. 

This is not an easy problem to solve - it’s gotta be near impossible to keep the pacing curated if your game is this long - but maybe Spiritfarer didn’t need to be this long? 30 hours is fuckin HEFTY for this kind of game. I dunno, it’s certainly possible other people found the management sim side of things engaging and equally as worthwhile as the character interaction, but to me it mostly felt like busywork keeping me from the story bits, so my patience for it grew thinner and thinner.

For the first half of the game or so, I had a running theory that Stella didn’t actually know any of the passengers, and these people were being enchanted by some sort of Spiritfarer glamour that presents you as someone they’re comfortable / familiar with. The game makes the truth clear as it goes, but a part of me really likes that idea of the ferryman taking the form of someone that can put the departed’s minds at ease. I think that’s how the reapers in Dead Like Me work..?

Now, the reason my frustration with those elements was intense was because boy I got invested in these characters. A few missed the mark for me (I’m sure everyone who plays this game has a different group of passengers that really pushed their buttons and those that didn’t), but so many of them were memorable and heartbreaking.

Gustav, with his desperate hope that the transcendence of art can outlive any individual, really speaks to some existential crises I’ve gone through myself

Alice, who in her old age finally has the means to travel and go on the adventures she always wanted to, only to be betrayed by her failing body... I literally watched this happen to someone close to me weeks before playing this, so the moment was a gut punch. And then that development is tied into the gameplay, by making you move Alice's house to the ground floor because she can't use the ladders anymore, and you have to walk her out to the deck and back every day... inspired, and soul-crushing.

The reveal that the reason Bruce does all the talking and initiates all the pair's movements is because Mickey's been in a coma the whole time... broke me. And then Bruce decides to end his own life because he can't bear to go on alone anymore? Jesus, man.

Okay, I get that I'm a mark for any story touching on Alzheimer's, but Beverly's depiction of the disease was particularly brutal. The Alzheimer's I've dealt with was a very language-based version, so Beverly getting halfway through a sentence and realizing it wasn't right, saying things like "Just give me a moment" or "Let me just take a little break and I'll finish" then giving up in resignation... fucking hell. Too real.

In general, the amount of spirits whose arcs aren’t resolved when they go out is rough. Despite being a work that’s clearly focused on death from the start, Spiritfarer initially feels like it’s going to be a somewhat sanitized look at the topic. You’re going to take these spirits to the door of oblivion, sure, but we’re going to get complete character arcs, we’re going to work through trauma, and people are going to go through the door when they’re good and ready. And for the first few passengers, that’s true… but things get dark quick. Bruce’s tale, as previously mentioned, ends with him killing himself. Atul, one of your most easygoing, dependable passengers, simply disappears one night, never to be seen again. Jackie, who embarks rather late to start a journey of self-improvement, gives up halfway and straight-up tells you he can’t find anything about himself worth living for and suicide is all he deserves. Spiritfarer even twists the knife by letting us read some of his journals afterwards, showing he feels a deep regret and self-loathing for his past actions… he just can’t find any way to live with them.

This is what I respect the most about Spiritfarer’s musings on death, I think. Rather than dressing everything up in neat metaphors and giving you emotional catharsis, it’s not afraid to show death as sudden, as unsatisfying, as desolate, as lonely. By presenting itself so whimsically, it gets the audience to let their guard down so the hard moments hit them with full force. I wish they could’ve had the confidence to lean on those moments without feeling the need to pad the time in between with monotonous crafting systems.

[squashandjuice]

I just had to put this out there

So I love the game spiritfarer and played it just fine for a while, feeling all kinda of feelings. Alice departing broke me, and when Atul left in the night I had to take a break for hours before I returned to my laptop.

Then Stanley asked to leave.

At this point I had Stanley and Elena on my boat, both ready to depart, and I picked up Buck shortly after. I then didn't play the game for 6 months. I could face saying goodbye to this kid whom I had grown to love, and I had upgraded Elena's room so I could never make her ecstatic, which I had previously tried to make all spirits who were departing. I couldn't make her happy no matter how hard I tried.

When I did come back I still didn't let either of them go, telling myself that I would find a way to make Elena happy, and I just wanted to collect all Stanley's drawings so he could leave just yet.

Just now, hours before my real life exams, I let them both go. Stanley's surprisingly didn't make me as emotional as I feared, clearly having 6 months to think on the matter had helped. I teared up when I went into his room to collect the spirit flower and promised his beetle that I'd look after it, but I was alright.

Elena however made me have a breakdown. All I could think about was that one post about having the challenge of never being able to help or redeem someone and having your whole life to come to terms with that, knowing you will never be able to. I found myself using the time of the characters rowing the boat in silence to talk out loud to the character of Elena, telling her I was sorry that I couldn't make her happy, and that it it was ok that I couldn't. She didn't make me happy either. I struggled with her tasks and found her constant criticism annoying. I let her go and spent an entire night on the boat sat on Giovanni's sofa staring at her constellation hoping she was happier up there.

I didn't like Elena, but she elicited the strongest reaction from me so I'm glad she was there.

[lunamsubmersi]

this is possibly gonna get deleted later but im speculating on what video games the black phone gang would play

Vance would like retro games. Virtual pinball is a dead giveaway but I think other small arcade games like that would interest him too. like street fighter, that one zombie shooter that's in every arcade. He'd like resident evil. But secretly I think he also has a few cozy games. Like he and Bruce have a stardew farm he loves so dearly. He's also got the prettiest Animal Crossing island and insanely detailed perspective builds. He will not show you.

Bruce would have a pretty predictable selection, I feel. Stardew, Story of Seasons, Minecraft, etc. But he also plays stuff like Hades and Bayonetta! And he likes them a lot. When he starts playing Cult of the Lamb, everyone is really surprised. More so when his leadership style isn't gentle.

Finn is more of a multiplayer kinda guy. He plays with Robin and Gwen most days so his defaults are things they play together. He has a few he plays on his own like Mario or Yoshi's Island. He likes quieter games where there's no real stress (or death)

Robin is an fps and horror gamer most days. Unless he's playing with the others, you'll find him playing anything from Gears of War to Puppet Combo type stuff. He got into RE because of Vance and they only made it through 6 by complaining to each other about things they disliked with it.

Griffin is a cozy game boy. He's got an insanely pretty island on Animal Crossing. (not as good as Vance's but they have a secret agreement and he gives Griffin help if no one is around) He's played Potion Permit, Story of Seasons, Stardew, Rune Factory, etc. He's also the RPGMaker expert. And games like Spiritfarer and To The Moon are experiences he cherishes dearly.

Billy is also multi-genre. He plays anything that peaks his interest. He's the best at puzzle games though so he really likes Pictograph or Layton. Ace Attorney is another game he really enjoys. He also has the best time management in Pikmin.

Gwen will tell you she's a cozy gamer and she has the hours in ACNH and various other games to back it up. She played a lot of the same games Griffin did and they both learned to play For River together. Coffee Talk is a very special game to her. But she also could smoke you out in GTA and is more aggressive than even Vance when they all play Mario Kart. She's definitely completed a genocide run in Undertale.

[xtrafluffyteddy]

Everdoor

spiritfarer!Johnny mactavish x spirit!Reader x spirit!Simon Riley

I’ve been playing spiritfarer and I got inspired, this is mostly from Johnnys pov, kinda bittersweet ending?

Being the new spiritfarer wasn’t an easy task but when Johnny was choosen for it he knew he could handle the weight and burden of having to cross over the many spirits still stuck in the ethereal plane “Johnny” the previous spiritfarer Price grumbles lowly, Soap was quick to look up at the large creature like man “yes sir?” He replied, “make me proud” was all Price said as he crossed over into the Everdoor.

“Okay Riley” johnny huffed as he looked down at the German Shepard by his side wagging its tail in happiness “let’s go help some spirits hm?” He smiled as Riley barked in reply reaching his large hand down to scratch behind the dogs ears before turning to his controls setting his navigation to some random island on the map.

That’s where he met the first spirit who would board his ship, standing before him was a very large cloaked figure at the end of the pier staring out into the vast nothingness “hello?” He called out causing the spirit to quickly snap towards him “who are you, how’d you get here, how’d you find me” the spirit shot off rapid questions already on guard “I’m Johnny but you can call me Soap I’m the newest spiritfarer” he reassured putting his hands up to show he’s harmless “my boat took me here I’m guessing to bring you aboard” the cloaked figure held an aura of distrust as it reluctantly followed Johnny to his ship.

Once the cloaked figure set foot on his ship it’s cloak immediately vanished leaving a very broad and tall man with a skull mask staring back at him “I’m Ghost” the spirit grunted as he looked at his new surroundings before digging around his pocket to give Johnny his obal

Days and weeks passed as Johnny upgraded his ship, helped other spirits cross over while Ghost remained never growing close to any of the other spirits, always sticking to himself only really talking to Johnny or playing with Riley. “Phew another spirit in the Everdoor I’m on a roll aren’t I” he grinned at Ghost who was sat in his own house that Johnny had built for him “you remind me of my old team” Ghost mumbles as he looks lost in thought “always ontop of things, always together” that’s all Ghost said for the rest of the day deciding that he just wanted to be alone worrying Johnny just a bit.

He couldn’t stay worried for long as he docked at a new island filled with cherry blossom trees and strawberry bushes which he quickly harvested as he made his way up towards the lone cabin at the very top of the hill. “Hello?” He called out to the cloaked figure sitting at the lone bench over looking the sea “hello?” He called out again as he made his way towards them “hello Spiritfarer” you say still not turning towards him “I’m guessing you’ve come to take me away from my home” you inquire turning slightly to look at the large man “only if your comfortable with that” he reassures “well I mean it’s time isn’t it I can’t cling to the past forever” with that he watches as you rise up take one last look at your home and follow him to the ship once onboard your cloak melts away revealing your form standing before the only other spirit on the ship and Johnny “it’s been so long since I’ve been around others” you snicker

The three of you were thick as thieves growing closer and closer as the days turned to weeks then months everything was well sure you’d had a few times where Johnny was worried because you were struggling against an unseen foe, or when ghost would have what he could only guess were ptsd flashbacks that caused him to be catatonic for days, the good times outweighed the bad in his eyes as long as you both remained happy then he would keep trying to make you both better.

“Johnny” Ghost said one day after Johnny had fed him his favorite food of beans and toast “I think it’s time Johnny” Soap felt his heart drop into his stomach he knew this day was coming but he would never be ready for it “I’m ready to go Johnny” ghost said as he placed a calloused hand on Johnnys warm cheek “you know what to do” Johnny nodded a sadness burying itself in his heart as he set his navigation to take him to the Everdoor

“I’m gonna miss you Simon” Johnny watched as you said your goodbyes to your beloved Ghost hugging him tightly and pressing a soft kiss to his cheeks then his lips only letting go of his hands as Ghost boarded the small boat that would take him to his final resting place “ready” Johnny questioned his voice thick with emotion “ready” Ghost reassured as he gently placed a hand on Johnnys knee giving him a smile behind his skull mask.

“I’m grateful for everything in my life” Ghostst began as Johnny continued to row “grateful for my team, for the tragedies, for meeting you and them” Ghost smiled as he took off his mask wanted to feel the breeze on his face one last time “I’ve done bad things, and at one point I was sure I was a villain but when you look at me it makes me want to be a better person” Johnny sniffs but keeps a strong composure “I've never deserved you anyway... But I've loved you, and that won't stop even if I'm not around anymore. The ones who really love you never really leave you, you know” Ghost reassured as they stop in front of the large door Johnny quickly rushing to pull ghost into a tight hug inhaling his strong scent “I love you Simon” Johnny murmured as Ghost rose above him disappearing in a burst of light

It was lonely without Ghost on the ship but things had to keep moving, Johnny continued helping spirits cross over while you remained unmoving wanting to stay by Johnnys side for as long as you can teaching him lessons on how to open up to people, to love, to grieve properly. “Even when I leave you Johnny I’ll wait for you on the other side so you don’t have to cross alone” you smiled as he pressed a soft kiss to his lips before disappearing into your house.

The day johnny had been dreading had come you were ready to leave you had told him so as you were helping him into his orchards “I think I’m ready Johnny” you say as you put the fallen apples into a basket “I’m done fighting the inevitable I’ve had a wonderful experience seeing the world with you but it’s time for me to go” you gently cup Johnnys cheek and all he can do is focus on remembering your touch “you know what to do”.

Johnny couldn’t fight the few tears rolling down his cheeks as he helped you into the small boat watching as you sat across from him brilliant smile never leaving your face “you know I used it be such a logical thinker, everything had its place, everything was black and white, then when I got sick I started changing started learning a new way of living and I always wanted to pass that down to someone and I’m grateful it was you” you coo as you reach out to caress Johnnys cheek “The only lesson I have left is to show you what we're made of. Of ephemeral starlight. We're but a few particles of thought on the vast stream of consciousness” you sigh happily as you lean forward pulling Johnny into a soft kiss wrapping him up in your arms “I love you Johnny and I’ll be waiting” with that he watched as you burst into a ball of light taking your place amongst the stars next to his beloved Ghost.

Years passed Johnny lost track of how many souls he’d helped pass on but now his time was up it was his turn to crossover and he knew that you and Ghost would be waiting for him with open arms and happy smiles.

[musing-and-music]

Royai week 2023 fic recs

In honor of Royai week in the Fruits & Roots server, I chose to highlight some of my favorite Royai fics I gathered these past years (not many years, since I've been on AO3 for 2 years and a half only). Each day, I'll recommend a few fics in a particular setting

Day 2: What is this woman to you?" "My protector." - Alternate Universe fics

From historical to modern to space, there's alternate universes for all tastes with Royai!

Pretty Scars That Made Me Yours by Poppy Pelican / @poppy-pelican, rated T

Six years after the Promised Day, Mustang, Hawkeye, Alphonse, and Mei are brought together on a search for a man with no name.

There's Royai, there's Almei, slow-burn, there's Soulmates! (that's why I put it in AU fics, even if it's post-canon) (there's already a lot of fics for my post-canon fic rec list)

[fic + podfic] Elegies and Bittersweet Odes by goneadrift, klainelynch, theaceofdragons / @goneadrift @klainelynch @theaceofdragons

It's a familiar story: The lost loved one, the alchemist's gambit, and the high, high price. But her stratagem is different, and her price is paid not in flesh but in endless, lonely years. She watches him live and die, and she finds herself unable to do either. And yet, through lives and deaths and centuries, love can carry you home.

I cried in my car listening to that podfic, and cried again when I read the text. That's all you need to know how good this fic is

and we're the only ones dancing on the sun by starsinherblood / @jedidragonwarriorqueen

When Rebel demolitions expert Roy Mustang is stranded on a hostile planet after a mission, it's up to X-wing pilot Riza Hawkeye to rescue him.

A Star Wars AU that I loved!

in my darkest hour by lantur / @lantur

Three months in the Grumman-Mustang presidential ticket, as told by Senator Mustang's Chief of Staff and the man who would be Vice President of the United States.

There's drama, there's politics, and there's lantur's writing that takes us in the story and doesn't let us go until the end

Ex tempore by Tasia (ruikosakuragi)

Historical/Gangster AU. New York, 2000. Riza Hawkeye comes into the possession of a family heirloom upon her grandfather's final words: "Keep him safe." Confused and grief-stricken, Riza finds herself pulled in time to Prohibition Era New York, recovering from a gang-related firefight under the care of Dr. Roy Mustang, a reluctant member of the Hughes-Mustang crime family and a self-proclaimed guardian to two boys by the names of Edward and Alphonse.

Time and danger don't apply when they must find each other. An enthralling AU!

Sneezes by Starship_Phoenix / @starship--phoenix

AU where every time one person sneezes, their soulmate sneezes. A few Royai scenarios.

Short and sweet soulmates AU!

what will you leave behind? by klainelynch / @klainelynch (yes, again!)

Riza Hawkeye spent her entire life trying to make the world a better place. In the afterlife, she has been tasked with caring for the souls of the dead: helping them with final requests and unfinished business from their life on earth. As she helps others prepare to leave through the Everdoor, Riza will discover what she’ll be asked to leave behind as the new Spiritfarer.

I literally gave this AU a tag for my reblog of each update: #it's monday it's time for my weekly cry. But it's so good and thanks to it I played Spiritfarer and I can tell you it's an amazing game (also really moving, like the fic!)