#also replaying it? sucked. Would Not Recommend

[morinuu]

☢｜tamaki x reader. 2,4k words. sorry this is so late i literally forgot to post it last week anw the next n final part is coming in 2 weeks while i work n post some other stuff hehehe

“mum?”

“yes, love?”

“how did you not lose it when you realised dad was going away for good?”

that was the first thing you’d asked your mum on a saturday morning after waving her good morning. needless to say, the woman was taken aback to hear this question from you. she knew her daughter never asked about her parents’ divorce, not wanting to dissect those wounds.

it took her some time to come up with a response.

“i had you to look after.” she lied, not looking at you and instead focusing on her cake. “you kept me going.”

“but how was i helping in that situation? wouldn’t i make it worse?” you pressed on. if there was one thing your mum knew about you, it was that you were weirdly emotionally intelligent for a teenage girl.

she frowned, putting down the fruit she was decorating her cake with, and sighed deeply. she didn’t like lying to you.

“well.” she inhaled, “your question is phrased wrong.” she finally looked you in the eye. “because i did lose it. but before i was too far gone, i got back up. i couldn’t have you suffer like i did.”

the conversation replayed over and over in your head for the following week back to school. you wondered if heartbreak ran in the family. while not knowing much about your parents’ separation, you knew your grandparents also had a bad history. maybe love was just something the gods didn’t want to bestow upon your bloodline.

tamaki’s visit had, surprisingly, not been very pleasant. partly because your sickness made you… well, sick, and partly because tamaki was distracted the whole time. he’d brought you commoners’ food (haruhi’s recommendation), along with some more commoner candy ‘to sweeten your mood’ (what haruhi’s dad would take to work, according to haruhi). oh, and of course, you can’t forget how he would glance at his phone every so often. you ignored it at first, figuring out it’s the host club group chat, but your patience had its limits.

he’d come to your house, to check up on your health - his friend. supposedly. had you already been demoted to client status? well, you had the entire week to think about it as you rested.

during that time, tamaki seemed to reach out a bit more than usual, and once more, you believed he cared. you believed he realised you were important to him, even if your feelings weren’t exactly reciprocated.

and once again you’d been wrong.

because as time passed and you started making weekly appointments again, you began to feel that something was off. what exactly it was you couldn’t tell, but your gut was telling you to be suspicious. ‘suspicious of what, or who? tamaki?’ you didn’t like that feeling one bit.

no matter how many times he screwed up and misunderstood or failed to satisfy you in a host-client setting, you couldn’t give up on him. your mum’s words echoed in your ears, reminding you that men are a waste of time, that they just suck the soul out of you, that they’re not worth the heartbreak — but you were weak. and especially weaker than your mother. she disagreed, of course, but what did she know?

time seemed to start flowing normally again, tamaki wasn’t distant, haruhi and you never spoke to exchange more than greeting words, and your obsession was flourishing once more. you’d shower the halfer with gifts, spending a stupid amount of money — which the host club’s “mum” greatly appreciated — and you didn’t regret it one bit. everything was going smoothly, except for that tiny voice in your head.

it wasn’t until one of the host club’s organised excursions at the beach when your gut proved to be right. you wore your favourite swimwear for tamaki, and his compliments became straight up electricity up your spine. and just as you went to flirt with him like always,

“yo milord don’t forget about y/n’s gift today!” a familiar voice echoed by the palm trees. you could immediately tell it was hikaru, but you didn’t really understand what he meant. ah! perhaps they were expecting you to bring tamaki a gift again? well, you did, but this one felt a bit more personal so maybe you should tell him not to talk about it with the hosts— “even if it’s something stupid again, you ought to thank her for—”

the twins emerged from the bushes only to see you standing by the corner, hidden by the wall from their previous view. tamaki stood there, next to you, frozen. his facial expression almost screaming at the ginger to shut up but he’d been too late.

you furrowed your eyebrows at the two boys before turning your head to that stupid boy you were head over heels for.

“what?” you asked, obviously confused. but it didn’t take long to understand the situation.

tamaki thought your gifts were stupid, and he discussed it with his friends. and none of them thought to tell you. at least that's what the situation told you.

for what reason? well it could be a) manners or b) they didn’t care enough to.

but jokes on you because it wasn’t any of the above, it was c) they had to keep you happy because your mother asked for a favour. the favour being to make sure tamaki didn’t abandon you.

well, that’s not exactly what tamaki said when he pulled you to the side to explain, but it’s what the twins confessed to when you started poking for the truth.

you were more than disappointed with the news, your gut feeling now transferring to your throat and making it so tight you couldn’t get any words out, so you returned to your beach bed, dragging it away from tamaki’s. but the universe seemed to really hate you that day.

“miss l/n, is everything okay?” haruhi’s ever-annoying voice reached your ears and all you wanted to do was turn around and strangle her small little neck until it snapped. it was her fault. it was because of her that the boy you swore would become your boyfriend before graduation would no longer be apart of that plan. her. her, that stupid bi—

“i’m fine haruhi.” you smiled at her and continued dragging your bed across the sand to get away from this madness. you didn’t bother with any formalities.

“do you need help? i could bring your things so you don’t—”

“for fuck’s sake will you shut up?!” you snapped, raising your voice at the host. she didn’t say anything, just nodding and bowing before leaving. thankfully nobody else had been around to witness the scene, or you would’ve been involved in ouran gossip. only gods know how tiresome that is.

tamaki didn’t come to talk to you after that, you wanted to believe he wanted to and the hosts told him to give you space, but at this point you gave up all hope. he wanted haruhi, some cross-dressing nobody, a commoner, and you could do nothing about it.

the bracelet you had in your bag stayed there, and there it would remain for the rest of your trip. you’re kind of glad you never got to give it to him, at least it saved you the embarrassment of possibly being ridiculed by a bunch of boys calling themselves “hosts” with no shame.

but you guessed you were the one who should be ashamed; for wanting a host — a man notorious for seeing women as bank accounts.

when you went back home, you didn’t talk to your mum about the twins’ confession. sure, you were angry, but you knew she just wanted you happy. as for tamaki, he’d texted you a couple times but you knew if you called him you’d just burst into tears, so you went straight to bed, not bothering to wash the sand and sea salt off your body.

—

the following month had been… weird. you didn’t bother dropping by the host club anymore. kyouya, expecting this, just sighed and deleted you from the list of clients. he didn’t think you’d come back again after the fiasco at the beach.

haruhi, however, felt bad for some reason. like, okay, yeah, you were a bit more than mean sometimes and yeah, you barely looked at her if not to glare at her to get lost, but you didn’t seem like a bad person. your affection toward tamaki seemed genuine, and your last interaction didn’t sit well with her. it wasn’t the usual glare, eye roll, scoff, avoidant gesture or whatever else you “greeted” her with. this time it seemed more hurt, more… defeated. and she was right. because you’d been defeated.

haruhi had won.

she didn’t know, but she didn’t have to. because at the end of the day, it was all one-sided. one-sided affection, and one-sided dispute.

the twins both had different reactions to this revelation. kaoru (being the emotionally intelligent one) felt guilty for not handling the situation better but hikaru (the… other one) told him not to bother, and that they did what they could. he’d miss having you around, but you were never super close to begin with.

as for tamaki, he didn’t really register what had happened at first. when his hosting routine started again but without you in it, his clients had some questions.

“is it true that you kicked l/n out of the host club?”

“i mean what did you expect, she had it coming after harassing haruhi like that.”

“yeah, i agree. i mean, i understand some jealousy, but wasn’t that a bit too much? it’s not like tamaki’s her boyfriend.”

“i don’t think she was too harsh, but i guess the hosts know better…”

tamaki didn’t know what to make of this. he’d never kicked you out of the club, he thought you’d come back. you always did. if you were jealous, all you had to do was say you wanted more attention and he’d give it it to you. after all, you were a client, you had every right.

wait, what was that?

“whatever do you mean, princess?” he questioned in that melodic voice of his. “haruhi and y/n are on perfectly good terms, we’re all friends here!” he smiled widely and sat his cup down, using his pinky to erase the klank! noise.

“come on tamaki, you don’t have to keep such appearances around us.” one of the clients giggled. “we could all see it. to be honest, i never really noticed her much until haruhi came around.”

another girl continued, “yeah, totally. i hope it wasn’t a repeat of anayokoji, at least.” she rolled her eyes. “she seemed nice… such a shame.”

“i… don’t understand, ladies. what are you saying?” tamaki looked puzzled. the four girls looked back at him and at each other. it was times like these that tamaki showed he was a little dumb.

“tamaki… l/n is totally into you. she’s, like, super jealous of haruhi.”

tamaki didn’t know what to do with this information. he was pretty annoyed when kaoru made fun of him for not noticing until now. and really, he didn’t notice. he was told.

“why do you think our mums got involved? this is what the female sex calls ‘girl issues’, sir.”

tamaki resisted biting their heads off; he had no time for their bullshit. he had to meet with you and apologise, right?

y/n>.< : y/n? can we talk please?

you didn’t respond. neither to that, nor to the other 10 messages he spammed you with. calling you sent him straight to voicemail, and he swore if he heard that damn automatic message voice again he would explode.

why did it happen this way? why were you even jealous of haruhi? did he look gay to you? but then you wouldn’t want him, right? his head was filled with so many questions, until haruhi answered them all with a single sentence.

“don’t sulk too much senpai, it was inevitable that she’d find out about me and get suspicious.” she patted his shoulder, “i guess that’s what happens when you’re a popular boy surrounded by women.”

tamaki’s head rose from his knees, his eyes wide staring at haruhi’s. “wait, what do you mean ‘she’d find out about you’?”

haruhi sighed and sent him a look of pity. “oh yeah, you guys don’t know. y/n’s known about my sex for a while now.” she shrugged. “she saw me changing.”

a light bulb went off in most of the hosts’ heads (wait, i’ve seen this before) before they all glanced at each other in mutual understanding.

“i wish we would’ve gotten closer since we’re both girls and you’re so obsessed with me having female friends, but i would feel horrible if i made her feel sad whenever she’s around me.” haruhi continued.

oh, so he didn’t look gay, you just knew haruhi was also a girl.

but why would you get jealous of his little girl? he was just protecting her like a father would.

“oh will you stop with that crap, milord?” hikaru whined “we all know, there’s no point in denying it anymore.” he stopped when his brother slapped him on the head and they left the room.

“well, club activity’s over. we’ll see you guys tomorrow.” they all waved goodbyes and soon enough so did haruhi, but tamaki just sat on the club couch, thinking about his (very) recent discovery.

so he came to the conclusion:

you like(d?) him → he likes (???) haruhi → you realised and grew jealous → he prioritised her over you → he ended up looking like an asshole.

because he is an asshole.

“guess that’s what happens when you’re just too pretty.” he joked to himself, but he had a feeling you wouldn’t find it funny if you were here.

“mum, why did you and dad divorce?” you finally found the courage to ask the woman when she was relaxing in her bedroom one night. she sighed and looked at you, putting her book to the side and patting the spot on the bed next to her. you got in, looking at her expectantly.

“i didn’t want to tell you this because you were so young. you looked up to him very much.” she gave you a sad smile and caressed your cheek. “your father fell in love with someone else, darling.”

you stayed quiet for a bit, and your mum grew worried. should she not have told you?

“is that why you asked tamaki not to leave me?” you asked and your voice cracked. your mother sighed and apologised, wrapping her arms around you.

“i want you to be happy, y/n. don’t be like me. please.”

maybe love really wasn’t something the gods wanted to bestow upon your bloodline.

[lanaevyssmoved]

do u have any game recommendations that have character creation? besides bg3 ofc

gonna be real i wouldnt recommend bg3 for a character creation game because you can only use preset faces ...... bro but if you mean it in an oc way......

i would recommend.............

heavily modded skyrim, if you don't wanna do it yourself use wabbajack, some of the modlists on there are designed for graphics or high end systems and have very pretty characters. there's also ones not like that with rougher characters or more vanilla characters. lots of choice! do not get into the community though, this is a warning

following on from that, any elder scrolls game - morrowind is the best and one of my all time favourite games

you can follow on from that with fallout if you like the setting. i recommend fallout 1 and 2 the most as i'm not the hugest fan of bethesdas fallout but that is not a common opinion that be a hot take

heavily modded final fantasy xiv, you can fully mod on the free trial version as far as i know - be warned this is an extremely slippery slope because it has a modding community to rival skyrim and many customisation mods are paid for however there are ways around that. anyway you can get mods from here, here and here as well as the nexus

elden ring, dark souls 3 - the other dark souls but those character creations look like dogshit ass but still fun to make ocs in imo.. demon souls if you own a ps5....... i do not

pillars of eternity, tyranny, while visually quite limiting the character creators are still very neat from a roleplay pov - tyrannys has a lil "post character creation" game you get to play where you make "post game" choices and i uh, used to play that all the time for fun without intent to keep playing.....

a good follow up to that would be dragon age, all three of them but specially origins, i used to play the origins and not continue the rest of the game for fun! now be warned all of these games suck terrible dick in terms of modding because it's awkward and annoying and easily broken! i recently replayed dao and dai and so much of that time was spent troubleshooting...... joyous

have to kind of mention mass effect after? but ur kind of always making the same character..... ive always struggled with mass effect personally. maybe its the setting?

you can also look at starfield since that's got actually a pretty decent cc but i did find it quite limiting. but i've not really played it for more than an hour cuz bg3 exists so i can't say much

back to crpgs, the two pathfinder games! again limiting on the character side but roleplay side very very strong. i've not played wotr but i have mutuals who act like it is gods gift to gaming and i believe them. i really liked the first!

the outer worlds could be a good choice, i really like that games aesthetic but it's another space game and i think we're seeing a pattern that i'm just not that into those. hm. it was bethesda style gaming in space before starfield exists with the personality of fallout, kind of ?

this ones going far out there but crusader kings iii has an insane character creation and my favourite ruler ever was this old witch woman cannibal who slowly but surely turned her whole corner of the globe into a witch worshipping cannibal cult. i miss her

age of wonders 4 has a really cool cc, you can even make dragons with the dlc like Actual dragons.... i have made so many characters in there and gave them their funny little lores.. age of wonders has real cool lore and it is Completely ignored by tumblr afaik and that sucks

encased is a really cool rpg it's another sci-fi-y one.. it isn't as polished as you might expect cuz it's a very ambitious game but a small indie studio but i would say if you enjoy fallout 1 + 2 you will enjoy encased

dragons dogma! you get to make two people in this just like in bg3! i made a lil girl and her big brother and i was so fucking emotional over them that i was crying constantly even when nothing was going on. i played dragons dogma to fucking death on the ps3 and i think its interesting and rich enough to sink ur teeth into

i have to mention greedfall as the owner of the greedfall url.... greedfall is very interesting as its a double A title akin to a dragon age game.. it might make one feel a tad uncomfortable because it comes across as colonialism the rpg but it does get very interesting and it has neat as hell characters and magic and big monsters who fuck hard

wasteland 3! kinda again has the fallout type of vibe it is violent and full of dark themes and twisted themes but its also extremely comical its true black humour at times and you get to make two characters again and you can even make TWO MORE CHARACTERS so i had a bunch of custom characters.. u can get really wild in the cc as well and builds are SUPER fun....... v good game

spellforce 3!!!!! i love this game, the cc is again like another crpg one but spellforce 3 has very deep lore spanning many games .. its not typical crpg in that its also like a strategy war game too but i think it does the mixture very well and i LOVEEEEEEEE the lore!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

uh i forgot to mention divinity original sin 1/2 because .. bg3 should lead you right there but uh. play them both! the first is so good in coop i feel cuz of the natural banter between the protagonists. if you don't have friend the second is very good single player just. be warned i don't think it has good endings but the ride is worth it!! and divinity lore fucks hard. i also recommend divinity dragon commander because its so much fun

can i say stardew valley? mayhaps sun haven too? if ur crazy like me you can turn these into prime oc generators. also mods

oh, monster hunter world and by extension wild hearts. monster hunter world lets you make a cat and while ur character themselves doesn't get to do much story wise i did get very obsessed with my character and wanting them fight cool monsters. wild hearts is similar though your character does feel a bit more special- be warned this game is known for running like ass on most systems, its pretty good for me but be warned all the same

TEEHEES.... KENSHI!!!!!!!!!!!! i was holding back on mentioning kenshi but i can't. you can make a whole fucked up lil squad if u want. u got weird alien races. u got a billion fucking mods. u can have ur buddies limps removed and give them robot ones. u can make an army of weirdos. bro i got so invested in my kenshi squad i was writing FANFIC. i was dreaming of them. i was unable to sleep about them. i miss them so fucking much dude!! kenshi doesnt really have a story beyond what u make it. that shit is a SANDBOX.. and i love it so much. everyone should play kenshi. its kinda like rimworld if u want a comparison. i think its Perfect. the best game to exist ever (lie) its so wonderful....... man........its also broken as shit cuz its the most ambitious game to exist ever and it was made by 1 dude so

oh if u like anime games i have to mention code vein (souls like) and god eater (monster hunter like ?) they have very good ccs and i know people super into the lore and stuff. i only played code vein and i liked it a lot honestly

uhhh i mentioned 1 mmo so i should probably mention guild wars 2, the cc is very good, the whole games end game is about fashion and looking amazing. the lore is also super duper neat! i haven't played it for a long time now but i did play it on launch and i had a blast for a few years

if you like d&d i would recommend solasta! it has a very good cc i think honestly and it feels the most like this is d&d in a video game out of every game i've ever played, and it translates the system very and faithfully (as opposed to say bg3 who changed things for game reasons). solasta is also best with friends because its so in that vibe of this is a silly lil d&d party. its much fun

lol i got the block text limit popup

kotor 1 and 2, it might be hard to get into the lore and characters if you're not into star wars but i found it pretty ok to as not a huge star wars fan. i also think they deserve to be played despite that as well because they are fantastic rpgs and some of the best bioware ever made

vampire the masquerade bloodlines!!! i am not a vampire fan really, a small one, but this game captivated me.... very easy to get into making a character i feel and ur given enough to make characters that align different ways easily. the combat did not age well..... but the story and roleplay absolutely did

ok.. im gonna stop here.. but i will say give games like icewind dale and arcanum a chance.. look at old as hell crpgs and try them. this includes bg1+2 which i still need to play myself but will be soon! they are classics because their stories are fantastic, and shouldn't be missed out on!!!!!

[stargatebarbie]

Getting to Know You Meme

Tagged by @spurious 😊

01) Are you currently in a serious relationship? Yes! 7 years this November

02) What was your dream growing up? I wanted to be a psychologist for a long time but tbh glad I didn't end up doing that I am not suited to it

03) What talent do you wish you had? It'd be cool to have an idetic memory. Or even just like, a good one. My memory is shot lol

04) If someone bought you a drink what would it be? I could really use a proper coffee rn

05) Favorite vegetable? like good cherry tomatoes. the home grown kind. Or maybe potatoes

06) What was the last book you read? I'm currently reading Dungeon Meshi! I'm really enjoying the anime and decided to pick up the manga, just finished the first volume

07) What zodiac sign are you? Cancer 🦀

08) Any Tattoos and/or Piercings? Yeah ears stretched a little, I think they're only 1cm & septum piercing. I haven't gotten around to getting any tattoos atp, shit's expensive, but I absolutely want them

09) Worst Habit? stealing all the cups and forks in the house

10) What is your favorite sport? not to be a stereotype but I don't really do sport. ig hockey?

11) Do you have a Pessimistic or Optimistic attitude? naturally pessimistic but i really try to like. practice optimism

12) Tell me one weird fact about you. one time I was locked in a bathroom with a goat

13) Do you have any pets? Yes! A cat named Moon :)

14) Do you think clowns are cute or scary? Scary for sure. I blame my mum she hung a clown puppet in my room as a baby

15) If you could change one thing about how you look, what would it be? boy howdy would I love a breast reduction

16) What color eyes do you have? grey/blue

17) Ever been arrested? No but I have been detained for like. safety reasons oop

18) Bottle or can soda? Bottle i suppose? I don't really drink a lot of soft drink though

19) If you won $10,000 today, what would you do with it? probably fund my move out of state

20) What's your favorite place to hang out at? home tbh. or the beach when it's not too crowded or cold

21) Do you believe in ghosts? No, to almost a cartoonish degree. I saw a ghost as a child & I still don't believe in them

22) Favorite thing to do in your spare time? any of my 8 million art/crafts/creative hobbies (currently mostly crochet, tatting, & drawing) & binge watching tv

23) Do you swear a lot? Ohhhh yeah. not only am I Australian, I'm from mining country

24) Biggest pet peeve? People being willfully inconsiderate of others in public spaces. trolley parked across the isle, tiktoks with no headphones on the bus, talking on the phone at the cash register, that sort of garbage

25) In one word, how would you describe yourself? um. weird?

26) Do you believe/appreciate romance? Yeah but like. I suck at it lol

27) Favourite and least favourite food? fave: potato bake & least: sausages

28) Do you believe in God? Nope lifelong athiest

29) What makes you happy: hanging out with my cat, rotating the blorbos in the brain microwave, finishing a project (in theory), and uhhh I'm replaying totk with my gf right now that's pretty great

30) Currently listening/the last thing you listened to: listening to a country & folk playlist, folsom prison blues just came on shuffle

31) Favourite place to spend time: uh yeah home

32) Favourite lyric: truly i hate to choose favourites there are so many um. okay

I'll be the jester as long as you are my queen Make a fool out of me I wanna be the source of your laughter

33) Recommend a film: I almost never watch movies uhhh. I recently forced my gf to watch the Birdcage with me bc she'd never seen it, it's so good

34) Recommend a book: Peter Darling by Austin Chant my beloved. Also I'm reading Several People Are Typing by Calvin Kasulke rn and I'm really enjoying it if you work in an office and have slack or similar then I highly recommend especially

35) Recommend a band, a song, or album: Stick Season by Noah Kahan is just SUCH a good album

36) Recommend a TV show: Crazy Ex-Girlfriend - great for lovers of musical theatre and/or the mentally ill 😌

37) Where are you from, and do you still live there? Where have you lived? I'm from Queensland and currently live in Tasmania. I've moved back and forth between QLD and TAS a few times, and plan on moving to Melbourne eventually

38) Do you have any pets or animals in your life? How did you find/get them? The aforementioned cat, I got him from a shelter & they got him from a dumpster <333

39) What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten? during a drinking game I once took a shot that included; soy sauce, fish sauce, Worcestershire sauce, vodka, a warhead (sour lolly), fanta, and probably some other stuff I'm not sure I was very drunk and 18 year olds should not be unsupervised with that much alcohol bc they'll invent the world's worst drinking games

40) How did you 'find' fandom? A friend of mine sat me down in front of her family computer in their bible library (not a joke, whole library of bibles & Christian religious texts) & said hey. have you heard there are people on the internet who write stories about these two guys from this one series kissing? and I was immediately hooked lol

41) Make a list of 5 things that you see without getting up. work laptop (bc I am on the clock oops), personal PC, crochet project, calcifer plush, & my cat glaring at me from my computer tower bc I wouldn't let him sit on my keyboard

42) How do you style your hair? Well it was a mullet but it's super grown out now so it's more of a shag & I mostly just chuck it in a bun or something. I desperately want to shave it but it's so cold, idk maybe I'll just make a few beanies & buzz it anyway

If you want to join in please consider yourself tagged! 💖

[mrsbsmooth]

Well it sounds like MC will have to twist regardless… and that sucks cause honestly, none of the CA really tempted my MC. Like don’t get me wrong looks wise Shawn and Max look decent. But didn’t get any excitement from them. My MC slept alone twice lol. And then hearing this side story about Jin and Sienna chick…. Eh I’m not fussed. Jin is in love with MC ain’t not way his head was gonna turn, pretty he meant that she would have been a head turner for the other guys in the villa.

*sigh - gotta wait another week or two until til my reunited with my Jinnie.

Also, the first episode was so rushed. Like we literally just stepped in the CA and they were all like “well who do you fancy in CA?!” Like we’ve been in the villa for 5 secs,

I wasn't tempted until Kyle. He's so freaking sweet. Highly recommend.

I'm so glad you're trusting him, if you go look at reddit right now you'd think it was the nuclear apolcalypse like damn they're so pressed about it.

Us LITG veterans know better. We know he's bringing a girl back and they're gonna draw it out for two episodes only for him to be like "I only brought her back so that I could stay in the villa. I need more time with you. I want to be in an unofficial couple with YOU."

yada yada yada

you know what would be good if one year they actually made casa really early and made whoever our OG guy is cheat on us and twist completely. Like so if you want Oakley, you have to start with Jin and make sure Oakley & Emel stay in the villa, for example. It would be absolute Chaos. The theories saying 'I heard a rumour that if you do X, Y, and Z they won't cheat' and then people frantically buying tickets and replaying to see if it's true MUAHAHAHAH.

[athetos]

I’ve been very low energy and haven’t been able to play live a live much this week so I’ve only gotten the oersted ending so far but thoughts:

Shifu’s chapter was much better than I anticipated, I actually didn’t know about the twist even though it was implying that ending, well done, though I wished I put all my training into the one character and not relatively even between all three.

Oboromaru’s chapter is the best, loved the influence it seemed to have on Undertale, plus so many secrets! Just had a ton of fun with it, could definitely see myself replaying it. Also, his skill set is fantastic, very versatile and powerful.

Sundown’s chapter was tooooo short i loved it it should have been longer, it was a great change of pace but i also understand why it could only be that long. Never occurred to me i could run and thus spare mad dog which sucks because i really wanted to spare him.

Pogo’s chapter was the most boring… the crafting system was interesting but mostly unnecessary, the not having actual dialogue didn’t entertain me much, relied too much on toilet humor or awooga a woman humor. It was fine but felt too long and the superboss just seems like a “but why??” Situation instead of something that feels more appropriate to the setting + reward.

Cube’s chapter was a mashup of 2001 a space odyssey and alien, 2 of my favorite movies of all time, and while it’s obviously not close to that kind of caliber I still loved it, even if the tropes were pretty standard. I’m just a sucker for scifi horror. Captain square was a cool diversion but I wish there was more combat with cube themself. Characters had me weirdly attached to them even though they’re nothing unique.

Akira’s chapter felt like watching a goofy dark scifi anime and while again it quite obviously didn’t meet the heights of, I don’t know, the actual Akira film, it was still fun, and I liked the characters. Lots of side quests and diversions that were cool they had at all. Had some annoying moments but overall fond of it.

Masaru’s chapter was another nice change of pace, I felt it was one of the easier ones but for an episode that’s all about battles, the battles were entertaining, well, entertaining for fights with your typical fighting game heavily stereotyped fighters.

Oersted’s chapter felt generic at first but kept my attention, characters were great to use in battle so that helped. The demon’s lair was pretty confusing even with the map, but got interesting after that. But then when you’re exiled there’s no marker for where to go and I explored the damn lair in full two more times hoping to stumble upon something until realizing I had to be captured again. Annoying. I feel the ending could have been super cool with oersted becoming odio but the execution was meh, it didn’t make total sense to me and felt a bit out of nowhere, there weren’t really any clues if you ask me, but I’ll give it a pass.

Oersted’s bad ending was very, well, what you would expect for a bad ending, but playing as all the past bosses was a blast. The battles were all very easy which was slightly disappointing but I think the point is you should be overpowered because you’re a giant dinosaur or a dude with a huge ass gun, and you want to feel powerful! Not many games let you play as a boss like that so this was great

In short I think this game was very ahead of its time, fun and creative and I’m so glad it got this remake. As a teen I heard about this game and became very intent to play it, I just felt like it would become one of my favorite games but it always kept falling behind on my backlog so I’m very glad I’m playing the hd version since it adds so many QOL features and the graphics are gorgeous, the music is beautiful, etc. yeah if you like jrpgs and want something that feels fresh and has variety I recommend this game a lot

[gurokichi]

I could never become bored of you, not that easily, at least! You are my Bon, you can't get rid of me that easily <3

Yeah, I got 2 kitties! Both of them are boys, and their names are Pickle and Bean! Maybe one day you'll get to see pictures of them! I also have a dog, snails, isopod, beetles, chickens, and hermit crabs! Got a bit of a zoo around here!

I'll definitely watch some of your suggestions, and I will be sure to tell you my thoughts! Just another excuse to talk to you!

I will hopefully be posting on my blog again soon, and I am so excited to now that I know you will be watching my blog (˶˃ ᵕ ˂˶)

I mainly read fiction, distopian, and horror/gore. But also, like when books have lgbt+ characters, and have read a few Manga! I just borrowed a book from a friend called "The Corpse Queen" by Heather M. Herrman, I strongly suggest it, I've also just started reading a GL Manga series called "Whisper Me a Love Song" and so far have been really enjoying it!!! I like plants in many ways, I learn about plants, I grow both indoor and outdoor plants, and I have a fascination with all living or once living things,,, and they happen to fit in that category too!!! I don't think I could pick just one flower as my favorite, but I do enjoy Asters a lot! Bleeding hearts? awe, it makes sense that a sweetie like you would love a poisonous flower!

What video games do you like to play? I'd love to hear all about your current favorite game! What part of history do you like so much? Oh and you collect things too! I would love to hear all about your little hoards 💕

-Dolly

I’M YOUR BON?? ASJHFSHBHKHGSGHFHJKSHLJS (＞＜)

Okay. Anyways. Sorry, got a lil excited there... I’m your Bon, and you’re my Doll!! All mine!!! I’m glad to hear that you wouldn’t get bored and leave. I’d do anything to make sure my precious doll stays with me!

AWH, they sound so darling. You have so many… how do you keep up with all of them??That’s really cool, though! You definitely have some uncommon pets.

I’m excited to hear your thoughts (๑>◡<๑)

I will definitely be watching my doll’s blog! How could I not? Anyone would find it hard to take their eyes off you. Besides, I’d love to see more of your posts when you decide to go back to it.

Ah, those are all good genres! Thank you for the recommendation, and I’ll check out the manga you mentioned later. Asters are gorgeous; my doll has great taste in flowers!!

I usually prefer games with long stories. I like RPGs and visual novels the most! I find pixel art really nice to look at, so a lot of my favorite games feature that. I’ve been playing through a farming sim called Fields of Mistria lately; it’s been really enjoyable so far! The best way I could describe it is as a mix of Stardew Valley and Animal Crossing. As for my current favorite games, they’re probably… Minecraft, Danganronpa, Persona 5 Royal, and Identity V. I’m not finished playing through P5R, but I like it so far. I’m currently replaying and trying to get all achievements in every Danganronpa game! I’ve finished Trigger Happy Havoc, and I’m now working on Goodbye Despair. Having a bit of trouble though, because I have a friend I’m sharing my Steam library with who is ALSO playing through the Danganronpa games. I can’t play the games until they get off, bleh. AH, I also started a playthrough of Red Dead Redemption 2. I suck ass at it. I ended up punching my horse when trying to get on it. I also drew my gun on it multiple times. So sorry to my horse, it did not deserve that. It took me like 10 minutes and frantic googling to figure out how to get back on my horse after I accidentally got off (ᵕ—ᴗ—)

Do you play any videogames? If you do, I’d love to hear about what you like to play.

Ah, I just like history in general. I love to learn about things. Some things that caught my interest for awhile in the past though are torture/execution methods, the Chernobyl disaster, the Carrington event, WW2, old medical treatments, and Greek mythology. I haven’t been into history as much lately.. so I probably couldn’t explain anything here well.

I do collect stuff! I have a collection of various plushies, figurines, keychains, and knickknacks stored in my room. I think my favorite things that I own are probably my jar of uranium glass and this stunning piece of bismuth I got just a couple weeks ago. I’d like to start a full on collection of uranium glass, but that’s expensive, and I have no idea where I’d put it. Uranium glass is absolutely gorgeous, though! I hope to at least get a couple more pieces in the future.

[moonsidesong]

Have you played PuyoPuyo 7? If so, what do you think about it?

good timing anon, i actually replayed it pretty recently with a friend of mine (wanted to play the recent re-translation, very much recommend it, its much better than Nexus's halfhearted mess) so my opinions on it are fresh!!

the short answer is. Its so jank. and probably objectively not a very good game, and there are definitely things i would change about it if i could. But i still really like it for what it is. It's got a unique identity in the series and I love that about it!

im gonna talk a lot now so under the readmore this goes ^_^

i love that transformation mode is just if fever rules were an insane mess. why does it go up to 99 seconds. why does mega mode send SO much damage. god bless it<3 they should bring it back. wanna see what hellfire comet festivals shibakazu would cook up in it.

and like the story is.... not. well paced. but ive learned to laugh about it at least. and like suuuuuure ecolo shows up at the end and then hypes up how unstoppably powerful they are and how ringo could NEVER BEAT THEM and then gets defeated in 10 seconds because the final boss is a joke. its fine<3 at least its actually fun to play and doesnt take a million years to trudge through so the bad pacing doesnt feel nearly as awful. (puyo chronicle i am giving you a little glare)

ive grown to love the jank art style but i will say, i wish they redrew everyone. ringo standing next to characters clearly just with sprites edited from 15th anniversary or fever 2 make her stick out quite a bit. it makes me wonder if the game's art was really rushed or something? it just feels a bit off.

another thing, i dont think this game is a Bad introduction to ecolo at all (i Love their design in this game and i think it perfectly introduces how intensely powerful and unhinged they can be), BUT!!! their chain animations are really... disappointing. idk. i Like that they shapeshift into other characters i think thats fun (i actually think its kind of a shame its a trait of theirs rarely brought up anymore) but the fact its mostly just the others' animations recolored black with some extra particle effects is really lame. minor differences like a more ecolo-like facial expression (get silly!! get mischievous!!!) couldve gone a long way to giving them more personality in their chains.

also relating to the past two notes, its really no secret that transformation mode is... Missing. Quite a bit of assets it really should have. considering a decent handful of characters only go through very minor changes (darkle is literally just a clothing color swap) and honestly Ecolo (since all of their chains are borrowed) still only changing to feli for mini and klug for mega is SUCKS i think and it makes me the most upset out of the cast.. ecolo's already transforming when they're not in fever!!!!! lets do something else!!!!!

this is just a reaaally quick mockup scribble of an idea i had that id been discussing with my friend, but i think it'd be really fun if instead of doing a simple character shapeshift, they got real small and silly looking for their mini form and HUGE AND OVERBEARING AND INTIMIDATING for mega. the core would stay the same size, for scale! pp7 is the game that leans the hardest into ecolo being someone who can switch from silly little thang to terrifying cosmic being of sheer force on a dime, and i think itd be fun if their transformations reflected that.

like idk ecolo is the Debut final boss and (imo) one of the coolest characters in the series so i think it sucks that they got the short end of the stick in the battle animations area in this game.

like ive been saying I've grown to love many of Puyo 7's problems but this is one thing i would definitely change if i could.

[rosekillerismylife]

A little prompt, I guess (not well thought through but I don't care) Disclaimer: it should've been smut but at some point, I turned it into something else? Orchestra ravenrock Oneshot

“Okay, let’s do it from the top again”, Benjy declared and lifted his conductor's baton. Peter groaned. This was the fifth time they played the same piece. The same notes, the same rhythms, the same soli for the last hour. It was fucking exhausting. Angrily, he lifted his flute to his mouth. Behind him, he heard the trumpets whisper.

“He’s gonna kill us one day.”, whispered Sirius to Marlene who just sniggered agreeingly. “If I have to play this fucking three notes one more time, Imma murder him.”, said Barty from behind the drums. His boyfriend Evan just nodded in agreement and busied himself with looking at the notes one more time to make sure that he wouldn’t cause another replay for the whole orchestra. “What even is so wrong with how we play it?”, Emmeline from the tubes whispered to herself. “I don’t even hear a difference. Is he a sadist?”, commented Bellatrix loudly to no one. She clearly was looking for a fight.

“Are you ready? And Bellatrix, if you ignore the tempo and the volume one more time, we’re playing the piece again and again and again.” Benjy gave her the look that shut her up immediately.

Peter felt immensely proud of his husband. The way he handled the orchestra was not only endearing but also sexy. Some may think that being in the same orchestra as one’s partner and even playing under the rule of said partner was annoying and a problem but in reality, there was nothing that turned Peter on more than seeing Benjy in his element as a conductor. The way he gave orders, how he heard every single mistake and how he was just so smart about anything in the piece went immediately to Peter’s cock. Not only how Benjy behaved during rehearsals but his movements and just the whole package of him being their leader was so hot.

“Great. We still have a lot of work to do but for now it is fine.” Benjy said and ended the rehearsals.

Everyone hurried up while packing up their instruments and notes to get faster to drinking beer and enjoying the rest of the evening. While Peter packed up his flute, he thought about all the ways Benjy would fuck him tonight. It was a rather rough rehearsal so he either wants to blow of some steam or he wants to lay down while Peter either blows him or cuddles with him. Just the thought of the relaxing evening ahead of him makes Peter smile brightly.

“What are you smiling at?” Rita asked in her screeching voice. She’s so noisy but would never admit it. The thing with Rita was that you could talk with her and have a great conversation with her if you were aware of how crazy she was because then you could adapt to that level of craziness. If you were unaware, then Rita was just annoying.

“Nothing.” Peter mumbled which didn’t quite help him get Rita off his back. “This doesn’t look like noth-“ She started but was interrupted by her girlfriend Bellatrix.“What are you talking about?” She threw one arm around Rita’s shoulder, mainly to tell everyone that Rita was hers. “Peter was just smiling and I wanted to know the source of that smile but you interrupted me!”, Rita complained.

Peter started to walk away because he sensed that it was going to get messy between Rita and Bellatrix. “Excuse me that I wanted to check on my girlfriend!” Bellatrix exclaimed. Peter walked faster and could only hear the sounds of screeching behind him.

“Oi, Petey boy! What happened, did you didn't suck his cock long enough or why did he torture us today like he hasn't had sex for a week?!” Barty threw one arm around his shoulders, one glass of beer in hand and Evan right beside him.“Well, if you would just listen to what he says instead of doing your own thing, it wouldn't have been this torturing. Also, I recommend to practise.” “I recon that you both hadn't had sex in a while. Otherwise, you wouldn't be this bitchy. Rooting for ya, Petey!” And conversation ended. Barty leaned over to give Evan a kiss which ended up in a huge making out session.

Peter walked faster and made his way to the exit where he waited for Benjy to finish his conversation with Sirius, Marlene and Frank about an important trumpet solo in the piece. He looked so cute while talking about how he wanted them to play it and who should play which part. There was pure excitement in his eyes as he explained to them how he wanted it. It was so endearing to watch.

“Hey, waiting for your man?” Peter didn’t notice Emmeline sneaking up to him. She was now standing next to him, leaning against the wall with one beer in her hand. “Yeah.” Peter answered lamely. He never was good with keeping up conversations, so he just always hoped that the conversation was going to carry on without him having to carry it. Even with Emmeline who was his friend since childhood.

“He seems quite busy. I think you have to wait for a little while longer. Anyhow, did I tell you about Alice?” “Didn’t you go out on a date with someone named Alice?” “Yup.” Emmeline replied, taking a sip of her beer and scanning the crowd. “I went on a wonderful date with them.”

“Any problems? Do they like pineapples on pizza?” Peter asked mockingly. “Haha, no, you twat. The problem was not that they didn’t like pineapples on pizza. The problem was that they were two timing me. They are not really a person for commitment, so they dated me and this other guy for a while without me knowing.” “I take that you went out on more than one date. How did you figure out that they were two timing you?” Peter asked, now fully focused on Emmeline.

Her last relationship was a flop because the guy was the most arrogant and self absorbed person he ever saw, so now she tried dating again which didn’t seem to work. “I saw them holding hands and kissing in public, so I confronted them about it. They said that we weren’t in a relationship so they could date whoever else they wanted. Well, they said it nicer but that was the whole content of the conversation. I tried to explain that dating kind of is a commitment for me but that I respect their decision.” Emmeline took another sip of her beer. Suddenly, he felt two arms wrap around his waist.

“Hello, darling.” Benjy whispered in his ear. He planted his head on Peter’s shoulder, hugged him from behind and just rested there. Peter immediately melted into the touch but still focused on his conversation with Emmeline.

“So, are you still dating them?” “No, I told them that they should think about whether they wanted to be with me or the other guy, because I’m not someone for an open relationship. I haven’t heard from them since we had the conversation.” “Well, at least now you have your answer.” Peter tried to lift her mood even though he knew that it wouldn’t help at all.“Yeah. I think I’m gonna get drunk tonight and then look for a person with whom I either can share my sorrows or get laid. I’ll let you know whichever it is.” Emmeline said before pushing herself from the wall into the crowd.

“Okay, bye!” Peter called after her. He turned around in Benjy’s arms and gave him a quick peck on the lips. “Hey.”“Hi. Wanna go home?” Benjy asked. Peter nodded and they quickly bid their goodbyes before exiting the building and walking home.

[browniefox]

It would've made less sense, but I kinda wish the eikon v eikon scene, the respective dominants spoke instead of only his friends. But, I guess along with that, i wish maybe he was haunted by the previous dominants? Which is a big change to ask for. Does he absorb Ultima here and become God? It's all just a tad vague for me I guess, or maybe i need to relisten to what he was talking about.

I'm glad that Clive's first thought is over Joshua's death. I do sorta wish he did succeed to bring Joshua back to life? The memory was such a cute scene, with Clive's little wink to Joshua.

I'm so upset that Clive dies. I think it just makes more sense for him to live, to have to live and forge on. And also, Clive never gets the chance to focus on himself, try and heal himself, like so many people have told him. Also, I think more people should've gone to final fight! Because Clive's supposed to have learned to rely on other people and not be on his own! AND ALSO I think it's VERY stupid he does of the curse when we were explicitly told earlier he's immune to it.

The baby model is so ugly, I'm sorry, it is. I was hlf expecting someone to find Clive alive or something, but no, I guess he really is just dead.

I'M SORRY, MAGIC IS GONE NOW??? That's just one of my least favorite kinds of endings - which sucks bc rpgs seem to love this one - and I also think ruins some of the themes and plot lines that the game was dealing with. Like, okay, now there's no more magic, no more bearers, no more eikons, but a lot of it was about the hard work that would need to be put in to have people come to terms with the differences, and how it'd be rough but worth it. But I guess it's just, solved???

And then Joshua wrote a Fucking Book titled Final Fantasy??? That's just so trite I could throw up.

God, I was having such a good time with the later half of this game, it sucks that it's ended on such a bad note for me. I will say, it is a game that begs you to replay it, because now that you're familiar with the world, you wonder what you missed before.

Uh would I recommend this game? Uh, sure? Maybe buy a used copy, but it's a long game and good, but if you want to play because - like me - you liked FFVIIR and you want to try and another game, this one is just so different, I don't think it's what you're looking for. I miss having a party :( I did end up liking the game over all, but It just stumbled at that finish line for me.

[ratlesshonret]

EDIT: I have made what is basically a longer and more thought-out version of this post Here

Some general thoughts on LGTS, after getting two endings so far. also some minor Pocket Mirror GoldenerTraum rambling at the end.

I think its a great game. I love the lore it provides, and some of the scenes are really cute. I just... wish the gameplay was better. I love most of the gameplay loop, but the Witching Hour segments kinda suck to play.

Pretty much every Witching Hour had some point where I got incredibly stuck due to things not being communicated clearly, or had to facetank loads of damage because important information was hidden behind stuff like the "talk to partners" mechanic. Hitboxes are also really jank.

Also replaying segments for alternate dialogue / fixing mistakes / ending hunting is really. really. REALLY fucking slow. Like, I thought having to mash through Enjel Theater in Pocket Mirror several times was bad enough.

Overall, this seems to suffer a similar problem to Pocket Mirror GoldenerTraum, which is a combination of me way overexpecting what the game was gonna be, and the devs maybe not having all the time to iron out every bug and weird feature.

I REALLY hope this game gets both some bugfixes (heard people were getting softlocked) and gameplay patches, because right now, while I love it, while I can recommend it for the story, art, and music, I can't recommend for the gameplay.

I'm not really disappointed, moreso just thinking about how the game could have been even better had it been delayed even a month or two.

(also i really hope GoldenerTraum gets more patches because I still have some major issues with that game that were never fixed. more dev communication would also be nice, because i haven't seen much of any)

[quenthel]

so, overall, would you recommend playing rogue trader? or is it a more of "eh, if you Really Want to" situation?

I haven't beaten it yet so idk Abt how the story wraps up but like. It really depends lol. First of all it's buggy. It feels unfinished at places. The story is a bit of a mess with some epic highs that make me care a lot lol. There is some replayability to it too bc of the 3 district paths. There are very little side content tho n the world feels a bit empty (probably bc they rushed to finish it?) it's still more alive of a star system than what you see in the mass effect games tho.

Politics wise it depends on what you can and can't look past bc man this setting is at it's core reactionary and the game does very little to say anything about that. The tech priests are cool so are the psykers and the inquisition and w the companion quests we get CLOSE to some kind of commentary about how fascist systems exploit people but it's all undermined by the sheet stupidity of the setting bc like. All the fash propaganda in this world is just true and it makes the world just feel incredibly simple. There is racism w the aliens but it's some we hate the dwarfs bc their king betrayed us type shit so a very infantile take. They made the elves so fucking lame also.

The highlights really are the gameplay itself (it's SO fun.) Most of the companion writing (there are some characters that are kind of a flop) and when the story gets good it gets GOOD.

So it really depends lol. As a scifi game it's fine. It made me learn more Abt wh40k as a setting which was exciting for me bc now I know it fucking sucks(save for the tech priests I love the tech priests) but learning about it was fun. The combat reminded a lot of my friends of XCOM and it's very good. Like it's a stupid game that is frustrating but there is some good here. And it IS fun and fun to critique n deconstruct and at this point in time I'm curious about finishing and replaying it. Also Yrilet romance from what I have seen of it is one of THE most unique video game romances ever made I think and that deserves a shout out bc it's very good. This is a long ass reply bit like. Yeah idk man.

[squeaky-potat]

What Nier/Drakkengard game would you rec first for a newbie to the series?

ANON YOU HAVE MADE MY DAY

I will always recommend Nier Replicant first. The one with this guy!

I started here with 0 reference and got super sucked in. I recommend playing this with as blindly as possible (don’t look into lore before completing!) then doing research into Drakengard (ending E is the only relevant part to Nier). (Drakengard 1 is really old and hard to play w/o nostalgia lenses and Drakengard 2 is irrelevant to the overall story.) You will very much get to enjoy Automata more after playing Replicant. (Fun fact Nier Replicant and Nier Gestalt are the same game with different protags! Square did this because they felt a brother figure wouldn’t be as relatable to western audiences as a father figure would be.)

Replicant was recently remade in 2021 and is considered the cannon version.

ALSO

Play past ending A! Get to at least ending B . However ending C, D and E are also worth getting to. But ENDING B IS A MUST!

After Replicant, play Automata endings A-E then come back to replicant and play/ replay ending E.

If you like those and really are feeling a need for another Taro game then play Drakengard 3. (This is my personal favorite because it hits so many things for me personally but it’s so janky that I cannot recommend this first).

I am honestly super jealous that you get to experience this game for the first time and also so excited for you! It’s so magical. Take your time, enjoy the music and atmosphere and enjoy the ride. 😁

Let me know if you’d like some video recommendations for lore when you’re done! I’d be happy to provide.

[hamstermastersamster]

Finished first playthrough of The Quarry with my sis and bro-in-law.

When I originally played (and loved) Until Dawn, I knew what I wanted was another story like it with a new cast and more choice and nuance and variables to play with. The Dark Pictures Anthology didn’t really feel like it achieved this, with smaller, more compact stories that have overall just been a bit less compelling somehow (not helped by how many of them have ‘twist’ endings that just undercut all the spoopiness completely . . . ).

The Quarry, however, definitely delivered. Not all the choices determine whether or not the cast live or die; a lot of them just affect the way it plays out, or the relationships between the characters. You can encourage romances, rivalries, arguments, friendships etc. and it all helps shape the feel of ‘your’ playthrough. And you get to see some classic horror names like Ted Raimi and David Arquette in new roles!

UD had a great story, and The Quarry . . . is also really fun :3 Despite the mystery of WHAT being relatively easy to figure out early on, the HOWs and WHYs weren’t obvious and materialised over time at a good narrative pace. Being adults with lives, me and my family ended up playing this over 2.5 separated sessions but we were always itching to get back to it and see what happens.

(Time being of the utmost importance whenever my sister is involved, since she is medically unable to resist the urge to google and spoil herself if kept waiting too long to find out what happens xP)

We ultimately lost 2 of the main cast - Jacob, who was one of my 2 least favourite characters so I didn’t bemoan too much, but also Kaitlyn whom i DID like and appeared to lose due to a responsiveness issue with a critical QTE, which I absolutely swore about >:[

I don’t expect to like every character in a horror movie story like this, but some I thought I would really dislike ended up growing on me a lot. Dylan ended up becoming my low-key fave and HE survived (mostly >_>’ ) so that’s the important thing :3 Ryan was also a star boy.

We may try for a ‘perfect’ replay, time permitting (so probably not Dx but if not, I may do it solo!). The main game complaints I had were:

- The camera is so close to the character’s head at some points in the game play sections that you literally cannot see what the fuck you are doing or where you are going, or where there even IS to go. Hidden secrets = good. Secrets you can’t find because you can’t see ANYTHING = shit. I don’t know if the intention was to create claustrophobia but it didn’t; it just meant I COULDN’T SEE SHIT.

- Some of the environments were so dark with no character-held light source that, again, you could not see shit. Pitch black environments are not fun to explore, end of.

- How annoying it is to be afraid to explore in the ‘wrong’ direction in case you accidentally progress the plot. In a small number of scenes, they let you explicitly choose when to move on, but a lot of the times, clicking the wrong thing would just mean missing out on stuff.

- The ending approach (not our specific ending that we achieved, just in general) sucked. The ‘epilogue’ just gives you a character card for each character saying whether they lived or died, and a line about their ongoing circumstances if they lived. Then we jump to a really long, annoying, boring faux podcast about the whole thing that plays over the credits depending on how much evidence you collected. And that’s it! We spent all that time choosing not just the actions of the cast, but also how they interacted with each other, the relationships they built with each other. We don’t even get to find out how they reacted to each other’s fates? Or what happens to them immediately afterwards a la the interviews at the end of Until Dawn? HUGE letdown. Game devs i am once again begging you to please give us emotional and not just mechanical/functional payoff.

Regardless of their flaws, Supermassive’s horror games remain one of my big recommendations for couch-co-op fun/scares. Although not everyone in the room can ‘play’ (the later games do have some multiplayer options we haven’t tried to be fair because the single player format works for us), everyone can participate in the decision-making and everyone can jump at the jump scares and everyone can cry when we screw up a QTE, and it’s just a great time xD Think of it like an interactive horror movie so with all the added stress of knowing you’re responsible for who lives and who dies. Wholesome family content!

[liaragaming]

Dragon Age: The Veilguard HYPE Q&A

What was the first Dragon Age game you played?

Origins. My husband encouraged me to play it, saying that he thought I would like it. And then I loved it more than he did. lol!

2. Which Dragon Age game is your favorite so far?

Inquisition. That cast of characters just sucked me in.

3. Do you usually play as a warrior, mage, or rogue? Which class are you planning to try first this time around? Which subclass?

I tend to switch it up. Origins, I played rogue because that was recommended to me. Exodus (DA2), I played warrior because I wanted Bethany in my party. And then Inquisition, I was like, well, I haven't done mage, so I'll do it. Thinking of going full circle and going rogue again in Veilguard.

4. What does your worldstate look like going into DAV?

That's a little difficult to get into since we don't know what will be important. But:

Romanced Solas / vowed to save him

Leliana Divine

Inquisitor didn't drink from the Well

Do you typically use a preset character and name or spend hours in the character creator coming up with a custom one?

I can get overwhelmed in the character creator. I tend to start with a preset and then customize it a bit and then jump into the game. I'll make tweaks to the character overtime though as I play. I prefer coming up with a my own name though, just because I don't want my character to share the same name as other players. And I will spend hours on that.

Do you have your Rook(s) planned out to any degree? If so, would you share some details or ideas you have?

Waiting for more information, but I'm thinking elven and red head. I like the idea of a non-magic user who joined the Veil Jumpers. Just because you can't use magic, doesn't mean you can't be fascinated with it.

Which character from the previous games or other media are you most hoping will make an appearance in DAV?

FENRIS! I need, need, need Fenris!

Dorian feels like a given.

There's more, but those two are tops!

What faction are you most excited to learn more about?

Veil Jumpers!

But also, all of them, to be honest. I can't wait to learn more about each one.

Which romance, if any, do you plan to pursue first?

I was thinking Bellara because I like elves. And then I heard about Lucanis being the angst romance, and I'm a sucker for that (as long as it end happily - I'm already in hell over Solavellan). But then I heard Emmrich is a total nerd and loves learning - and like... I don't know anymore!

Which location are you most excited/hoping to explore in-game?

It was Tevinter, but now... Arlathan forest? I also really want to see Rivain and learn more about the culture there.

There's so many place we'll be visiting. I'm excited for them all!

What's one thing you'd really like to see in this next game?

Resolution to the Solas romance. I've been in hell for 10 years! Please release me from this prison!

What's one thing you're hoping we DON'T see in this next game?

Anyone dying. Please Bioware. DO NOT give me the Hawke / Warden choice again.

What's one thing you've seen confirmed so far that you're a fan of?

The theme of regret. I can't wait to dive into that.

Developing a relationship between Rook and Solas. I have no idea how that is going to work, but I am so excited.

The Lighthouse. Just... gimmie.

What's one crack theory you subscribe to (yours or someone else's)?

Solas and Ghilan'nan were a thing (mine).

Are you interested in all the lore and speculation or do you focus more on the games and stories themselves?

All of it. All the lore, all the stories, all the characters. I just eat it up.

Which aspect of fandom are you most looking forward to? (e.g. reading/writing fic, the bounty of gorgeous art, getting to know new people, etc.)

Very excited for all the companion fanart and meta that is going to come out. Also all the fanfic I'm sure I'm going to write.

Are you planning to replay any of the previous games, watch Dragon Age: Absolution, or read any of the books/comics/short stories, or are there other games you want to play in the meantime?

Reading through Tevinter Nights now. Then going through the World of Thedas books. I WISH I had time to add the comics in there as well.

Post a picture or gif that conveys your current level of excitement for Dragon Age: The Veilguard!

[dolphs-world]

Games

I tried replaying A Hat in Time. I thought it was one of my favourite games for the past few years but now its very frustrating. I have some props for it being a 3D platformer but it is nowhere near as fun as I remember it. It's not challenging, 100% it is not really an option, not really funny (this is especially notable after playing Shovel Knight), the problems are tedious to solve, not really as flexible as you'd hope a 3D platformer to be, and it doesn't feel as fun to control. Now, I've only done the first 2 worlds and I remember liking the later stages more. But I also remember the wild west part being fun. Also, the load times are atrocious. This is now 1 of 2 games where the loading is a notable con, the other being Crash Nitro-Fueled. In that games case, the loading is the only thing holding it back from being perfect. And the new stages. Also replayed Crash 4. Much more enjoyable this time around without trying to get every gem, which is sad because that's half of the fun of the original trilogy. I hope I enjoy the N'sane trilogy as much as I did when I replay it. I'd recommend only going for the wumpa juice gems and hidden gems in 4. And if you want an extra challenge, the only dying 3 times gem. Oh, and the colour gems. Was thinking about getting Sonic Superstars but after finding out that the Sonic Mania team weren't behind it, and the mixed reviews, and decided against it. Sonic Mania is the only game I love. The rest of the 2D games are good but Sonic Mania outshines and replaces them. Sequels in video games are interesting because, unlike a movie, you can essentially do the same thing again and no one complains. I mean look at COD and Pokemon. I kid. But sometimes the sequel does replace it. Take Mario, for example. You have Galaxy 1 & 2. Essentially, more of the same thing. In my mind, they are near equal. But then you have 3D Land and 3D World. Why would I ever go back to Land after World? (And in my controversial opinion, 3 and World. I don't understand how people prefer 3 over World, it simply replaces it. You know what's the closest thing to 3? The NSMB games.) And then of course, you have something like 64 and Sunshine or Odyssey. Completely different games that complement each other. In other worlds, I didn't get Mario Wonder. Just didn't look like it would be both a fun and challenging game. I would be happy to be countered. Also, after playing DKCTF and Shovel Knight, I'm realising just how shit Mario's boss fights are. I think the only good one's are Galaxy and Mario Land 2?! I tried Sonic Adventure. I know some of the jank is because I'm playing the DX version on the computer but man does it kind of suck. I will beat it, if only to judge people for defending the game. At least I understand why people like Sonic Unleashed, another game I will also beat. If you're looking for a fun 3D platformer on Steam I'd recommend What Lies Between. It's real fun with a great sense of scale and momentum. You can get it for a couple of bucks. Know that I'm thinking about it, I have shit ton of games I've started on my computer. Half-Life, Disco Elysium, Fallout 1, Sonic Racing, Everhood, Kotor 2, Psychonauts 2. And only one of these I have an excuse as to not finishing! Psychonauts 2 is too strong for my computer. I will beat these with my time off.

[dxfiedfxte]

Unprompted Asks || Always Accepting

@epitomees sent: “Minato-kun. The presence of this pumpkin spice flavoring pandemic has increased exponentially since the beginning of the month. Why is there such a fascination with this particular taste?”

October was Minato's favorite month, not just because the season of Fall, also known as Autumn was his favorite season, but also because of what the end of this month was. Halloween was the one holiday that Minato enjoyed the most. It gave people a chance to embrace the spooky side of things. There was lots to love about this season, but the one thing he liked the most, was taking a look at all the creative ways people would decorate their houses. It wasn't like that in Japan, Minato saw and heard about it in America, he recalled a few conversations he had with his late father during his earlier childhood.

Considering the fact that his old man was a foreigner, there were a lot of stories he would tell Minato about how amazing his home country was, and how he really wanted to take Minato there sometime -- a sentence that would still cause a bit of pain whenever he replayed his father saying that to him whenever he thought about it, knowing all too well that he would never be able to see the joys of the west with his father showing him around. As much as it sucked, he made it a life goal to eventually visit the home country where his old man was born sometime after college.

Sitting on the dorm room couch, Minato sat there silent, deep in thought. Many things on his mind, what he would do this season, and if there were any good horror movies playing this month. The fool wanted to enjoy the autumn air as much as he could before the month was over as it would start to become much colder in November.

Suddenly, the familiar voice of Aigis cut into his thinking pulling him back into reality with a blink, he stopped zoning out at that exact moment to just catch her question in full. Pumpkin Spice, he had a feeling she would ask about that, especially since he had come back the day before from school with a Pumpkin Spice Latte.

[{ 🦋 }] - "Hm? Oh hey, Aigis. Pumpkin Spice? I wouldn't call it a pandemic. Well, I guess you could say it's sort of like a seasonal tradition. Pumpkin Spice flavored things originated from the West, in America. Japan just recently joined in on the trend, which is probably why you're seeing all these advertisements around about it. Not just drinks either, they even have pumpkin spiced baked goods too."

Pumpkin Spice was a huge thing now, Japan had only just adopted it, and Minato was glad, having a pumpkin-flavored beverage wasn't just delicious, but it also made him feel more connected to his old man as he always used to love Pumpkin Spice products.

[{ 🦋 }] - "I'm not sure if you can taste things. But if you can, I'd recommend trying it. I like Pumpkin Spice, especially in tea and coffee."