#also thank you everyone for letting me indulge in them all being gamers

[muzzleroars]

If they won't play a game maybe Gabe should play and let them backseat game.

(reference to this!)

oh you KNOW he's not gonna be able to hear himself think

[just-some-guy-joust]

Tell us about Eden *holds up microphone to you*

Thank you all for indulging me I am going to yell about her so fucking hard <3 Same as my Amedeo rant, this one's LONG babey YIPPEE! This ended up being 34 fucking paragraphs!!!!

All art is by me, all links on character names lead to their toyhouse profiles

Content warnings: Unreality, toxic relationships, bad mental health

This is Eden! She/her, 20-22 years old (22 at time of Doomed By The Narrative), 5'1, a college student who's also in the college's gaming club! She's the best friend/sister of Aiden, another member of the club who's like super rich and inherited a fuckoff big manor from their parents (which I am mentioning exclusively for the context to explain the fact that the story is called In A Manor Of Speaking)

Eden is very very sweet and kind and energetic and fun. She's good vibes all around and she's friends with Everyone so hard. If you're familiar with my other OC I've shoved into one of my tournaments though, Amedeo, you... might know where this is going a little bit.

For a basic plot summary up until Eden has anything to do with anything, Aiden comes home one day with a demon, Viorel, who is VERY lost and confused and has no memory of how he got to the human world. They all pretty quickly discover Viorel is not the only demon coming through to the human world though. Vivian and Engel are hunting him down and don't believe him when he says he has no clue who they are. They send another demon after him to kill him, though it doesn't work well since he just befriends it and now it is also living in the manor having a good time. Afterwards, Amedeo, a member of the gamer club, starts acting... odd. He invites Aiden to hang out, and then they get kidnapped, Viorel having to go save them. It was only the first incident of many with Amedeo, and he slowly got worse, making everyone really uncomfortable and staying away from him.

Eden didn't want to sit by and watch this happen to her friend, so she tried asking it what was going on. It responded by attacking her, sending her on a trip to the hospital.

It was fine. It was ok. That was her fault, really. She should've known.

Amedeo was kicked out of the gamer club (she hadn't wanted that but she wasn't there to vote on it). Apparently he never went back to his apartment. Some time after his disappearance, Aiden died. She wasn't there when it happened. Viorel said it was Amedeo.

It was... it was fine. It was ok. It was awful. It hurt so much. Awful things kept happening to the people around her and she couldn't do anything about it. Her sibling was dead, it was getting so hard to breathe anymore.

It was fine. It was ok. Aiden... "survived" in a way. They came back as a ghost days later. Stuck in a computer, yeah, but they could still talk. They were still here. It wasn't fair of Eden to stay upset for long, not when Aiden was having the WORST time coping with their new form. So she puts on a smile and acts just like she did before. Everything's going to be alright. Even if she has to be the only one acting like it is.

More time passes. One day, she stares at the back window and finds... Amedeo. He's a mess. He looks like he's been hit with a truck, or like he's been sleeping under a bush the last several days. Frantically, Eden runs outside, chasing him down when he tries to run from her, and pulling him in for a hug. It was alright. It was going to be ok, she promised. How long has it been since you've eaten, do you need water, you can take a nap in one of the fancy beds, I promise I won't let Viorel hurt you I know you're worried, I missed you, I was worried about you, please come inside.

As time passed, things became comfortable again. Amedeo had really changed for the better and was trying so hard to make things right. Viorel built Aiden a new robotic body for them to haunt, and they were getting used to it well. The gamer club was getting back together. Eden, Viorel, and Aiden took a trip to the monster realm to learn more about Viorel's past after his sister showed up looking for him. Eden didn't... really understand what happened. Viorel was pretty upset, but she didn't know why. Just as always, she felt like she was missing something everyone else understood. This wasn't her story, after all. She was just there to smile and remind everyone it was going to be ok. She was a bright spot for them. She knew that. They returned to the human world, some new friends in tow, and things were back on track for a while.

It was fine. It was ok.

In the almost 2 years since all of this began, Reverie was the first person to ever ask her that.

Eden and Reverie begin hanging out a lot after that. Not just for the shoulder to cry on, they really do enjoy each others company. They got close, closer than Eden had ever felt with anyone. It felt... odd. She was having a really hard time naming her feelings for them. She cared about them but something was off. It was really hard to know what was nagging the back of her head. They kept bringing up weird existential ideas, never enough for a full conversation, but they really did have strange ideas about how the world functioned. She kind of liked it though. It was fun to consider the possibility. That maybe none of it was real. What a relief that could be...

"Hey. I want to show you something" Reverie told her one day. They guided her to a private room, making doubly sure no one was around. Confidently, they held out their hand. Above it, floating and glowing softly, was... a menu.

Save, load, quit, settings. A video game menu. Above their head, "player 2".

None of it was real.

Reverie is player 2 of the video game known as "In A Manor Of Speaking". They've played this game hundreds of times. Player 1... Viorel, had left them a long time ago, and has no memory of the nature of the world. So Reverie alone had been restarting the game over and over, trying to find a path that would let them finally beat the final boss and escape the game. If they could just win, they'd finally be able to leave and reenter the real world. 100% maxing out Eden's friendship level was one thing they still hadn't done, until now. They had a good feeling about this one. They were sure of it.

An NPC. That's all she was.

It made sense. She'd always felt that way. She wasn't even important to the plot. She knew it. Of course it'd take them this long to try maxing out her friendship, she was always just a background character. None of it was real. None of it mattered. She was doing such a good job of playing her role, wasn't she? A perfect side piece in a story that isn't hers.

She went along with it. Her odd feelings about Reverie made sense now, that wasn't fully her... she was programmed to feel that way. But she still cared about them. She still wanted to help. Shoving down all the thoughts, it felt so. Easy. To dedicate herself to their goal. She loved them, she cared about them, she hated them, she looked up to them. Something about them was magnetizing and she didn't want to leave. Of course. Of course she'd help. She knew now, that's what she was supposed to do. What a relief. None of it had ever mattered. It was a kind thought to her.

Now she was able to see the save points, the HP bars above peoples heads, sometimes she caught glimpses of dialogue boxes as Reverie spoke to people. They introduced her to someone very special that only the two of them could seem to see. Elysium. She was an AI made for the game to keep it running properly, and to rewrite bits of code, to expand the world they lived in. The game was always evolving because of her. Elysium acted rather cold and grumpy a lot of the time, but there was an undeniable warmth to her that Eden admired.

Knowing about the game was terrifying, but the time she spent with Elysium and Reverie... It was wonderful. She finally felt like she was somewhere she belonged. She never felt so special than when she was with them. It was fun, to be part of the game. It was the happiest she felt in a long time.

...Right?

She still didn't smile much anymore. Reverie dismissed her various concerns often, saying it was fine, she was an NPC, she wouldn't get it. There was always this look in their eye that gave her chills. Reverie would tell her to fight that monster, it's for the EXP. When she protested, they'd tell her, what's the problem? None of this is real. I'll probably have to reload anyways, so none of this will matter in the end. Reverie would get themself in dangerous situations over and over. When Eden was worried about them, Reverie never understood. If they died, they just come back, it wasn't a big deal.

They never really did look at her, or Elysium. Every movement they made felt scripted. Every word, carefully planned. None of it mattered, to them. If Eden was uncomfortable, what did it matter? She wasn't real. She wasn't real. She knew she wasn't real.

But it was fine. It was ok.

Months passed in a blur. Eden hadn't spent much time with her other friends the entire time. She wasn't even sure what they were up to. It didn't matter. They wouldn't have changed their actions if she tried. That was never her choice. But it didn't matter. It was time. Just her and Reverie, and the final boss.

As Reverie rambled about the plan, Eden silently stared down at her palms, as always. She was so... afraid. Worried. She wished she could just give herself some reassurance. ...And the game's menu silently popped up in her hands. It held Reverie's save. ...It wouldn't hurt, she thought. She pressed the save button. It gave her a little comfort.

It was so hard to focus she hardly noticed they were in the battle with Engel now. When had they...? It didn't matter. Reverie was shouting at her, and she snapped back into reality and joined the battle, sword in hand. Engel's blank eyes stared right past her, entirely focused on Reverie. Eden, took a step, and found herself behind them. Time seemed to slow. She didn't remember getting this close to them so quickly. But it was her chance. It was her time. She raised the sword, and brought it down.

Engel's head rolled to the floor, their body collapsing next to it. Reverie and Eden froze. Neither of them dared to breathe. Eden couldn't see anything but the blood on her sword. She nearly dropped it with how heavy it suddenly felt. But quickly Reverie's arms were around her. They picked her up, yelling in excitement, looking more happy than she had ever seen them. They smiled at her so genuinely, and everything melted away. That was all she wanted. She laughed too, the image of Engel's headless corpse disappearing from her mind, losing herself in the relief. It was all over.

The area around them faded to black and white, "THE END" appearing a few feet in front of Reverie. They dropped Eden, and ran towards it, reaching for the "quit" button. And then it was gone. The quit button disappeared right before they could hit it. Leaving only "Restart" and "Reload" beside where it had been.

Eden couldn't see Reverie's face from where she was, but she could feel the chill radiating from them. They were frozen place, the room silent. Then they laughed, something hollow and empty. Then louder, crazed and desperate. They collapsed to the floor, their laughs and sobs intermingling so well Eden couldn't tell the difference between them. She tried to reach out to them, but before she could reach them, she heard them speak.

"If I can't leave, then this world might as well rot."

A folder icon flashed above their now outstretched palm and they reached into it, crushing the code within. Eden immediately felt dizzy. The world began to crumble around them, glitching out in bright colors, awful noises emanating from the edges where nothing but void lay beyond. Eden could see flashes of other places, other people. The world was collapsing in on itself as Reverie laughed. It was so hard to think. It was so hard to be. Eden reached for her sword. It didn't want to stay in her grasp, but her resolve solidifying, she forced it in her hand.

Reverie turned toward her just in time for the blade to pierce their chest. They stopped, in shock, for a struggling heartbeat.

They laughed. They grabbed Eden's hands and pulled, plunging the sword farther through their back, and putting Eden's face closer to theirs. "Do you think this matters?" they taunted through wheezing breaths. "I'll just come back! I always have. I always will! This means NOTHING Eden!"

They stood there for what felt like eternity. Eden didn't know what to say and could barely even see them through the tears in her eyes. But slowly, slowly, Reverie's laugh trailed off. And their face betrayed a sudden hint of fear.

Nothing happened.

Nothing happened as their breath hitched again and their legs gave out, dropping them to the floor. Nothing happened as they coughed up blood weakly. Nothing happened. Their HP had already dropped to 0. It never took this long. Nothing happened. Frantically they opened the menu.

It was Eden's save. No, it was Reverie's. No... the names switched back and forth, never settling in place for long. "WHat did yoU DO?" they tried their best to shift their position despite the unbearable pain, looking for Eden. They spotted her in front of the "THE END" screen, processing what she was doing moments too late. She reloaded, and everything went black.

Through a painful haze of noise and color, Eden could hear Elysium's voice. "Do you see what you've done, Reverie?" "pl...ease..." "How the hell am I supposed to fix this?! Look around you Reverie! Look what you've DONE!" "ple.....please...pl... please" "I can only think of one way to fix this. I'm going to delete you. I hope you had fun in the time you were here."

"NO!" Eden screamed out. She didn't want this. But it was all she could do as she finally slipped into what could only be compared to unconsciousness.

She awoke who knows when on a couch in Elysium's room. After making sure she was ok, Elysium explained. She explained everything. Eden trying to reload a save she made when she wasn't even a player freaked out the game so bad, on top of the code Reverie had destroyed... it was a mess. Elysium had stabilized it. Reverie was... well, not really alive, but not really dead either. They were stuck somewhere in between, in the moment they would have died if they hadn't been a player who's supposed to reload if their save wasn't corrupted. But Elysium could fix it, she was sure she could.

Eden asked if this was how this was supposed to go. Elysium sighed, and said yes.

Eden's route in the game wasn't always like this. But Reverie had become so fixated on finding their exit and treating the world around them like nothing but a toy. Elysium hadn't known what else to do. So she rewrote the code, the story, she rearranged the narrative, so Eden would be learn about the game. So she would start to glitch out the system. So she could be invisible to Engel's eyes because she was glitching out so badly, so she could finally be the one to end the game. So Reverie would finally see there was nothing else. This world was all their was.

It was never about Eden.

None of it had ever had anything to do with her.

The narrative had been rewritten just for her. The months of pain. The horrible state Eden had found herself in, agreeing to Reverie's views of the world. That she was worthless. That she was nothing. That this world was a prison. All the sweet moments, all the comfort Eden had felt in those fleeting scenes. It was all for her. None of it was for her. It was always about Reverie. She was one more piece in this awful play.

Eden bid Elysium farewell, and went home.

[the-writing-ninja]

Disconnect

(some context: Headcanon that Cole feels like he is not really a part of the group and these feelings of his got worse after he became a ghost and got almost forgotten completely during dotd)

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

[The ninja are all goofing off and having fun at the monastery- it's their day off afterall! Why wouldn't they?]

[Kai is playfully bullying Lloyd while Nya and Jay are laughing along and telling him to stop picking on the kid, Zane and Pixal are just chatting about in their own little world, meanwhile Misako and Wu refuse to rest and keep reading and rereading ancient scrolls.]

[But while everyone else is occupied and having fun in each other's company, there is one who is just,,, standing near the wall, with music blasting through his headphones, watching from the sidelines.]

[He wishes he could also indulge in the fun but,]

Cole: (sigh)

[He's never been able to put his finger on the 'why', but, he's always felt separated from the group.]

[Disconnected, if you will.]

[This feeling of disconnection only growing and growing after the events that took place on that one day of the departed.]

[He tries his hardest to drown it all out by the music from his headphones, he doesn't want to let these thoughts interfere with his mind. But no matter how hard he tries to shake them away, they come back. Sometimes even worse than before.]

[Despite arguably being the glue that holds them together, he himself doesn't believe that they all actually enjoy his company. His mind telling him constantly that they would much prefer it if he were, well, not there.]

[No matter how high he turns up the volume he is unable to drown these thoughts out today.]

[His mind telling him how little he provides to the group and how no one will notice if he were to disappear one day.]

[Exactly like what happened that time.]

[In hopes to get rid of these fears, he heads to the kitchen, opens the refrigerator and grabs a slice of cake.]

[He decides to stay in the kitchen because hey? No one's gonna notice right?]

Cole: The cake's good.

[His mind takes him back to that day of the departed. The day when this fear of his started to worsen.]

Cole: They really won't notice if I just- was gone one day.

[He tries his best to hide these feelings when he is around them however. For he does not want them to feel guilty over his stupid fears.]

[He knows that they don't feel that way towards him but his mind keeps on saying that don't really want to be around him, that they are only tolerating him just because he lives alongside them. That they wouldn't even care if he was gone. That they-]

Zane: Cole? Cole?

Zane: I may have to adjust my volume appropriately for this.

Zane: COLE?

[Zane manages to snap him out of his spiral.]

Cole: ..Zane?

Zane: Pardon my intrusion but are you alright?

Cole: Huh?- OH, yeah, totally.

Cole: I just left to grab some cake, haha-

Zane: Are you sure? Your face is red. I assess that you were perhaps-

Cole: ...

[He hugs Zane and starts to cry.]

Zane: ?

Cole: Thanks for stopping by to check up on me Pinky.

Cole: Thanks for,, not forgetting.

[Zane hugs backs.]

Zane: My current memory processor is rather new to start doing that.

Cole: (laughs) Okay Tin Can.

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

[Zane and Cole head back to the living room. The other ninja have all set up the console to play prime empire but haven't started yet since they were waiting for Cole to come back.]

Cole: You guys saved me a spot?

Kai: Ofcourse man!

Jay: Now come and sit quickly and watch me win.

Cole: With me in the game? There's no chance buddy.

[The gang's gamer hops over the couch and takes his rightful place in the middle and they all start playing and chatting together.]

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[mono-dot-jpeg]

fries and milkshakes - k. tsukishima

Summary: A salty volleyball player and a pro gamer walk into a room, so many insults were made that day.

Word Count: 1.8k

Genre: Fluff, Enemies to Lovers, Pro Gamer! Reader, Open Ended (?) 

Pairing: Tsukishima Kei x Reader

a/n: purely a self indulgent fanfic bc salty shima is growing on my best friend :))) follow them if you haven’t >:(((( @mangobangi​ also a very fun quote was put in here from them as well skjdksjdk

"Waa~ the season is over! Thank god. I don't have to worry about practicing with Heesu!" You sighed blissfully. Now you weren't a pro at what would be called normal sports but you were definitely a pro at gaming.

You were (streamer/name), one of the pro players of Philadelphia Fusion from the Overwatch League. You were known for being one of the first females to join Overwatch League. It was a bumpy ride but you made it far. But now you had your studies to focus on. While you weren't in the official line up (due to how young you were), you practiced hard with the benched players and streamed in your free time with your fellow teammates.

You arrived at Karasuno, it wasn't a new day for you. A pretty normal day, except you were transferring into a higher class so that was pretty new. You get to Class 1-4, entering hesitantly.

"Ah, you must be the new student! Introduce yourself!"

"Morning, I'm y/n l/n! Please call me y/n! Nice to meet you!" You bowed as you introduced yourself, you ended up having to sit next to a tall blonde named Tsukishima Kei. Soon it was free time/study hall.

Some students had come up to you as they seemed to recognize you from your streams. You never minded the attention and you just hoped it never got too bad. "Are you really s/n?"

"I prefer not to talk about it too much.." You laughed nervously.

"Wow! You're in like the top 50 in the Asia and American servers!" You rubbed the back of your neck sheepishly. You were never one to brag about your achievements. It was all just a video game to you in the end but then again, you were gonna be in Overwatch League when you get out of high school.

"She can reach top 50 and yet her height says she can barely reach the middle shelf." You turned to look at the tall male.

"Well, that's not very nice, Tsukishima-kun." You tell him. "And if you're gonna insult me, make up something better. I've dealt with years of misogyny in the gaming world, fight me." You have an annoyed glint in your eye as he glares at you.

"Oh my bad, chibi-chan." You were walking right into his trap and you didn't even realize it. "At least I'm in the starting line up on my team." He snickered. He knew very well that you were part of the Philly Fusion and you knew he was in the volleyball team. He knew of a few ways to push your buttons.

"H-Hey! I'll be in the starting line up soon! Just you wait! I'll be at the top!" You huffed. "You'll see me with the big boys, you salty beanpole of a guy!"

"Beanpole? Is that really the best you could come up with?"

"I could come up with worse but I don't think you could handle the heat. What with your petty insults and all." You crossed your arms. "At least I'm at the top with the best."

“Tch, what insults could you come up with, chibi-chan?” He scoffed. Everyone can feel the tension rise between you both. Luckily, a fight didn’t happen due to the fact that the bell had rung. While you and Tsukishima were frustrated at the sound of the bell, Yamaguchi seemed very relieved. 

It’s been several days since you got transferred to Class 1-4. You made a decent amount of friends in the class (though you weren’t sure if someone of them wanted to be genuinely friends with you or they just wanted to meet your teammates). You were really good friends with Yamaguchi, although you still didn’t like Tsukishima enough to want to be his friend. More often than not, you both spat insults at each other with no remorse. It seemed to be a mutual thing, neither of you wanted to be friends nor plan on it. 

You went to see volleyball practice pretty often as to support Yamaguchi (though Tsukki joked a lot that you were obsessed at continuing the feud you and Tsukishima had). “Hey Yama-kun.” You weren’t as energetic as it was getting close to league season and that meant less time with hanging out with friends.

“Are you okay, y/n-chan?” he asked as he was rubbing the sweat off his face with his towel.

“It’s almost league season for me, which mean I won’t spend as much time here. I’ll be home earlier to practice with my team.” You often practiced in your free time when it was off-season but the coach always thought it was better for you to practice with the team even if you weren’t gonna be in the line up.

“You really have to practice even if you’re not in the lineup?” Tsukishima scoffed.

“At least I’m passionate about what I do! You barely put energy into yourself playing!” You snapped back at him.

“Whatever..” He muttered.

“Sorry about Tsukki..” Yamaguchi said. “So, you’re gonna be really busy now, huh?”

“Yeah, I’m gonna be going back to the Fusion base since they might want me to train over there.” That struck a cord in the duo.

“You’re gonna be leaving?” Yamaguchi asked, shocked.

“Yeah. But it won’t be forever. But they know it would be better for me if I went back to school around the Fusion base so it would be easier for me.” You ruffled your hair in slight frustration. “So funny enough, this is my first and last year here.” You sighed. Tsukishima didn’t know what to say. Nor did he realize what feeling were stirring up inside of him. But they didn’t feel good.

“That sucks, but you’re gonna get close to your dream, right?” The green haired male asked. “I’m glad you’ll get the dream you wanted but we’ll miss you when you leave.” He smiled sadly.

“Saltyshima won’t miss me though but I appreciate that you will.” You smiled at Yamaguchi while said male scoffed at your statement. “Let’s just have fun for these last few day before I leave.”

“Eh? You’re leaving that soon?”

“In 3 days actually. On Saturday.” 

D-1

You already felt yourself missing everything in this school. While Tsukishima is struggling to think about what were these dumb feelings doing to him. Why was he feeling this way? Why was it always towards you? Why were these feelings even existing?

“Okay, Tsukishima-kun. Yamaguchi and I made a promise. I have to try and get along with you before I leave to go back. So, let’s start over.” You stuck his hand out. He doesn’t shake your hand and scoffs.

“Like I wanna be friends with you, chibi-chan.”

“Okay, let’s go out to eat then. I’m not taking no for an answer.”

“How about ‘I decline’?” He says back.

“It’ll just be for 30 mins after practice. You can handle that right, Tsukki?” You say almost mockingly.

“Fine.” He huffed. And so started the adventure of the salty male and the pro gamer. After practice both of you headed off to a small diner. “Wow, very fancy.” He says sarcastically.

“Hey, my mom won’t let me in on the money from Overwatch League, give me a break.” You ordered fries and a milkshake. He ordered the same thing as he didn’t seem to care for anything else on the menu. You held up a fry close to his mouth. “Look it’s you.” Before you could move your hand back to eat the fry, he moves closer and eats the fry, his lips just grazing your fingers. “Hey! You have your own sets of fries, Saltyshima!”

“Never said I couldn’t eat your fries though, chibi-chan.” He smirked smugly. How were you gonna get along with the male if he acted like this? You don’t know. You sip on your strawberry milkshake as you glare at him.

D-2

“You’re telling me, you haven’t dipped your fries in a milkshake before?! You’ve got to be kidding me.” You huffed. “Well, now you gotta try it, right now. Do it.” You crossed your arms as you waited for him to do it. You and Tsukishima had unknowingly made a routine between each other which was fries and a milkshake after practice or after school.

“No way.”

“Do it, you coward.” You dip your fry into your milkshake and eat it. “Don’t knock it until you try it.”

“If I do it, will you stop annoying me?”

“You and I both know, I’d still annoy you. Just do it.” He rolled his eyes at your statement before finally trying a fry dipped in the milkshake. “So?”

“It’s not that bad.”

“See! I’m such an intellectual!”

“How are you in my class again?”

D-3

“So...this is the last time we do this. Then I leave.” You were a little gloomy since you and Tsukishima seemed to finally get along, only to probably forget each other in the long run.

“You act like you’re leaving forever. You’ll come back when the season ends, right?”

“I..don’t know yet.” You sighed as you stirred your milkshake with your straw. “You’ll wait for me right? If I come back.”

“When you come back. Don’t say if.” You laughed a bit, but it was a bitter laugh.

“I never thought we’d somewhat get along and when we do, I have to leave for Overwatch League.” You muttered. “Why don’t you come and say goodbye to me when I get to the airport? My aunt is driving me, Yama-kun knows where I live, come with us.” You offered.

“Maybe.”

“Well, let’s not make this our last goodbye right?” You said softly.

Leaving Day

You took a deep breath. Yamaguchi is sitting beside you as he notices the sad look on your face. Tsukishima didn’t come with you to say goodbye. “I’m sure he’ll show up.” He said, trying to be optimistic.

“I don’t know, Yamaguchi...” You mumble. You finally arrive at the airport. “I’ll miss you. I’ll try to text and call as much as I can.” You give him a sad smile. You hug him as he hugs you back.

“I’ll see you soon.” He smiled. You grab your suitcase slowly starting to leave.

“Oh, chibi-chan, you think you can escape from me that easily?” You hear a familiar voice and look up, seeing Tsukishima. Yamaguchi seem to have to take that as a sign to give you and him some space.

“You came after all.” You smiled. He patted your head before pushing you back, chuckling.

“Who do you think I am, chibi-chan?”

“Well, say your goodbyes now. I got to go soon.”

“Right. We got off the wrong foot in the beginning. I will admit that. But within the last 3 days, I tolerate you.”

“Wow, you tolerate me. That’s better than before.”

“Let me finish. I will wait for you. I...don’t just tolerate you. I like you.” His face is dusted with pink, making you hold back a smile and a tease. He took a step closer and kissed your forehead, surprising you. “Take that as my goodbye. Don’t forget to text me when you land, idiot.”

“I won’t forget, beanpole.”

“Shortstack.”

“Lamppost.”

“Gremiln.”

“Salty fries.”

“Sweet milkshake.”

“When you get back, you better buy me fries and a milkshake.”

“I haven’t even left.”

“Well, hurry, so you can come back quickly.”

“I like you too, Saltyshima!” 

[sparkles-and-trash]

My fav 3 versions/interpretations of South Park characters thing!

I’m so sorry this took much longer than anticipated, I was gonna do it Friday but then I had a panic attack for the first time in forever because my CFS have been real bad lately and I was in such bad shape my BFF had to come and smack me back to life, and Sunday was suddenly full on breakdown day, a bad BPD episode and yeah, it was rough, but today I’m doing better and I realize nobody really cares about my personal issues lol but I just have a need to excuse myself here and I realize that’s kinda dumb but here we are ANYWAYS I hope these are okay, and that these are in no way the RIGHT interpretations, just my personal favorites! 

Kyle:

suggested by the wonderful  @otherluces <3

#1 

I’m not gonna lie, I love nerdy, preppy Kyle. Sweater-vests, collard shirts, doesn’t realize how attractive he is Kyle, oblivious to people having crushes on him Kyle, set on Harvard to become a lawyer and fight for justice and argue for a living, yanno? 

#2 

I also really like the more dorky and nerdy Kyle, where he has really niché interests that he gets totally invested in and talks about 24/7, loves reading and studying, but not just to get good results, but because he genuinly enjoys it.

#3

The last version I can think of with him, is the tall, lanky and kinda hard to read Kyle. He keeps a lot of his feelings to himself, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have them. He plays basketball, he’s good at it too, and while he does well in school and everyone expects him to go into law, he has some totally different dream he keeps to himself for now. He kinda perks up a bit when in smaller crowds, esp with his cloest friends, but he still carries a lot of secrets that some time needs to come out.

Tweek:

suggested by my new fren  @soft-craig-and-tweek ^^

I like Tweek in so many ways these were hard to pick, but I’mma try to narrow it down a bit and not go totally off haha

#1

I actually quite enjoy the jagged, tired Tweek, the one who with help from friends and family manage to get off the meth his parents feed him secretly, but who still struggle with withdrawal, dark bags under his eyes, kinda pale and with sharp features, but he’s still a sweet and kind boy, a boy who wants to make the right choices and change the world to a better place, but who still has a darkness he carries, and the fact that he never gives up that fight is what makes him so special 

#2

and okay I have to be honest, I do love myself some sunshine boy Tweek. This Tweek still has issues, he is maybe even more anxious than the last one, but he’s also just as vibrant and energetic as he is anxious! He is an artist, he paints with bright colors, he composes beautiful, hopeful melodies, he feels everything so much,  and he is a contagious and exciting person to be around. Cannot dress for the life of him. So much mis-match and odd outfits, but it kinda works? 

#3

The last one I’m gonna mention for this wonderful boy, is the more alternative Tweek. He writes obscure poetry, he watches too many conspiracy theory videos on youtube, he draws the monsters in his mind, and he writes the scariest, most hauntingly beautiful stories on the internet, and people online love him. He has no idea how to deal with being popular in that sense, because irl he is the type to not belong to a certain friend group, but he does go along well with most people on a surface level. Dark circles, shaky hands, crooked and cute smiles, baggy t-shirts and ripped jeans. When he first opens up to someone, he really, really does, and he will always support and be there for you. If you deserve it, that is. 

Nichole: 

also suggested by  @soft-craig-and-tweek <3 

#1

I love nerdy Nichole who isn’t afraid to show it! Maybe she’s a streamer or youtube gamer even, I can def see her writing fanfiction, and being hella good at it too! Makes quite a name for herself online, and hangs out with the boys a lot irl, has game nights with the boys from Board Girls (even Cartman sometimes), is funny in a sarcastic way, but never mean. 

#2

Popular girl Nichole is also a favorite for me, but not in the “classical” sense. I imagine her to be a sporty, maybe on both the basket and volleyball team, captain for the basket one, she’s a born leader, she’s kind and fair, but can also be strict, and people always trust her to be honest and true.  

#3

Artsy Nichole!! I imagine her in bright yellow dresses and with her hair flowing and free, with flowers in her hair, freckles on her face, a big, genuine smile, a loud laughter that is so contagious, she loves spending time with Jimmy because they have a very similar humor, and she’s a theater kid, she sings like an angel and can act, oh boy can she act, she can make anyone laugh or cry in just a blink of an eye, she’s just a human sun-ray and I love her a lot 

Butters: 

suggested by @kinguidamundo, thank you so much!! 

#1

I love edgy Butters soooo much??? Like, he’s still a kind and bright boy, but he can also stand up for himself a lot more, he likes fashion a lot, he gets tattoos and piercings, he explores tons of ways to express himself, he’s a yes-dude, he goes out on dates a lot, but isn’t ready for a “real” relationship yet, but he enjoys meeting people and testing out himself around different types of people! Also he is a bi icon change my mind jk u can’t 

#2

I have a weak spot for the kind of soft and timid looking Butters too, who wears pastel colors and have big, innocent eyes, he is genuine and kind, but he carries something darker inside, something he isn’t sure how to deal with, something that scares him, but in reality it’s just normal feelings, anger, resentment and fear, but he’s lived his life ignoring them so much they catch him off guard at times. He learns to live with them slowly, and he does so with lots of help and patience from friends and loved ones. 

#3

Okay, last one, totally self-indulging here, but yeah, happy sunflower boy is also a big favorite. He is more confident than the previous version, but in a gullible way if that makes any sense? He believes the best in people, and if he is proven wrong, he’s willing to try to help them become better people, if they want to or not! This is honestly the version I love most with Stan, Butters being the ray of sunshine in Stan’s life and Stan being the realism to keep Butters grounded and them both supporting each other so much? Fuck yeah that’s the good stuff. 

Clyde:

suggested by @horrorpumpkin, ty sm friend! <3 

#1

Himbo Clyde!!! Jock dude who genuinely loves sports, he’s a team player, and while he might not be super intellectual, he is very socially smart, he is kind and empathic, he is funny and likable, he always tries his best to make everyone feel included, and while he loves chicks a lot, and is a sexual dude, he does it with nothing but respect and admiration for the ladies! 

#2

Bisexual disaster Clydeeee <3 obv being bi isn’t a personality trait, but he is very open about it, he wants to be confident and good at flirting, but goddamn is he a MESS! He’s also a huge supporter of every single relationship his friends is in, he loves love, in all shapes and forms, he is emotional and kind and awkward in an endearing way. 

#3

Can’t leave out crybaby Clyde, can we now? He’s a bit of an awkward bean as well, but he owns it a bit more. He is kinda like a puppy, a cute, excitable and emotional puppy who loves his friends, video games and lazy movie nights, kinda chubby, he loves baking and does it a lot with Tweek, he is also a huge nerd for Harry Potter and totally geek out over it with Kyle and Nichole sdhlksgdhl

Kenny: 

suggested by anon! 

#1

First up I guess I should put my high school AU Kenny. I know it’s controversial, but I imagine this Kenny to be more on the quiet side, but not really in a shy way. He’s just a bit of an observer who doesn’t speak unless he really sees fit, and while he still has his crude humor and is kinda rumored to be sleeping around a lot, he actually struggle with intimacy issues. He never imagined them to include sexual stuff, but turns out they do, and balancing being sexually open and curious and having these issues ain’t easy on the boy, let me tell you that. 

#2

This one is kinda heavily inspired by Luces, but I love him as kind and loyal, but also a bit more chatty and charming, but not for his own gain. He wants others to feel good about themselves, in social settings, his friends, during sexy times, he is selfless and good, but he is also living for the moment, he is a likable and wonderful guy, but he does still only REALLY open up emotionally to people he really trusts. Not traditionally attractive, but interesting looking in a way. Lots of freckles, bit of buck teeth with a big gap between his front teeth, messy kinda curly hair, long straight nose. Always wears baggy hoodies and worn out jeans, shrugs and gives that lopsided smile when people ask him about anything personal.

#3

Mysterious Kennyyyy. You think you know him, everyone does, but in reality, very few have seen the real him. He likes people, and he likes to help them, he’s always down to listen to people’s problems and help them, he wants to inspire kids like himself to never give up and think there’s only one path for them, because he knows there is not. Volunteers at the animal shelter with Stan, works part time at Tweek Bro’s and is good buddies with Tweek. Had a early sexual debut, slept around a bit and got his heart broken unexpectedly when he was a Freshman, so there are some walls there now, but he ain’t usually one to turn down someone who’s up for it and whom with he has good chemistry either. 

[sery-chan-13]

Quality Time

Arisu Ryōhei

I don't know, but let me tell you... I just have a thing for gamers. Kenma, Arisu, Niragi (in case you didn't know, he's a game engineer, leading me to believe he's a gamer, obvi)

So... welcome, to an Arisu Chapter. I noticed I didn't write that much for Arisu, and someone else pointed out we need more stories for him, so... here we are! This is very very much self indulgent, but still a (Y/N) story. It takes place before the games, and is pretty fluffy... and a bit spicy at the end. Also, forgot to mention, you're a famous streamer (sounds like something fun 🙂✌), and (Y/N) is plus sized, because not every girl can have thick thighs and be skinny, so... yeah. Reminder it gets a bit suggestive towards the end, as I mentioned before Hope you enjoy!

Warnings: Swearing, gamer rage, body shaming (numero uno, don't do this it's wrong. Numero dos, it doesn't work bc you're a bad bitch) kind of suggestive at the end? I don't know. As always, feel free to tell me if I forgot any.

"Fuck! Babe, watch out!"

"Got him! Yeah!"

"Nice!"

You two laughed, taking your attention off your screens for a second, high-fiving eachother before immediately going back to concentrating on t the game. Gunshot noises filled the air, as well as other noises from the game. The LED lights in your room turning from red, to pink, to purple. You had invited your boyfriend, Arisu, over to play games with you, which ended up in you streaming.

You were quite famous in the gamer community, being one of the more popular streamers. Since you were a girl, you got the occasional misogynistic asshole, but you always put them in their place. Many girls loved your page, and had told you that you inspired them by playing games and being unapologetically you. It was one of the many reasons you streamed.

"Damn it! Fucking hell, I died!" You raged, pouting slightly, and crossing your arms over your chest. "Shit. I died too," Arisu muttered angrily. You looked at the monitor, seeing the comments. "Oh, someone asked a question... Where are my parents? Pfft- I'm 23, I live by myself, but they are doing great, thank you," you laughed, seeing as a lot of people had actually been asking that question. Did you look that young? Arisu smiled, seeing you interact with your viewers. He leaned on his palm, watching you with a lovesick look on his face. He we saw some comments roll in, saying something along the lines of 'Get someone who looks at you the way Arisu looks at (Y/N)'. He blushed, but directed his attention back to you. He couldn't help that he loved you. And if everyone could tell by just his face, then so be it. Because then everyone would know it. That you were his, and he was yours.

"Oh, the outfit of the day? Yes!" You exclaimed, standing up from the gaming chair. Since you were such a big streamer, you could afford such a great set up. You always made sure Arisu came over to try things with you before you streamed with them though.

You were wearing a black mini skirt, and a dinosaur hoodie, because... dinosaurs are cute. You laughed, seeing the comments flow in, calling you cute and whatnot, until a paid message came in.

'Fat girls shouldn't have so many fans or a cute boyfriend' the automated voice said.

You laughed. "I'm sorry you feel threatened by my beauty, and that you're jealous my boyfriend isn't a shallow asshole. Trust me Sayaka, your username isn't discrete, thank you for giving me 10 dollars though!" You chirped, immediately noticing the username. It was some girl you used to go to school. She had become jealous of your success recently, seeing as she worked a boring office job. You two had actually been friends before this, but as of late, she had become an online bully to you. You didn't care, as you knew her words came from a place of envy. One day, you hoped you two would be able to make up, and be friends again. Arisu scowled. "I don't care how pretty any girl is, (Y/N) is the most beautiful girl in the world, in my opinion. You guys, be nice," he said, scolding Sayaka, and anyone who had said mean things. You laughed, seeing your boyfriend being protective. "Hey, how long have we been- oh wow... two hours? Um, so I think that's where we're going to leave the stream. Thank you all for the donations, kind words, and support. We really appreciate it. Hope you have a wonderful day or night, depending where you're from. If no one has told you, I'm so proud of you, and your achievements. You got out of bed today? Good job! You ate a full meal? I'm so proud of you! You did anything today? You're doing great! Bye bye now, and until next time, (Y/N) and Arisu... out!" You said, turning off the stream.

You let out a happy sigh, walking over to the bed. "Come on Ari~!" You sang patting the bed. He smiled, walking next to you. You grabbed the switch next to your bed, on the black nightstand. He sat on the bed in front  of you. You pulled him down, laying his head between your thighs, and handed him the switch. He looked up to the ceiling, and then up to your face. "What are you doing?" He asked. "Hm? I like you there. I can play with your hair," you said. He sighed happily, pressing a quick kiss to the inside of your thigh. You giggled. He started playing a game on the switch as you played with his hair, braiding tiny parts of it, and unbraiding them.

A few hours later, you were still in the same position. "Aren't you tired of being there? Do you want to do something else?" You asked, wondering if there was anything he would want to do. Your previous boyfriends would usually not even lay in between your legs like this. But, then again, your previous boyfriends were all douche bags who were embarrassed to be with you. "Not really. I could spend hours between your legs," he said, a bit of a suggestive smile working it's way onto his face. You blushed slightly, seeing the hidden meaning behind his words. You hit the top of his head lightly. "Arisu... don't be a perv," you giggled. He turned onto his stomach, leaning his head onto your thigh, his hand squishing the other. You laughed, seeing him love a part of your body you had been insecure about. "I'm not. Well... I am. But, I could. In both ways. When I say hours, I mean hours," he said.

You smiled, knowing he had no ulterior motives with his words. He wasn't the kind to flatter you just to get a quick fuck. He cared about you, and his words, while having a double meaning, weren't meant to butter you up. They were his genuine feelings.

He got up, bringing himself up to kiss you. You gladly accepted, kissing him back. He closed his eyes, the feeling of pure bliss he got by just being with you taking over his body. His warm hands cupped your face gently as he brought you closer. You smiled into the kiss, breaking away. Your forehead rested on his, your lips centimeters apart. "I love you. So much," you muttered. He could feel your words on his lips. He loved being so close to you. "I love you too. More than the stars in the night sky," he whispered back, opening his eyes to look into yours. You let out a shaky breath. He meant his words. "Let's test your words?" You suggested. His eyes widened. "Which ones? Because I promise anything I've said, I've meant. I've only told you the truth," he said, brushing back a strand of your (Dark/Light) hair that had fallen into your face. His hand rested on your cheek, and you leaned into his hand. "I don't doubt your words, 'Risu. Really, I know you mean them... and... how about we test your words of being able to spend-" you started, his face already turning red. You smirked, a teasing flint in your eyes. He knew the world of possibilities when you started to tease. You loved playing games, after all. But, so did he. Your competitions were always equally matched. You didn't need to finish your sentence. He already knew. "I'd... I'd like to test my words on that too."

I tried, I might have failed. Sorry it's so short!

[bnhablessings]

Hello its the anon with the pocky request~ I absolutely love how you did it 10/5 😁 if its ok with you, can I request another pocky game headcanon but with Shinsou, Izuku aaaand Tomura?? Thank you~❤️

Hi, Pocky anon!! (May I call you that?) This took forever to get out but I wanted to use it to start the New Year with fluff! So I hope you enjoy it! I did these in scenario form (but went a bit overboard) like the other ones so I hope that’s okay!

I enjoy picking out the pocky flavors for them! For Shinsou, he can be a sweet and sour boy so I chose blueberry pocky (but he can easily also like Matcha like Todo). Izuku is the most precious boi in the universe so I had to do cookies and cream for him. Tomura was difficult but I imagine he wouldn’t care what kind of pocky he eats. However I headcanon him as a weeb/gamer so I imagine he would love to get his hands on the discontinued rare cheesecake pocky

Part 1

Warnings: Slightly suggestive

Words: 1541

Midoriya Izuku-

You and Izuku have been dating for quite a while now but bothof you are incredibly shy around each other. Too afraid to make the first movebut it is so obvious to your classmates of the growing tension between the bothof you, the lingering gazes, and the twitching fingers. It’s so painfullyobvious.

That’s why a “delicate plan” was conducted and that’s howyou and Izuku found yourselves in this painfully awkward predicament.

“Truth or Dare?” Ochako asks with an innocent smile.

You glance at your boyfriend who seems a bit nervous, morethan usual since he’s playing this type of game. You, Tsuyu, Iida, and a fewother classmates watch with curiosity. It takes a while but he finally goes forTruth.

“Truth is even manlier than Dare,” Kirshimia whispers amongyou all.

Ochako is pleased with the answer as she asks, “You and (Name)are dating, correct? If that is correct please do share why you are still inthe awkward crushing stage!”

Oh god no. How cruel is she to do this to you both? A glintis shared with the other classmates and it hits you rather hard. This is aset-up. It’s too late to leave this cruel game as Izuku blushes and pondersover his answer.

He makes eye contact with you when he answers, “I don’t wantto mess this up so I’ve been taking it slow.”

Ochako and the others smirk as she hurries to move to you,“Truth or Dare?”

Oh god. You would love to share your feelings with himwithout them around. The choice is obvious here. “Dare.”

“Pick your poison then play the Pocky Game with him,” Ochakosays chirpy-like.

Your face feels hot as you look up at your boyfriend. Theexcitement on his face doesn’t go past you and suddenly you feel the need tocomplete this dare. A bag full of different pocky is handed to you. You pickone that you think Izuku would like, Cookies & Cream!

You go up to your boyfriend and sit in front of him. Hehesitates to take the pocky and instead asks, “Are you sure?”

A small smile and a nod of your head reassures him. He takesone end of the pocky in between his teeth and lets you at your own pace latchon to the other end. The quick nibbling starts and the sweet cookie and creamtaste overloads your taste buds. Getting close to the middle, your heart startsto pound before you hear a small snap.

Izuku had pulled away leaving you as the victor. His face isflushed cherry red as he watches you eat the rest of the stick with ease. Youcan hear your classmates talking or shouting about a rematch or what else theycan play but you don’t care. You feel rather confident despite being shy aboutthis.

You pull your boyfriend into a hug and whisper into his ear,“I think we should practice for a draw later.”

And that is how you accidentally killed your boyfriend.

Shinsou Hitoshi-

“Babe, what are you eating?” You ask softly having justwoken up from a nap in your boyfriend’s dorm room.

You don’t get a reply. You just hear more crunching noises.With a groan, you force your eyes open and turn to face your boyfriend who is lyingpropped up on a few pillows staring blankly at the television. You eye thestick in his mouth.

It’s a dark purple color, sort of like his hair. The thoughtmakes you giggle and forces Hitoshi to stare at you with amusement in his eyes.His eyebrow his raised.

You don’t say a single word as your sleepy mind focuses onlyon the sweet looking treat. The box Hitoshi is holding says it is blueberryflavored pocky and you have never had that flavor before. You act before youthink, focuses on the only treat outside of the box that lays in-between histeeth.

Overcome with surprise, Hitoshi doesn’t do anything as hewatches you nibble on the other end of his pocky, in a trance-like state. Assoon as he can feel your breath on him, he is snapped out of the trance andnibbles the treat only to meet your lips.

It is a rather short and sweet kiss as you pull back with ahappy smile on your face.

“That was good!” You murmur grabbing another pocky from thebox and placing the treat in front of him.

A smirk plays on his lips as he questions, “Do you know whatwe’re playing?”

“We’re not playing anything ‘Toshi. I’m just too lazy tofeed myself,” You state with a roll of your shoulders.

…That answer actually didn’t surprise him.

“I am offended you didn’t offer me any, Love. If I knew youwould betray me like that I would have never come for my usual napti-“

Hitoshi rolls his eyes and takes the stick from you to starteating it, knowing it’ll make you a tad upset. It worked because you took thestick immediately back and finished it off within a few bites. The tired boypouts as he pleads softly.

“C’mon, one game like the first one then I’ll gladly handfeed them to you,” He says producing another treat.

You comply as you both take one end. However, he wasn’tgoing to spoil you. Not in the slightest. His fingers come up to your sides inthe softest of all touches and you let out a giggle allowing him to pull thetreat away from you and eat it in one go.

“Toshi! Isn’t that cheating?” You whine.

He smirks, “What? You didn’t want to play in the firstplace. Give me a kiss and I’ll feed you.”

Your lips meet his in a small peck before pulling away.

“A proper kiss, please.”

Shigaraki Tomura-

“Are you going to play with us?” You ask your boss.

He observes you with cold eyes as his scowl deepens. Hisfingers go up to scratch at the scars and scabs on his neck from previousscratches. It bothers you deeply when he does this and you are quick to grabhis hand with a certain gentleness to it.

He pauses and finally spits out his thoughts. “Aren’t youtoo old to be playing with a teenager?”

The question is filled with venom and jealousy and itactually makes you laugh compared to how others would’ve been terrified at thetone.

“Silly, Toga just wants to play matchmak-“

“I don’t want you to play with anyone,” His voice is soharsh and his hand squeezes yours a bit too tightly.

This time you’re the one to scowl. It appears you won’t getto indulge Toga with her silly games. With a heavy sigh, you pull out of hishold and leave his room to go at least watch and encourage Toga to have funwith the others.

Begrudgingly, Tomura follows you.

You sit by the bar counter as Toga starts a few games withTwice, Spinner, Magne, and Mr. Compress. Tomura sits beside you sipping on adrink and Dabi is conversing with Kurogiri. She keeps glancing at you to makesure you are watching when suddenly that familiar crazed look appears in hereyes.

“Dabi! I choose you to play the Pocky Game! You can choosewhoever you desire!~” Toga sing-songs.

Everyone by Toga is looking at him with a similar look andyou thought he would decline. Instead, he smirks and glances your way.

“(Name), what’s your favorite pocky?” Dabi asks as he keepshis eyes trained on your boyfriend beside you.

Indeed, his hands are closed in a fist. He is trying tosuppress his anger. It fails when the bag of pocky is thrown towards thecounter.

“Touch that bag and I will murder you.”

His tone suggests he is rather serious as he pinches the bagwith two fingers to look inside. Immediately, his eyes move all around lookingat the different flavors before they widen. With a careful hand, he pulls out abox revealing the rare cheesecake pocky.

“Whoa! Didn’t they disconti-“

You are cut off as Tomura shoves a pocky into your mouth andhungrily latches onto the other end. It’s a quick draw and a fierce kiss as hebites and tugs at your lip, trying to savor your taste and the hint of lemonflavor from the cheesecake pocky.

In all honesty, you aren’t surprised at his rough nature ashe shoves his tongue in your mouth. You can hear the others shout as if theyhave seen the most unholy thing on the planet (which they probably did in theirdefense) but you don’t care. You let him continue this dominating kiss until hepulls back, a string of saliva connecting you.

You wipe at your mouth just as he grabs another pocky stick.

“Oh hell no. Go to his room if you’re going to do that again.That was fucking disgusting,” Dabi says regretting following Toga’s plan ingetting the both of you to participate.

Tomura smirks as he grabs the box. “Let’s goplay on hard mode, Player Number 2.”

[twilightofthe]

In celebration of Mutual Acquaintances.. Satine: 5, 6, 7, 8, 28, 31, 42, 47, 48; Obi-Wan: 7, 8, 12, 14, 27, 31, 33, 47, 48; Padmé: 4, 6, 7, 8, 12, 18, 19, 28, 33, 34, 39, 42; The Disaster Boi: 10, 12, 14, 18, 20, 22, 28, 29, 31, 33 and bc we all need more sexuality headcanons, 13 for ALL of them

Whooo-WEE here we go, thank you!  Get ready for VERY VERY LONG Rambling!

SATINE

(5) Cleanliness habits: Oh, she’s a total neat freak.  Everything in her office is minimalist style and organized to a T.  If someone moved something even an inch, she’ll be hounding everyone about who was messing with her stuff.  Constantly washing hands, very clean, doesn’t like dust on stuff at all (has a bit of a dust allergy, actually.  Lily pollen getting everywhere is a Problem for her).  She’s practical, however, and if she HAS to get down and dirty, she will-- of course not without a suitable amount of icky faces made plus a side of complaints xD

(6) Eating habits and sample daily menu: Ok so we’ve got canon showing her eating meat, but don’t tell me Super Pacifism Lady wouldn’t IRL be that one ubervegan friend of yours on Facebook who’s constantly posting weird things about it and you gotta be like “aight Katie chill”.  ANYWAY, so I’d say Satine in canon eats healthy-ish?  She’s not the biggest fan of breakfast foods and is always up in the morning doing stuff, so she sometimes forgets to have anything besides black coffee.  She’s not a particularly picky eater so she’ll eat whatever the cook is serving that day, but she prefers simpler meals, and can cook for herself (which came in handy during the Year On The Run because neither Obi Wan nor Qui Gon can cook for shit (my canon is no one in that line besides Anakin can cook and I’ll die with it) and eventually Satine was like “guys, I’m sorry, but no, u can’t try and protect me and then poison me at dinnertime.  I’ll cook”).  She does like to pair her evening meals with whatever drink she’s having that night.  I also h/c her as a functioning alcoholic, so she’s always got SOMETHING to drink, but she is trying to work on restraint and control because when she was younger it got... Not Good at one point.  She also has a sweet tooth though, and she really likes chocolate!

(7) Fave way to waste time and feelings surrounding wasting time: Satine is a... twitchy.... individual with a stressful job, so she is kinda conditioned into stressing the heck out if she’s got too much free time.  Therefore, a lot of her free time is spent trying to relax.  Cleaning is theraputic for her, so she does clean (yes, there is a cleaning droid but it is nOT GOOD ENOUGH) when she can.  She likes that Mando sword box game we saw Sabine and Fenn Rau playing in Rebels, it clears her head and lets her practice problem solving.  She likes going for walks too.  She’ll sneak down to the kitchens and just make a bunch of sandwiches.  She does enjoy beautiful things, so I’d say shopping for dresses or browsing art galleries is good too.  I also think she’d be the type to read and write poetry, then save bits she likes.

(8) Indulgences: Look, Satine likes Nice Things, ok?  She does consider fancy wardrobe and buying nice paintings a bit of an indulgence, but she adores color so she excuses that as promoting happiness for the people. As so she does a fancy ship and other fancy trinkets around the house. She’s not a huge fan of most people touching her, but she allowed a massage once... she would be amendable to perhaps another in the future.........  Scented candles are nice too, clears the head.  She refuses to consider chocolate an indulgence because it is obviously the gods’ gift to humanity, excuse you.  Are we calling lusting over her secret forbidden boyfriend an indulgence????

(28) Who is their best friend?  Their worst enemy?  The sad thing about Satine Kryze is that canon wise, she is extremely lonely.  Literally everyone she trusts betrays her at some point-- which also makes worst enemy pretty hard too.  In my verse, this has led to her kind of shutting away from friends because people always leave her-- though I’d say she’s always been close with Padmé; she sent aid to Naboo after the Federation Blockade and got to know and became extremely impressed with the young Queen, and they kept in touch afterwards.  Whether they could be together or not, I’d always say Obi Wan was her best friend too because that’s ALWAYS necessary in a relationship, and they clearly stayed in contact and knew each other like the back of their hands.  I’d honestly say her worst enemy is herself, cliché as it is, because girlie makes a LOT of mistakes-- and then never learns from them or even acknowledges they exist besides an “oh whoops, that happened, we fixed it, everyone as you were”.  I get it wasn’t meant that way, but she legit committed ethnic cleansing against her political opponents.  I hate to say it, but there are very valid reasons for a lot of people to Not Like Her (none of the guys who attack her on the show count because they’re literally all douchecanoes fuck them), and she kind of shoots herself in the foot trying to fix the problem but making it worse.  I h/c her as having a lot of self-loathing problems because she is trying to fix things but nothing ever works and that must be her problem so she must try harder without ever confronting what exactly her problem is.

(31) Most prized possession: Woah, never really thought of that.  As much as I want to say “pressed flower from Obi Wan”, that’s a little too sappy.  I’m going to go with this.  There is a famous Mandalore version of The Art of War, and Satine has an uber-extremely-rare first edition copy given to her from her father, who was a master strategist and had the wealth and power to collect nice things like that.  Satine may be a pacifist, but she has her family’s warrior’s spirit, and she enjoys adapting the book’s battle strategies to her own political fights and how she shapes her own life.  It’s an actual old paper book, so she keeps it in a locked box under her bed and only ever reads it by candlelight with special gloves on to protect the pages.

(42) Hobbies: Like I said before, cleaning, writing poetry, the occasional cooking.  Oh!  Whenever she has Korkie over, she lets them pick the activity they do.  This may or may not lead to Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore getting very invested in Space Mario Kart.  She’s good at it too!  So yes, gamer girl, and she also likes looking at art and she’s also also pretty good at dancing and yoga, which she does a bit of both for exercise.  She also enjoys watching shows at the theater, but she’s weird in the way where she refuses to watch TV or movies because they’re “not as good”.

(47) If they were to fall in love, who or what is their ideal:  I’d say trust is the most important thing for her, given how many things go wrong in her life.  Someone she can trust to be herself around instead of The Duchess and can both support her when she’s falling but also call her on her bullshit (or try to, anyway) when needed.  Again, she likes nice things, so she tends to fall for super attractive people lol.  Another thing is, she likes to feel safe.  She goes for the protectors, those who fight for everyone and can come back and hold her tight in a hug if she feels like she’ll fall apart because she sometimes needs someone to protect her too.  They also have to be as smart as she is (only smarter if they’re not a dick about it) so she can have intellectual conversations (indignant yelling matches), and she needs someone who can match the firecracker she can tend to be, someone who can jump right in after her.  Not a weakling, basically xD

(48) How do they express love: She just says it (”I love you”), if they’ll let her.  If they don’t let her or she can’t for some reason (*coughOBIcoughcough*), she becomes frustrated because she isn’t always the best, emotion-wise, and she worries she’ll make the wrong gesture or do something to mess up, so frustration can build towards the other person so she can also be very snappy at them.  In general though, familial or romantic or platonic, it’s just lots of soft smiles that no one else sees, letting them see her in casual clothing, teasing them or telling jokes, trusting them enough to tell them about the confusion and stress inside her head.

OBI WAN

(7) Fave way to waste time and feelings surrounding wasting time:  Obi Wan is of the opinion that time enjoyed is never wasted, so he only views wasted time as exactly that: time that could be spent doing something but is instead being wasted not doing anything or doing something he doesn’t like.  His favorite things to do when he has time to himself are read (he’s not picky, he’ll read most things with an interesting plot, though he does enjoy a good mystery or historical nonfiction), watch trashy tv shows (he’s only watching them to judge how bad they are, it’s Anakin’s fault, really, he watched them first, and Obi Wan just needs to know what happens next--), sketch random objects (he’s a pretty good artist, and it’s relaxing), do research on stuff because he is a NERD, go bug Anakin and/or Ahsoka because he honestly delights just sitting in their company and hear them talk about their day, drink with friends, spar (with Anakin, preferably, he’s the most of a challenge because he knows him so well, and he’s the only one who doesn’t hold back at all), sit in the Temple gardens and check on Qui Gon’s favorite flowers he planted there and bask in the serenity of it all.

(8) Indulgences: Ooooohhhh this is hard because Obi Wan is so Obi Wan about that sort of stuff, it can be difficult to read what he would do xD  I’ll say he indulges in food?  That while Jedi probs have a pretty strict health food diet, on the weekends or once a weekday he indulges in getting nice stuff for breakfast, ice cream for dessert, fried food at Dex’s because why not, it tastes good and Anakin did a good job today or he did a good job today and that deserves something, so oh well, he’ll just work out harder tomorrow.  He’s also has some very nice old teas he saved from Qui Gon The Absolute Tea Snob he’ll have when he feels he needs it, and he’s got a cabinet with like four bottles of different really good, expensive alcohols that he’ll drink when he REALLY feels he needs it.  I’ll also say this, boi is vain about his hair.  Will never admit it in a million years, but he is, so he’s probs got at least some sort of haircare products that aren’t exactly necessary, ya know xD.  He also does like his creature comforts when available, so I’d say he’s got a couple super fluffy blankets and maybe the thread count in his sheets are a bit higher than average cuz hey, soft things are nice.  He also indulges in being lovey and mushy to the people he cares about 

(12) Favorite book genre: Hey, I kinda talked about that!  So yeah, I’d say he’ll probs try anything, but he likes mysteries and thrillers since with a book the Force can’t give you any Bad Feelings about anyone, so the surprises are genuine surprises.  He also likes historical nonfiction because he is a NERD, but he’ll absolutely pick up whatever’s at the top of the Galactic Times Bestseller’s List if it’s there and give it a chance

(14) Physical abnormalities (including injuries/disabilities, illnesses, allergies): His right hip acts up in the cold from an old slug wound there (Anakin does indeed tease him about being an old man), over half of his teeth are fake or replaced because come on, have y’all seen how often he’s been hit in the face?  Scars literally everywhere because everyone and everything has tried to murder him at some point or another.  I h/c him with ADD, depression, anxiety, and dyscalcula (he had to really work to be good with numbers) as well as PTSD because basically all of the Jedi do at some point (someone HELP THEM).  He also has TMJ, which I also have and I project my issues.  It gets worse when you’re stressed and grind teeth, so it’s valid.  Idk whether it’s canon or fanon that he has some food allergies, but I am ALL FOR IT with him just... forgetting about them???  And then eating some food and be like “hwoops I’m dying lol” while Anakin is like seriously Master again? and legit ends up the Mom friend with a list of foods like “is there gonna be this food in it?  Cuz he can’t eat it” and then he’ll eat it anyway cuz it looks good and Anakin is all “what do you have in your MOUTH” and he’ll be like “uh” and yeah, that sounds funny

(27) Biggest regret: WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS.  ok so we all know how literally everything about Obi Wan’s life is a mcfreaking nightmare.  We ALSO know he blames himself for literally everything.  So yea, he’s got a looooot of regrets.  I’d say his biggest though is not being a good enough Jedi (in his opinion) to save those he cared about (Qui, Satine, Anakin, Pads, the entire dang Jedi Order, etc.).  Maybe just not a good enough person, in his eyes.  If he hadn’t screwed up somehow, everyone would still be here and fine and omg someone help him

(31) Most prized possession: Luke Skywalker.  Ok, not actually, but y’all can’t deny Luke was Obi Wan’s greatest treasure.  I’d say actually tho it’s holos, of people he loves and cares about, in a kind of album he keeps to himself.  He hates having his own picture taken, but he loves seeing the smiling, laughing faces of everyone he knows (and is reminded of them when they’re no longer here).

(33) Concept of home and family: He always feels like other people overcomplicate this.  Home is where you feel safe to always return, where you belong, and family is those you love and wish to spend your life with.  Now, the fact that he only really allows himself to acknowledge the Jedi as a whole as his family and doesn’t exactly allow himself to dwell on specifics like what Anakin means exactly to him, what Ahsoka means, what Qui Gon meant, because he does love everyone as a family, why does he have to define it?  That’s a whole ‘nother basket of his issues lol

(47) If they were to fall in love, who or what is their ideal:  Obi Wan Kenobi has always been attracted to chaos and danger like a moth to a flame, so anyone he loves is gonna be a whirlwind of an individual.  He likes someone who can challenge him, who can test him.  He likes someone who’s loud and bright, the stars at the center of solar systems that everyone else can’t resist orbiting around and Obi Wan is no different.  He likes snappy humor and the amusement he can get from playfully bugging them into hissing at him.  They have to match him as a team, they have to be able to work with him (and he knows he’s not always the easiest to work with) and have his back.  He likes passion, he likes dramatics, he likes the kind of strange ones that other people find a bit hard to get along with, but he couldn’t love them any different from themselves.

(48) How do they express love:

PADMÉ

(4) What would they do if they needed to make dinner but the kitchen was busy:  Assuming the people in the kitchen were not making food, Padmé would fix them with a firm Senatorial Scolding Face and ask them politely if they could move it somewhere else.  She can easily outargue any protests;  the kitchen is for cooking and she needs to make dinner!  If ppl were making food in the kitchen, Pads would roll up her sleeves and ask what she could do to help so it would be done faster and she could get started.  She grew up with her mother insisting her and Sola help out with all the household chores, kitchen duty included, so she’s a fine cook.  Anakin learned to cook from his mother too, so sometimes their husband/wife bonding time will include just making dinner together and enjoying each others’ company.  In an OT4 situation with Obes and Satine, Obi Wan is the only one out of the four of them who Cannot Cook and is legit banished from the kitchen except for making drinks/certain desserts, so it ends up with Anakin, Padmé, and Satine all talking and laughing while preparing food while Obi Wan pouts sits in the doorway and talks from there

(6) Eating habits and sample daily menu:  Ok, so you know how I said Satine can sometimes get distracted by work and skip breakfast?  Well Padmé is like that but worse.  She gets so busy with duties, she just forgets to eat for very long periods of time, and then she’ll be doing something and be like “woah, I’m hungry, I don’t think I’ve eaten today,” and Sabé/Anakin/Bail/whoever she’s with will just be like padmé nO.  When she does eat, however, she is one of those crazy people who Does Not Like Sweets.  Like, at all, they just don’t agree with her.  Anakin is scandalized.  Satine is scandalized.  Everyone is.  She just doesn’t like them.  She’ll eat fruit, but that’s as sweet as it gets.  So when she does remember to eat, or if she’s going out for a dinner, it’s usually something pretty healthy-- though Pads will confess to a weakness for nice cheeses.  There’s also this one really greasy bad fried chip thing that she’s got a secret weakness for.  Padmé’s also not a huge alcohol person; like, she’ll drink when others do, she’s not a lightweight or anything, but she won’t seek it out herself, just, something about the taste, and she doesn’t like not being in control of her head.

(7) Fave way to waste time and feelings surrounding wasting time: Honey, Padmé is from Naboo.  The luxury planet.  They know how to lazily waste time in style.  She loves long baths and listening to classical music, walking in nature (she loves flowers), practicing new hair styles, facials and manicures.  She also reads the gossip columns (no she doesn’t, you never heard that) because she needs the tea.  She just do.  She likes to read and study new languages (because she is Queen Overachiever) or just add to her bucket list of Ways To Improve The Galaxy.  Padmé totally has a Space Pinterest.  In reality, she trained herself from a young age how to relax so being a teenager in planetary politics didn’t literally kill her.  

(12) Favorite book genre: ROMANCE!  It’s canon that Pads is just such an ushy, gushy romantic of a person, so she likes stuff like Space Jane Austen and all the other romantic books.  She refuses to associate with Anakin’s trashy dollar romances, she thinks they’re bad writing.  He does not agree.  He also called one of her faves boring once.  They do not discuss books.  But also Padmé likes political history and civilization books cuz politician, and she’s pretty into the mysteries like Obi Wan is.  She likes religious texts too, learning about different ones, she finds it interesting.  Reading can be hard for her because I h/c her as dyslexic, but she loves it too much.

(18) Favorite beverage: Spiced cider.  She could get it homemade back on Naboo; cool and refreshing when iced but warm and tangy and perfect when heated.

(19) What do they think about before falling asleep at night: If Anakin’s not with her, she always thinks about him not being there.  She can’t help it.  If he is with her, she thinks about how much she loves him.  She also tends to do a mental to do list every night of what she needed to do before bed and if she’s gonna allow herself to sleep now or not.  She also has another mental to do list so she knows what she’s gonna do when she wakes up in the morning.  With the damned war dragging on, more and more nights are spent going to bed troubled and worried for the future. She also daydreams, though, of what she can do after.  Her happily ever after.

(28) Who is their best friend?  Their worst enemy?:  This is hard because Pads is so friendly with everyone!!!  Queen’s Shadow really made me fall in love with Padmé and Sabé, but I’ll always be a sucker for the canon and fanon where Padmé’s best friend is Bail Organa.  I’m sorry, but Bail is just a cinnamon roll of a human being, and he’s such a calm, levelheaded friend for Pads where she can be a bit overeager and chomping at the bit sometimes, but he’s also ALWAYS got her back and she can talk to him about stuff and ahhhhh and he literally raises her daughter as his own and gahhhhhh.  Is it messed up if I almost want to say Padmé’s worst enemy is Anakin?  I mean to be more general: her worst enemy is the Sith, as they destroyed the Republic and her entire life’s work and corrupted her husband and depending on if you believe the “draining life forces” theory (which I do) they killed her.  But Anakin was the one who got past her defences, took her by surprise, and unknowingly ended up playing the most active role in her destruction, which is immensely tragic for both of them because all he ever wanted to do was love her (*crying*).

(33) Concept of home and family:  For Padmé, home isn’t so much a place, but an idea of where you can feel closest and most at one with those you’ve decided to share your life with.  Yeah, she’ll always love Naboo, but you saw how choked up she got in that TCW episode where Anakin called her Coruscant apartment “home”; for her, home is a state of mind.  Family is a bit different; she’ll always have a bit of an idealization towards her own parents’ marriage and how she’s seen Sola’s, and how families developed from that.  Canon shows she’s envious because she can’t have that, the 2.5 kids and a dog with a white picket fence outside and a large backyard mentality.  She has issues over being separated from family; she had to drop the Naberrie name to go into politics, so I’m guessing there’s some distance felt there, and she can’t even publicly acknowledge her own husband as her husband, so she’ll cling to the idea of a “perfect” family as a someday, as a maybe, and working towards that someday and the long goal she can forget just how complicated and messy her real family-- her parents and sister, her husband, her husband’s new adoptive sister, her husband’s boyfriend, his weird side of the family --is.  It’s even more pronounced when everything is falling apart in Revenge of the Sith and it’s obviously falling apart and Anakin is obviously Not Fine, she tries to retreat and take her comfort in “oh but when the baby comes and we can be a Family, things will all work out perfect!  It’ll be okay!!!”

(34) Thoughts on privacy (are they a private person, or are they prone to TMI):  Padmé is an extremely private person.  She’s been in the public spotlight since she was thirteen years old.  Everyone’s always staring at her, what she’s wearing, what her opinions are, how she acts, who she’s with.  Padmé has nearly nothing she doesn’t have to share with the public eye, so what she does have to herself she tends to hoard and not show anyone except for those she implicitly trusts.  Now, whether she’s any good at keeping secrets is a whole other story, but she certainly tries!!! xD

(39) What recharges them when they’re feeling drained: Anakin can make things better or worse for her depending on the mood he’s in and the mood she’s in, but he usually makes her feel better just by showing up and being a dork.  She likes her greasy chip snacks and a good book, but she’s a sucker for a good spa day complete with fluffy, comfortable clothing.  Also, Padmé loves cat naps, and is the queen of setting an alarm and taking short power naps that actually have her waking up refreshed.

(42) Hobbies:  Is creating new outfit designs via Space Pinterest a hobby?  Because Padmé does that.  Padmé is also the type of person to have a Space Candy Crush problem, and I completely believe that Satine got her into Space Mario Kart (Satine’s actually pretty good at it and Pads isn’t good at it at all, so it’s in no way fair, but they have fun xD).  Padmé loves creating flower arrangements too, just creating beautiful things makes her happy.  She loves calling one of her handmaidens over and having martial arts practices because she needs to stay ready to defend herself, but also it’s just fun and she’s a good fighter.  Padmé’s also into scrapbooking, she makes a bunch of adorable books she puts together, and she gave one to Anakin on their first anniversary and he cried (she hides them, don’t worry).  

AHHHNAKIN...

(10) Neuroses:  Hooo boy, there’s a lot!  Okay, so Anakin is a very handsy person.  When he’s nervous or uncomfortable or stressed, he’ll always need something to do with his hands, whether that be fiddling with his clothes, tugging at his hair, messing with the digits on his mechanohand, poking at the wall patterns or other objects.  In general, he hates sitting still and has a tendency to fidget if he has to for too long.  He will also either stare you directly in the eye or dislike making eye contact at all, depending on his mood.  Fiddling with machine parts gives him something to focus his mind and his hands on, so that’s a real big help for him if they’re available, often times he just keeps scraps in his pockets for specifically this purpose.  He’s sort of aware he does this, but he doesn’t like to think about it much because that would mean thinking why, and if you try and point any of them out to him he’ll get embarrassed and probs just snap at you.

(12) Favorite book genre:  Anakin really isn’t much of a book person.  It has to do with his focus issues (I h/c him as ADHD), they just aren’t really able to draw him in enough to keep his attention.  It frustrates him because that’s another reason why ppl imply he isn’t smart, which is dumb, he can read just fine, he just doesn’t like to.  He does like the trashy penny romances I mentioned before.  What can he say?  He’s a sucker for the drama and swooning and Epic Proclamations of Love.  He’ll read books about the latest ships and speeder models too, because he’s interested in that.  He’ll also read tactical strategy books too, because of the war and all.  It’s just not his go-to form of entertainment.

(14) Physical abnormalities (including injuries/disabilities, illnesses, allergies):  Metal hand.  Eye scar.  At one point is one big giant asthmatic burn scar who’s like 80% robot.  But we’ll focus on Anakin as of now.  When he was a child, some brute in the market cracked him hard across the back with something heavy.  It damaged his spine, and Shmi was terrified for a while he’d never walk.  Thankfully, he recovered, but now his spine is funny as in it is super flexible.  Like backbends where it looks like he’s snapped in half, that flexible.  It gives him fantastic advantages in acrobatics and combat, but it also means he can do that creepy walk the girl from The Ring can do.  He has managed to successfully scare the living piss out of Obi Wan, Padmé, Ahsoka, Rex, and multiple others on different occasions by emerging from the shadows in the middle of the night doing the Ring walk.  No one was pleased.  Yoda thinks it’s hilarious though.  Anakin gets hit in the face just as much Obi Wan does, so he also only has like less than half of his real teeth still in his mouth.  Is also covered in various scars from people trying to kill him dead.  In total, I project many mental illnesses onto him, so I say he has anxiety, ADHD, BPD, and PTSD.  His super strongness in the Force means he is a complete lightweight, so alcohol is an uh oh for him; the only positive is that he never gets hangovers.  It also means that Force sensitive objects may suddenly go flying at his head when he’s just trying to casually stroll through a creepy old temple.  I also h/c that Anakin is allergic to tookas/lothcats.  No other animals, just them.  And it’s hilarious when on one occasion some kittens made their way into a briefing room and he just bursts into a sneezing fit, which, why are you all laughing at me? and then Rex points out the little kitten just perched on the top of his head.  Poor baby actually does chafe pretty badly from sand too, so his hatred isn’t completely unwarranted.

(18) Favorite beverage: Coffee with a gazillion lumps of sugar in it, protein powder because he’s all about the grind, a hint of space chili pepper, and like a dozen other ingredients that should Not Go In Coffee (one of the ingredients Is Bugs).  Obi Wan claims he tasted the concoction once and had hallucinations.  Ahsoka says she saw a drop melt the edge of the tabletop.  Padmé won’t go anywhere near it.  Anakin says they’re all cowards; it’s the only thing that can get him up and focused in the morning.

(20) Childhood illnesses?  Any interesting stories behind them?: I h/c that amongst the slaves, Shmi was the local medicine woman.  Therefore, Anakin as a child was constantly getting first exposure to all the local sicknesses and building up immunity, so besides one bout of food poisoning, he never got sick as a kid.  Once he got to the Temple... well, he was past the age where all the other kids had gotten vaccinations, Obi Wan, bless him, hates dealing with medical and was distracted by everything else and kind of forgot to make sure Anakin was up to date with everything, so he caught EVERYTHING.  EVERY LITTLE THING WOULD MAKE HIM SICK.  HE HATED IT.  OBI WAN HATED IT BECAUSE THE ONLY SICK PATIENT WORSE THAN ANAKIN IS HIMSELF.  IT NEVER ENDS.  ANAKIN IS TWENTY TWO YEARS OLD AND STILL CATCHING SHIT LIKE THE SPACE CHICKEN POX.  THIS ISN’T FAIR.

(22) Given a blank piece of paper, a pencil, and nothing to do, what would happen?: Lots of writings of stuff like “Padmé Skywalker” or “Anakin Kenobi” cuz Ani is at heart a 12 year old girl.  Ok ok ok, but actually, there would be lots of different stuff on the page.  Mathematical calculations for ships and designs because he is a canon engineering nerd and I h/c he’s a whiz at math.  Also little doodles.  Anakin’s not a bad artist himself; his style is much more cartoonish than Obi Wan’s, but it means he can do cool little actions scenes of different ships or pods, him being a badass, Yoda getting attacked by space seagulls, etc.  Maybe designs for another japoor carving (I h/c he keeps the hobby).  Or, the page might be folded up as Anakin turned it into either a boat or a hat or an airplane that actually flies, or just a ball of paper he set on fire because he was bored.

(28) Who is their best friend?  Their worst enemy?:  OBI WAN KENOBI FOR BOTH OF THEM DAMMIT ANAKIN WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS.  Alright, alright, in reality, his worst enemy is probably more of a combination of himself and his own fears, Sidious for being an evil, manipulative asshole, and society for creating his fears and traumatizing him (though mostly it’s himself because he absolutely had the choice to do the right thing, but he didn’t).  Obi Wan is absolutely his best friend though.  No competition.

(29) Reaction to extrapersonal disaster (eg Oh no, the house is on fire!  What do we do?): For Anakin “I burned down the Republic because you left for an afternoon and I panicked” Skywalker?  “Ok, no problem, I got this.  I’ve got this.  No, wait, I don’t got this.  I defiNITELY DO NOT GOT THIS, I MADE IT WORSE, HOLY SHIT, NO ONE PANIC, I NEED AN ADULT-- (Ahsoka: You are an adult) --I NEED AN ADULTIER ADULT.”

(31) Most prized possession: His loved ones ¯\_(ツ)_/¯  And we’ve got at least six movies and a tv show telling us exactly how that did Not Go Well For Anyone

(33) Concept of home and family: Hmmm.  I’d say where he feels safe and comfortable.  Again, it’s stated in the show he feels at home at Padmé’s, but honestly?  He refuses to acknowledge Tatooine cuz ya know, the slavery, so he never really had a strong childhood home, and while I want to say he considered the Temple home at one point, , I’m not sure he does because I feel he’s always on red alert for things to get worse so he never really lets himself get comfortable anywhere-- not even Padmé’s.  Family is a bit easier for him; a group of people who love each other-- and for Anakin, it doesn’t have to be blood relations but if you ARE related by blood, you’re a family member by default and he will be Very Offended by blood relations who cut away from their families because he feels if you’re connected like that, you should love each other.

[tsukiprotranslations]

[Translation] VAZZROCK Play of Color Vol. 1 - Drama Track 1

Here’s the translation for the first Play of Color drama track~! More are up on queue so stay tuned~!

Thank you to @wingusasa (on Twitter) for sharing them with me! 

※ Please don’t re-post the English translations without permission. Please like and re-blog instead of re-posting ^^

More under the cut, enjoy~!

Track 1: [タラシとゲーマーと甘党と] “A playboy, a gamer, and a sweet tooth”

[0:00]

  (Mamiya and Nao walking)

NAO: (humming “Gekisou DIVE”) Heh-heh~

MAMIYA: Hah~ You’re in a good mood, Naosuke~!

NAO: Ehehe~ You can tell?

MAMIYA: Yeah, of course. You look like you’re about to start skipping, too.

NAO: Please listen to this, Takaaki-san! I actually got praised by the director after today’s VazzRaji!

NAO: He said that I’m getting used to a talk show’s tempo~!

MAMIYA: Ah, it’s true~ You did answer energetically during the question segments.

NAO: Right, right~!?

MAMIYA: Yeah, definitely. Compared to how nervous you were before when in front of a mic, it’s a good development!

NAO: P-please let my good work today overwrite my previous mistakes.

MAMIYA: (laughs) Of course! You did well today, huh~ Na-o-su-ke~

NAO: (laughs)

(they continue walking)

NAO: Even though I “monopolized” Takaaki-san today, it’s still a lotta fun, huh?

MAMIYA: Huh? Me?

NAO: Yep, yep! Takaaki-san does a lot of solo work, right?

NAO: We don’t have a lot of chance to talk a lot with just the two of us, right?

NAO: That’s why this recording session is like a gorgeous, bonus time for me!

MAMIYA: Bonus time, huh~? You say such happy things, oh young one.

MAMIYA: I’m happy to have “monopolized” you today, too~

NAO: …! U-uwah…!

MAMIYA: Eh? What sort of reaction is that?

NAO: It’s a reaction to a playboy…

MAMIYA: What do you mean by that?! I feel like you’re viewing me in a really prejudiced or misunderstood way.

NAO: Eh? It’s not a misunderstanding.

NAO: “Top 8 Guy I Wanna Sleep With!” is just what I remembered…

MAMIYA: Uwah… That’s such a nostalgic topic, hey~!

MAMIYA: (laughs) That’s from when I was in my old unit, right? That thing where every other one of our members was ranked, too.

NAO: Yes! QUELL’s Shu-san was there, too. His rank was… Um…

MAMIYA: Wasn’t it 7?

NAO: Ah, yes, I think it was around that number!

MAMIYA: There was a really narrow margin with the points and I remember being frustrated about losing.

NAO: The battle between the 7th and 8th “guy I wanna sleep with” was definitely a battle of the gods!

MAMIYA: Gods of what now?

NAO: The Gods of Popularity!

NAO: Ah~ I wonder if I imitate Takaaki-san, I’ll be a god of popularity, too.

MAMIYA: You don’t have to copy me, y’know? You have your own good points just being you.

NAO: My good points?

NAO: Like what? Like what, for example?! Please say something that seems popular, Master!

MAMIYA: Popu--…?!

MAMIYA: L-like… yo-you’re so full of energy… or something?

NAO: You sound so fake! I don’t think that’s gonna make me popular.

MAMIYA: Nah, nah. Being energetic is important, ‘kay? It’ll lighten up the atmosphere!

MAMIYA: I mean, even though we started all out today and I was worried that you’d get tired halfway, you managed to pull through, didn’t you?

MAMIYA: And you got praised for it, right? I’m sure the other fans would think it’s great, too! See~ It works, doesn’t it?

NAO: (sparkles) Ehhehe~ You think so~

MAMIYA: (patting Nao’s back) Yeah, yeah! I do, I definitely do!

MAMIYA: But in all seriousness, I could feel your youth properly.

NAO: Youth, you say… Takaaki-san’s not that old, you know?

MAMIYA: No, no, Naosuke-kun. If it’s between 18 and 20 then yeah, I’d say so. But, the energy difference between an 18 year old and a 25 year old is quite much, don’t you think?

NAO: Is that how it goes?

MAMIYA: That’s how it is.

NAO: But, but! I think that Takaaki-san has an “adult coolness” so I wanna hurry and be 25 years old, too.

MAMIYA: Oh~! Naosuke, you keep saying things that make me happy, huh~ It really is a “bonus time” huh~ (laughs)

NAO: It’s not just because it’s bonus time, you know? I really think that you’re cool!

NAO: You always watching over us and ready to back us up anytime. You make things super exciting! You’re a man among men!

NAO: Takaaki-san is my goal!

MAMIYA: Woah… I’m at a loss… Being praised so highly like that makes me afraid of making mistakes…

NAO: (sigh) I wonder if I’ll be as brilliant as you when I become 25…

MAMIYA: Hm… Going by my experience… I don’t think it’s something that’ll just happen all of a sudden.

MAMIYA: Getting older is like climbing stairs but actual growth is like trekking a hill. That’s my opinion.

NAO: Stairs and a hill…

MAMIYA: Yep! Just like I said, one day you’re gonna start to be self-aware, see?

MAMIYA: But, I don’t think that you’ll just experience growth all of a sudden. Well, to put it simply, it’s kinda like finding your way to enlightenment.

NAO: Heh… Um…

NAO: Oh! You mean, it’s kinda like the saying, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step?”

MAMIYA: Exactly~! Just like that!

MAMIYA: But, be careful, Naosuke~ Once you pass 20, time just seems to fly by soooooooo fast!

MAMIYA: You put one foot forward and before you notice, you’ve already gotten older~

NAO: Eh? Even now there are times when I just woke up but then before I notice, I’m back asleep again.

MAMIYA: Well, I get that, too. One day for a teenager seems short. But, you see? When you turn 20, even a year seems so short.

MAMIYA: When you just celebrated your birthday, before you know it, you’re already celebrating your next birthday. Oh, so scary~

NAO: Is that for real…?

MAMIYA: For reals~ And—huh?

NAO: Hm? Ah, that’s--!

[05:53]

  AYUMU: (sighs) I’m in bliss… (he takes a bite of something)

AYUMU: This superb bittersweet flavor, the dango’s elasticity… How truly wonderful.

AYUMU: I want everyone to re-think their feelings about mitarashi dango, too.

AYUMU: “A mitarashi dango is a skewered dumpling with sugar and soy sauce.”

AYUMU: “It is sometimes called a soy sauce dumpling or a grilled dumpling.”

AYUMU: “It can be referred to as simply “mitarashi” but in formal phrasing, it is called “oomita”.”

AYUMU: “There are also a lot of different kinds that varies from region to region.”

AYUMU: By Wikipedia… (1)

MAMIYA/NAO: Heh~!

AYUMU: Ah…! No, th-this is…!

NAO: So mitarashi dango’s formal term is “omita”, huh? This is my first time hearing that!

AYUMU: Th-this is, um…

MAMIYA: This is my first time hearing about that, too~!

MAMIYA: “Omita” kinda sounds cute, doesn’t it?

NAO: Right?!

AYUMU: A-ah…

NAO: Ayumu-san really loves Japanese sweets, huh~?

AYUMU: … I won’t deny that…

MAMIYA: (chuckles) You don’t have to make such a sorrowful face!

MAMIYA: By the way Ayumu, I love Japanese sweets, too.

AYUMU: Eh? R-really?

MAMIYA: Yeah! We’re the same, huh~

NAO: Here! Here! I love sweet things, too~! I’m the same, too~!

AYUMU: I-is that so? Naosuke, too?

MAMIYA: I don’t think there’s anything for a guy to be embarrassed about liking sweets, y’know?

MAMIYA: I love drinking but I don’t shy away about saying I love sweets, too.

MAMIYA: Western sweets has a taste that makes you excited and Japanese sweets have a taste that calms you down.

MAMIYA: Both are healing, aren’t they?

AYUMU: I-I agree! That’s what I think, too!

MAMIYA: Sometimes I even buy myself some rakugan and I indulge myself with a piece or two.

AYUMU: Oh, what a surprise…! To think that the day I could talk about Japanese sweets with Takaaki-san would come…!

NAO: E-eh…? Rakugan?

MAMIYA: (laughs) Oh yeah. Naosuke doesn’t know rakugan, huh.

MAMIYA: Rakugan is uh… Explaining it’s kinda difficult…

AYUMU: Naosuke! “Rakugan is made from a starchy flour made from rice husks. It’s mixed with starch syrup and sugar. You put it into a mold and let it harden.”

AYUMU: “You can even use different flavors like red bean paste or chestnuts mixed in to it while it’s hardening in the mold.”

AYUMU: By Wikipedia. (sparkles) (2)

NAO: Heh~? Ayumu-san’s so amazing!

MAMIYA: Ayumu’s been saying a lot of Japanese sweets facts, huh~

MAMIYA: Naosuke, I’ll buy you some as a gift next time.

MAMIYA: Food facts are good and all but actually eating it would be best.

NAO: Yay!

AYUMU: Takaaki-san, if it’s rakugan, I’d recommend the Toki-ya shop in Ginza.

MAMIYA: Oh~! This is my first time hearing that store’s name. Do you check it often?

AYUMU: Ah, no… Not that much… I’d like to say that I just knew but…

NAO: “Like to say?”

AYUMU: I do frequent it…

MAMIYA: He admitted it~! (laughs)

MAMIYA: That’s okay. I said a while ago that there’s nothing to be embarrassed about liking sweets.

AYUMU: You’re right.

NAO: Ayumu-san, are you on your way home from work?

NAO: Takaaki-san and I were on our way home after recording VazzRaji!

AYUMU: VazzRaji… Ah, that’s right! This week’s hosts were VAZZY. I did it last week.

[09:17]

  AYUMU: Still… this is a rather unusual pairing.

NAO: (laughs) We think so, too.

AYUMU: How would a radio broadcast go with you two as hosts…?

NAO: H-how, you say…? Uh… VazzRaji’s concept is one where we can freely talk about anything so I don’t think we did anything special.

NAO: We did the usual daily talk, the “let us hear your troubles” segment, and read messages—Ah! We did a live game broadcast during our choose-your-own topic segment!

AYUMU: A game broadcast…?

NAO: Oh, you’re not aware? It’s exactly what it sounds like.

NAO: You play a game live and you say your thoughts and impressions. That’s how it usually goes!

AYUMU: Is that… fun? A game is something that the listeners should see as you play, right?

MAMIYA: That’s what you would think, right? I didn’t know about it so I thought so too at first.

MAMIYA: But it gets really exciting!

AYUMU: Heh~ Is that so?

MAMIYA: Yeah! Speaking while playing the game is actually kinda difficult!

MAMIYA: We unconsciously said a lot of reckless and weird stuff and that’s what makes it funny!

MAMIYA: I was so-so with it but Naosuke was good as expected!

NAO: Eh-he~! I don’t mind if you praise me more!

MAMIYA: Yes, yes~ (chuckles)

AYUMU: I see… By the way, what kind of game did you play?

MAMIYA: About that~ I’m not the kind who plays games a lot but Naosuke’s a straight-up gamer, right?

MAMIYA: He suggested something that doesn’t require any technique.

NAO: We played an otome game!

AYUMU: Otome… game?

NAO: In simple terms, it’s uh… A kind of strategy game where you play as a heroine who can be in a relationship with all kinds of hot guys!

NAO: There’s a lot of worlds, settings, and stories but this time we didn’t have a lot of time so we went with a school-centered one.

AYUMU: School-centered…?

NAO: The setting was a famous school somewhere, wasn’t it?

AYUMU: So it’s something like a school drama?

MAMIYA: Yep~! Ma~n, I’ve never wooed a guy before so that was definitely a fresh experience~

AYUMU: If it’s Takaaki-san, I feel like you could woo anyone easily.

NAO: I feel you~! He’s definitely the kind who can woo any life forms.

AYUMU: All kinds of life forms is his strike zone… Takaaki-san, as expected from you!

MAMIYA: No, no, no! Your opinion of me is definitely weird.

MAMIYA: If I really did have that kind of personality (in the game), I’d be expelled from school in no time.

AYUMU: Eh? I understand getting rejected but, you can get expelled too?

AYUMU: What an unbelievable survival game…

NAO: Plus, it had an unbelievable ending, too!

NAO: When I went on a date with the character I was romancing, the shopkeeper of the ramen shop took a liking to us and…

NAO: He brought out a secret ingredient and we were suddenly transported to China! After that, it’s the end.

AYUMU: That’s an ending I didn’t expect at all… Whatever happened to the school setting?

NAO: Exactly!

AYUMU: Now, I’m getting curious.

MAMIYA: (laughs) That game is in the staff’s storage so the next time you do a broadcast, why not try playing it?

AYUMU: Yes, I’m thinking of trying it.

NAO: So, Ayumu-san was…?

AYUMU: Oh, that’s right. I was on my way home from work, too.

AYUMU: I went to the agency this morning to go over the filming schedule and was just on my way home.

AYUMU: The meeting advanced faster than I thought so I stopped by somewhere on the way home.

NAO: I see! So that’s why you bought dango and was in a moment of bliss a while ago, huh~?

AYUMU: That’s correct. Sitting on a sunlit bench in a quiet park, I could relax—Hm?

(crows cawing)

AYUMU: It suddenly got noisy…

MAMIYA: Hm? What is it? Is it over there?

NAO: Did… I feel like I just heard a cat’s cry, too…

AYUMU: But I hear a crow’s cawing, too.

NAO: Hmmm?? Ah! That thing where the crows are surrounding! Isn’t that a cat?!

(Nao runs over)

NAO: Stop right there!

MAMIYA: Hey, Naosuke!

NAO: You crows, please stop!

AYUMU: Hey, Naosuke! (Ayumu and Mamiya run after him)

AYUMU: Be careful!

MAMIYA: Don’t get pecked, okay?!

[13:46]

  NAO: (warding off crows) Go over there! These guys are not food!

(crows going wild)

NAO: Ah! My hair’s not food either! AHH!!

MAMIYA: Ahh~ Are you alright, Naosuke?

AYUMU: You birds are strong and capable. That’s why you shouldn’t pick on someone weaker than you.

NAO: Ayumu-san! Is this the time to be scolding the crows?!

 (all three begin talking over each other)

MAMIYA: Ah, come on already. I told you not to go, Naosuke! Come over here right now! (he tries dragging him away)

(crows keep cawing)

AYUMU: If I don’t tell them, my message won’t come across properly.

NAO: Ah, let me go! Geez! It should be fine, right?!

MAMIYA: I told you, it’s dangerous!

==END==

Translator’s Notes:

(1) This article translation is actually a direct translation from the Japanese Wikipedia page for “mitarashi dango” because what Ayumu said is actually verbatim from the Wikipedia page lolol. (Wiki page here)

(2) The same goes for this article on “rakugan”. It is, in fact, quoted by Ayumu word-for-word in the drama track as well XD (Wiki page here)

※ Please don’t re-post the English translations without permission. Please like and re-blog instead of re-posting ^^

If you like this, please consider buying me a ko-fi here to support my work. (o^▽^o)Thank you!!

[satoshi-mochida]

Kadokawa Games is a more familiar brand in Japan than it is in the west, but recently the company has been working tirelessly to bring their popular titles over to the western audience. NIS America was kind enough to give us the opportunity to sit down with Yasuda-san (president of Kadokawa Games and writer for GOD WARS Future Past), Miyaoka-san (director of Metal Max Xeno), and Kouno-san (the very cool and laid back producer for Metal Max Xeno). We hope that all of you will enjoy this interview and feel encouraged to go out and try both GOD WARS Future Past and Metal Max Xeno! Let’s jump in!

GOD WARS The Complete Legend - Launch Trailer (Nintendo Switch)

Interview Session - KADOKAWA Games

Metal Max Xeno - Launch Trailer | PS4 

Honey-Chan [Miyaoka-san]: Where did the name Metal Max Xeno come from, and what inspired you to create the franchise?

Miyaoka-san: When you look up the letter X in the dictionary, there’s only about a page of words that start with X. That’s pretty much it! *laughs* As far as inspiration, a lot of it came from movies like Mad Max and really trying to recreate that world in a gaming format.

Honey-Chan: [Yasuda-san] What inspired the GOD WARS franchise?

Yasuda-san: I grew up in an area of Japan called Shimane-ken, which is much older than that of Kyoto and has a very rich history. This location dates back to the origins of Japan! After traveling around the world and experiencing other cultures, I realized just how fascinating Japanese culture really was, and so, I wanted to explore more of the thousands of years of history and tell that story through my work.

Honey-Chan [Miyaoka-san]: What made you choose tanks as the main travel option in the game? Why not a car or a plane?

Miyaoka-san/Kouno-san: Tanks are just very fearsome and have a lot of firepower. Machine guns are cool but the really big cannons are interesting. Tanks are also man-made and so they’re versatile in their movement, and because you’re doing a lot of monster hunting in the game we came to the conclusion that tanks are the strongest to destroy the monsters.

Honey-Chan [Yasuda-san]: The GOD WARS series is well known for its turn-based tactical approach and in the west, a lot of players are more accustomed to real-time action oriented titles. What was your reason behind choosing that style of gameplay?

Yasuda-san: Historically, there’s been a pretty huge gap ever since the release of Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre, and I wanted to sort of fill that gap by creating a new tactics-based game and continue the legacy of the tactical series. I also really love tactical games and wanted to ensure that gamers of this generation could enjoy the genre as much as I do, adding in the more notable gameplay mechanics that current players are familiar with (buffs, debuffs, etc). My long term goal is to continue polishing and refining the game to help it evolve to the next level and make it a better game overall. In fact, my big dream is to make a RTS tactics RPG and really create a unique experience using various elements!

Honey-Chan [Miyaoka-san]: The customization feature within Metal Max Xeno was very well made, allowing you to really fine tune your tank to look colorful and stand out. The character customization section was also polished as well. What was the creative process behind adding the feature into the game?

Miyaoka-san: As a hardcore gamer, I really enjoy a lot of games, and so I wanted to add elements into Metal Max Xeno that I liked the most. Whatever elements I enjoyed I took them and tried to make them better for our game. I started out playing Wizardry and from there moved onto other titles gradually, so it’s more or less a combination of all genres that helped to inspire me. I really love Fallout 3! When I played Everquest I thought of it as a more realistic version of Wizardry, but I do sometimes go back to play Wizardry because it means a lot to me.

Honey-Chan [Yasuda-san]: Earlier you talked about coming from a very historical period. A lot of players in the west may not be too familiar with the Japanese cultural references in the game. What was your approach in delivering this content over to the west, knowing the culture differences?

Yasuda-san: Without going into too much detail, ‘Kojiki’ was sort of the motif for the first game since it’s one of Japan’s oldest historical written pieces. One of the biggest hurdles was trying to express the uniqueness of the culture without damaging its cultural significance. Other titles like Shin Megami Tensei have also used the motif for their titles, but I really wanted to emphasize its richness so that everyone can enjoy it whether or not they truly understood it completely. If players could approach it from the perspective of the game being fun and interactive, sort of like how children enjoy anime, they can become more indulged in Japanese culture without feeling too lost.

Honey-Chan [Kouno-san]: The art style in Metal Max Xeno has certainly changed when compared to previous titles in the series, and it looks great. The cel-shaded approach really gave the game more life. Was there any reason why you chose this particular style?

Kouno-san: The biggest reason for the change was due to the hardware upgrade from Nintendo to PlayStation. The series isn’t really known for being high end but we still wanted to create something appealing and stylish for the new platform, since our game overall is quite unique and we want to retain that uniqueness. When I had the chance to work closely with Miyaoko-san I was totally moved by its unique approach, similar to Ken to Mahou’s unique style, and at that moment I knew creating a new style would surely work for Metal Max. Ultimately, that led to the outline style that you see in the game.

One of our character designers, Atsuji Yamamoto, stated that having an outline for the characters really added more appeal and attractiveness in a visual sense. The art style feels very familiar to the Japanese audience and hits the spot.

Honey-Chan [Yasuda-san]: Which platform do you prefer to work on more? Nintendo Switch or PlayStation 4? And second, will we see a sequel for the game?

Yasuda-san: For GOD WARS Future Past we initially thought that the Vita was the main platform and because of that, there were limitations that didn’t allow characters to really have the freedom to move around. As a result it created long loading times and so I had to reconsider the game from a different perspective in terms of gameplay, graphics, and tone it down to work on the Vita platform. With the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 I was able to really fulfil what I truly wanted to do for the game, and so I’m happy with both.

As for the sequel, I’ve already started writing up the next story! This is the first time I’ve mentioned this to the western audience by the way!

Honey-Chan: Lucky! *laughter*

Honey-Chan [Miyaoka-san]: Will we see a sequel in the Metal Max franchise? Will it be Xeno 2? An entirely new name?

Miyaoka-san: Actually, Kouno-san has asked me to start writing up a new scenario for the sequel and it hasn’t been passed onto Yasuda-san yet, so to be quite honest! *laughs* Regarding the name, we’re still not sure what it will turn out to be, so you’ll have to wait and see!

Honey-Chan [Everyone]: Any final words for fans of Kadokawa Games?

Kouno-san: Metal Max Xeno is releasing this month and I’d love to keep working alongside Miyaoka-san to ensure the game improves! Any feedback that fans have I’d love to hear them, so that way we can incorporate it into future titles. I really want fans to experience the new elements and mechanics that Metal Max Xeno has to offer!

[We provided a bit of feedback on the character customization, to which Kouno-san replied, “it’s quite difficult to implement such detail! We really would love to but yeah, it’s very challenging”. “I got, I got it”, said Miyaoka-san] *laughs*

Miyaoka-san: Happy Hunting!

Honey-Chan: Really, that’s it?!

Miyaoka-san: *laughter* With Metal Max Xeno we’ve made a lot of changes to make the gameplay more interesting, so you can simply go on and ignore the story and just, you know, go full blast into… happy hunting! *huge laughter*

Yasuda-san: So GOD WARS is actually made up of three storylines, with the last section bringing the total to 160 hours of gameplay. If you’re able to complete that last portion of the game and see the cutscene, there’s actually a hint to the next sequel! I hope that people will play it to the very end to find out!

Final Thoughts

We’d like to say a huge thank you once again to NIS America and Kadokawa Games, for giving us this wonderful opportunity to sit down and enjoy a wonderful interview and discussion with Kouno-san, Miyaoka-san, and Yasuda-san. We hope to have the same pleasure again in the near future, and to discuss more about new titles coming from Kadokawa Games! Yoroshiku! Be sure to also check out our reviews for both titles!

[beneaththetangles]

Return to Yamacon

For my second year in a row, I have made the Appalachian anime fanatic’s pilgrimage to Gatlinburg in the first week of December for Yamacon, in what has become a significant yearly attraction for the city. It again was a wonderful celebration of anime, games, and fellowship. I had a marvelous time exponentiated by the presence and antics by my friends along the way.

The event was even more packed with big names from anime than the last year’s and sported a significant portion of the Cowboy Bebop mainstays in Steve Blum (Spike), Wendee Lee (Faye), Beau Billingsly (Jet), and Paul St. Peter (Punch from the Big Shot show). I know many of my friends and coworkers from the Beneath the Tangles’ Discord are fans of Bebop, so I wanted to say hello to them on their behalf. Also featured were Michael Tatum, Caitlin Glass, and Johnny Young Bosh, as well as a few famous cosplayers and creators from the world of American comics.

I had foreseen that this year was going to be a special one. I was interested in having a better cosplay this year that was more in theme with my group. My entire team was going as characters from the Mario-verse: Mario, Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Bowsette, Kamek, Daisy, Queen Boo, and Chain-Chompette, and they all did an absolutely marvelous job on their costumes. I am not as big a fan of Mario as them, but I wanted to at least be relatively related with another Nintendo entity in Pit from “Kid Icarus: Uprising” on the 3DS and a prominent character in Smash Brothers. I wanted to invest a little bit of finance and elbow grease into Pit’s bow and his wings, but I did not expect it would take me nearly three months to gather all of the supplies and see the final product assembled. It is imperative that I thank my wonderful wife here as she has done a lioness’s share of the work in the designing, crafting, painting, and logistics of the costume. My work is scant relative to the generous effort she invested into the costume, and in my opinion (as well as many of the convention goers), the hard work paid off in spades. It’s a shame someone better looking couldn’t have worn the costume. I would have entered into the cosplay competition, but the slots filled up before I could submit my entry. Sadly my wife could not attend the convention due to limiting circumstances. C’est la vie, perhaps next year.

On my first day, my good friend Ryan offered to drive us down all the way from Lebanon, Virginia to the convention, which went smoothly save for an incident with a semi-truck almost running us off the road. It was a close call, but Ryan’s vigilance and solid reaction time kept us safe. Our group rented out a rather posh log cabin at a resort: It had three bedrooms, a hot tub, arcade cabinet, pool table, and a gorgeous view out over the valley into the great Smokey Mountains. We had a joyous time settling in and going out to eat.

On day two, the first actual day of the convention, I was a bit worried for my costume. Without my wife to help me get suited up, I felt a bit lost, but everything seemed to go on okay until I arrived at the convention when I realized I forgot my wig, but some of my colleagues who were still at the house brought it along later. I had a rough time keeping my lower angelic toga up over my belt until I figured out how to loop the hem through my belt. In spite of this, I was absolutely thrilled to be at the convention center. There was an innumerable amount of things to do, shops to peruse, games to play, experts to learn from, and people to meet. I was blessed beyond measure my whole time there. People consistently approached me to compliment my costume and ask for my picture. My wife was able to take my swords and attach magnets to their hilts so that it could be easily held together as a bow, just like in Super Smash Brothers. This brought a smile to a fair number of faces which made me quite happy as well. Spike Spiegel himself, Steve Blum, even mentioned that he really liked my costume in the autograph session as well as his panel.

I spent most of the early first day acquiring autographs from the voice actors since they were the biggest priority on my list. I am glad I got to express my gratitude for the volume of work of all of the actors and the beneficial effects they’ve had on the anime industry in America. I am thankful they felt comfortable enough to share their own thoughts with me as well. I was able to ask one of the actors if they had anything I could pray for for them, and they provided me with a request, so I am happy to have that task ahead of me, and hopefully God will continue to bless them and their goal will be attained.

All of the actors were extremely friendly and patient in the face of immense pressure to greet the tsunami of fans over three days, much like last year. All of the panels were informative and pleasant to attend. The stand-out panel was with Steve Blum, Wendee Lee, Beau Billingsly, and Paul St. Peter. It conjured up many pleasant emotions and memories hearing the voices from Bebop just talking in normal conversation. Most of the questions were the standard ones of “what’s your favorite X, can you recite one of the lines from the show, where did you get your big break?” One or two questions were novel, asking about how their roles have changed perception of anime in society, and I appreciated that. One of the takeaways I found quite heartwarming was that Steve Blum mentioned that he recently became engaged to the voice actress for Julia from the same show, which seems to dovetail very nicely as Spike and Julia’s romantic relationship was the ultimate arc of Bebop.

The next day was jam-packed with tasks to do and people to meet. Sadly, I had spent all of my dollars on getting the signed 8″ x 10″s the previous day, so all that I could do was look. There was an ATM, but unfortunately my card was not accepted. Even still, I wanted to say hello and let them know I appreciated their work. I got a chance to play as Pit dressed as Pit in Smash Brothers with some high caliber competitors. We had the chance for our entire team to take a group picture with all eleven of us, and it went great. Many of the people in my group are far more photogenic than me, but the most awe-striking part was that it was right next to Steve Blum’s booth, and he decided on his own volition to come over to take a picture of our entire group as well. We were all fanboying out internally over this knowing our pictures are on Steve Blum’s own phone.

After I had calmed down, I made a sad discovery that though I had signed up for the costume contest weeks before the convention, there was a secondary signup for with only about 30 slots available for pre-judging. I couldn’t sign up to that in time. Alas, as a result, myself and many others couldn’t even walk on their stage to show off the costume to have judged. It was a significant disappointment for me because my wife and I worked for weeks on that costume. However, I still got to spend time with my friends at the Meme Jeopardy competition. My Waluigi masquerading friend decided to play the part and cheat by pooling his points with the team to attain the grand prize…a glass bottle of the finest, rarest, 100% authentic gamer-boy bath water. He gave the bottle to Luigi to safeguard and see what other prizes he might abscond with, but to the shock and terror of everyone in the room, he turned around to discover Luigi chugging the entire half pint container in one gulp. Somehow he is still alive and well and didn’t even get tremendously sick. Suffice is to say that it’s highly unlikely this prize will ever be offered again. We were blessed to eat out at a lovely buffet in the area with another friend on the way before heading back where much of the crew enjoyed the hot tub. A few of us however decided to draft the most recent Unstable set of the card game Magic the Gathering. I drafted a Rules Lawyer early, and that’s probably all I have to say about that beyond that I did win. Everyone I had good time.

On the last day, we all ate a hearty meal at the Apple Mill. Everything was mostly wrapping up at the convention though. Lines early were long as Wendee Lee and Michael Tatum were only around briefly, but my good friends Chelsea and Kris allowed me to borrow a few dollars to acquire Wendee’s autograph. I immensely appreciated their generosity as well as Wendee’s patience and kindness with me. Round two of Jeopardy was focused on video games. I didn’t get to run the table on any categories like last year as the audience was too large and the categories too easy. Regardless of this, it was still a great time. Being out of money meant I couldn’t easily pick up anything from the dealers, but I got to meet with other cosplayers, booth runners, and hang out with my team until the auction and final ceremonies.

I was blessed with a copious amount of free time in the apartment which I got to spend playing games with my friends, but I was also happy to get time to focus on prayers for my friends, the people at the convention, and the people back home, as well as other important interests and importantly gratitude to God for all of the wonderful unwarranted blessings and joyful experiences he’s been granting me over the last couple days.

Let me know what you all think of my costume or my friends’ in the comments or in Discord or just stop by to say “Hi” or let me know if you were able to attend as well. I’d love to say hello to you again if I got to meet you there. I would be delinquent in my duties if I were to forget to thank all of the actors who came to Yamacon to spend time with us, all of the staff, the owners, my wife for her perpetual love, support, and efforts on my costume, my good friends whom I got to know more closely including one specific friend who opened up and indulged me in discussing matters of internal struggle, beliefs, and theology; Chelsea and Kris for inviting me and helping me with my costume; Ryan for his driving; everyone who wanted to take a picture of my costume because I really wanted a way to convey to my wife that he work was loved and appreciated by a wide audience; and of most importantly God for literally without whom, no thing would be possible. Given real life circumstances, it’s up in the air if I will ever get to attend again, but whichever way the wind blows, I had a great time and would love to be back each year.

[annsparksthegmr]

Dangan Thieves AU: Peko Pekoyama

A few things to note before I show off the beautiful Peko Pekoyama into the Dangan Thieves AU. Firstly, I’d much rather see in this AU that she’d be a regular Confidant than an actual party member but to self-indulge myself I’ll consider her as an optional party member if… let’s just game wise you max out Fuyuhiko’s Confidant. Otherwise, this is just to humor the idea of her becoming a member. Secondly, this idea once again is thanks to the lovely @shsl-shipper-gamer-fangirl and then to drive to make this a reality. Without this idea sprouting, I doubt I would have pushed myself to write these two - still Fuyuhiko is one of my favorites and is hard to write. Thirdly, I plan to do Sonia Nevermind next after these two; I’ll also be up for people giving me ideas since I’d love to flesh this out even more. Who knows… I might write something regarding this AU. Lastly, since Peko Pekoyama isn’t one to show emotion much, I decided that while being a Dangan Thief, she’d be more expressive while being a thief but I tried to keep her character in tact.

With that in mind, let us see what I brewed up for the Ultimate Swordswoman.

Peko Pekoyama Arcana: Hierophant Codename: Owl Outfit: Dressed up in a short brown kimono obi with a cherry blossom floral pattern that goes throughout and ends at just above her knees. The ribbons holding up her hair are now gray with the pink diagonal stripe going through them. A pair of white tights rests beneath her kimono as it leads into the brown boots. All the while there are shoulder pads and on the back of her kimono is a white design of two wings “sprouting” from her back while bearing two white gloves over her hands. Mask: She wears a brown owl mask with white spots throughout. There are actually feathers poking out at each side. Persona: Minerva (The Roman goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, and the sponsor of arts, trade, and strategy.) Skillset: Strong Physical Skills & Ice Skills, weak only fire but has low magical resistance Initial Weapons: Melee: Japanese Sword Ranged: Silent Pistol All Out Attack: “I’VE SEEN THROUGH IT” is written as the Shadows explode into fluff. The catchphrase Peko would say is “Justice Complete!” Persona Awakening Dialogue: Minerva: “Long have you believe your place as a tool… That no matter what your individuality meant nothing… Yet they cursed you into witnessing the fall of your Master… Will you stand for this? Having the one chance to become your true self only for it to be ripped away from his death? The death of those Thieves in saving your life amongst others?”

Peko: “…All that time, young master had been doing this for me…? But I’m just a tool for him. Why would he care for as if I’m…”

Minerva: “So… you will waste your wisdom, your strength, and your life without helping them, then what would you be? Are you willing to give into the Despair of the Mastermind and forever lose your true self? If you choose to do so, then prepare to forever have him live in Despair because of your choice. Not the choice a tool would make, but one that a coward who has no business with the Yakuza would make.”

Peko: “…No! I won’t let young master get hurt! Even if that means I have to forsake my role as a tool to save him and his friends. I won’t… let anyone else get hurt again.”

Minerva: “Very well. Throw off the mask of a tool and reveal the true self. Your true power will be unleashed to slay all in your way. I art thou, thou art I… our contract is sealed. No longer will those you care about to be harmed. Your blade will protect everyone once the tool is gone and only you remain!”

Peko: “I know. And I will save them all; nobody else will die under my watch! Time to rise, Minerva!”

Quotes: 

“Hmph. Mission completed without issue.”

“I’d hate to ask, but might I take a breather?”

“Looks like I’ve gotten stronger.”

“Another asset to our cause.” (Skill Up)

“Could it be… a chest?”

“Anything useful in there?”

“Ace, a save room is nearby. Care to check it out?”

“We are wasting precious time from finding the treasure; let’s go.”

“I identified a Shadow up ahead; shall we eliminate the threat?”

“…I’m regretful to inform you I’m not going to hold out much longer…”

“We’ve lost cover.” or “Did you get careless?!”

“They’re only annoyances now.”

“Have we driven off the competition?”

“Heh, we’ve won the battle.”

ENDURE: “Ouch! That stings…” PROTECT: “Watch it!” BATON PASS: “Owl swooping in!” HARISEN RECOVERY: “Stop suppressing yourself!” LOW HEALTH: “Looks like… I fought the wrong fight…” GETTING HEALED: “I appreciate it.” PHYSICAL ATTACKS: “Feel my wrath!” “Prepare to served in pieces!” “I’ll make this sting.” HEALING SOMEONE / USING AN ITEM: “Need a check up?” “I’m using this now!” PERSONA: “Persona!” “Minerva!” FOLLOW UP: “I’ll clean the mess.” COVER FIRE: “Initiate cover fire?” ATTACKING: “You’ll be eliminated.” ATTACK MISSES: “Have I… missed?” COULDN’T FINISH OFF ENEMY: “Finish the target immediately.”

FAINTING: “I am… a failure.”

GETTING RESURRECTED: “I’ still of use it seems.”

Burn: “How have I… gotten so warm?”

Freeze: “This cold is a bit too much for me.” Shock and Paralyze: “My body… somebody help!” Confusion: “…My vision. Why is it so…?” Rage: “How dare you hurt Boss!” Despair: “All I’ll be is… a tool…” Dizzy: “Everything around me is… distorted?!” Brainwash: “Ah! …Of course, I’ll serve my purpose as your tool.” Forget: “What… Boss? Everyone?” Hunger: “I’m becoming… a burden?” Sleep: “Zzz… Boss… zzz…”

Silence: …

Mouse: “Squeak~!!!”

Mementos Chats:

“People cannot be judged by appearances… at least not us.”

“My sword is a tool to protect people… and Boss.”

“I wonder… how did this place come to be?”

“If only my skills a shield could deflect those attacks…”

“Will animals like me now with my current appearance? Or will they be even more scared?”

“Your skills at driving are extremely lacking; lend me the wheel.”

“I never thought… I’d become this as a Dangan Thief.”

“I’ve got to organize our future strategies so we won’t end up dead.”

Peko: “While I’m no longer just a tool, I still won’t let Boss get harmed.”

Fuyuhiko: “I can defend myself you know…”

Peko: “So Boss, you’ve been fighting Shadows here all this time… Alone.”

Fuyuhiko: “Yeah. I did this all for you at first but now… I’m doing this for everyone.”

Peko: “Um…is something the matter?”

Chiaki: “Sorry… I’m afraid you might fall under your predatory instincts… just kidding!”

Peko: “…What exactly are you playing?”

Chiaki: “Oh this? It’s a special game on my 3DS that has high school students saving the world. You know the usual.”

Peko: “I’d like to thank you again for protecting Boss. I’ll be sure to repay the favor for saving his life.”

Hinata: “There’s no need for that. We’re all glad have both of you on the team.”

Peko: “Even though you are our leader in this other world… how have gotten this far by just blindly rushing into battle?”

Hinata: “Um… let’s just say I’ve had help from others than just myself.”

[symbianosgames]

In preparing for both the GDC Animation Bootcamp (Monday, February 27th at Moscone Center) and the Animation Exchange (Tuesday, February 28th live on Twitch) a handful of the presenters and organizers wanted to reflect and discuss on the state of animation for games.

The participants in this email exchange are:

Lana Bachynski - animator at Blizzard Entertainment

Gwen Frey - co-founder of The Molasses Flood

Dan Lowe - senior technical animator at EA Visceral

Jalil Sadool - CEO/co-founder at Steamroller Studios

Mike Jungbluth - lead animator at Deep Silver Volition

[more detailed bios for everyone are at the end of the piece.]

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Mike Jungbluth: With this being the fifth year of the animation bootcamp, I've been thinking a lot lately on where the state of game animation is. Before the bootcamp, there wasn't really a place that I felt like game animators were sharing their process and knowledge. Most talks at conferences felt largely film or cinematic based, and less about interactivity. And now that we have a place to specifically share all aspects of the animation process, and more talks exist in the public showing how to bring a character to life, I wanted to reflect as a group on things.

First off, I'm interested if you believe the same perception and/or role of game animation persists across the industry as it did 5 years ago.

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Lana Bachynski: Thanks for starting us off, Mike!

I think that the role of animation has largely remained the same -- ultimately we're serving the game play; telegraphing to the players what's hitting and how hard (though obviously with greater and greater fidelity). However, I think the perception of animation has changed a lot -- largely due to the communities that surround us.

Even in my relatively short time in the industry, I've seen animation go from little more than a game play necessity with MAYBE a fun animation if you have downtime ("as long as it's moving, it's good enough"), to a serious want driven by player's desires to identify with a character, and, in turn, express themselves through playing the game. (Creating and implementing something fun, badass, and character driven). 5 years ago, I think it was enough that you looked cool, but now, I think many folks want to be able to connect with their various avatars on more than just an armour-set.

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Dan Lowe: If we're talking about the perception of other developers looking in on animation, I think that's really different for each studio. Like Lana said, the role of animation and the high level goals haven't really changed all that much, but for some studios the last 5 years has seen this adoption of new tools that make it much easier for animations to build their own systems, and I think that's definitely changed the dynamic between animators, programmers and designers.

Inside the animation community, one of the big changes I've seen is that there actually is a community now. I remember a few years back, talking to some graphics programmer friends and being kind of jealous of how vibrant their community was (and still is). It seemed like everybody knew everybody else, and it was almost every week that someone was posting a new paper about some new approach for anti-aliasing, or skin shading, or whatever else, and it didn't really feel like that was there for animators. There were venues for discussion like 11 Second Club, or Polycount, but it didn't really feel like there was one central place you could go, at least that I was aware of, where all the other top industry animators were discussing the medium. Really it's been social media, especially Twitter, and the community that's risen around the Animation Bootcamp that's changed a lot of that.

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Jalil Sadool: I guess I like to call it ‘Animation in the Game industry’ rather than ‘Game Animation’. The craft of Animation itself is pretty much the same whether it is in the film industry or game industry. That being said, what differ are the limitations, guidelines and intent of each medium, resulting in different approach and workflows. The biggest change I’ve noticed in the last decade has been the obvious exponential growth of quality of animation in the game industry, which in turn has brought a shift in the perception of the entire animation industry. Feature Animation used to be the holy grail of animation. As an animator, being part of a Disney, Pixar or Dreamworks film used to be the ultimate goal, but the Game industry has rapidly changed that perception. Nowadays animators can choose from a wider range of exciting studios where animation is as highly regarded. In the last few years, we’ve seen In-game animation, cut-scenes and cinematics that can rival any Visual Effects production or Feature Animated film. With the more easily accessible game engines and animation tools, I think the amount of high level animation work in the game industry will keep rising for years to come. 

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Dan Lowe: It's interesting to hear what you say about feature animation being the ultimate goal for animators, Jalil. Definitely I've met a lot of game animators who think that way, and some that were quite candid about how games were just a stepping stone for them to move "up" to features, but for me it's never really something I've been interested in. Of course, my jaw's on the floor when I'm watching a Pixar, Disney or Dreamworks movie: The quality of the animation work is just... beyond incredible, but for me it's in service of a different set of goals, and as you say, it's working with very different constraints. Although game animation is obviously a lot rougher around the edges, ultimately we're creating remote controlled people, and I think if we look at it as systems of animation, it can be just as awe-inspiring.

That said, with you saying how the quality of animation in games is now becoming more highly regarded, do you think there was a specific moment or a specific game in recent years that you really think tipped the balance, or that you think would have made the people on the features side really stop and take notice? That extends to everyone: Was there a game or a moment in the last few years that you felt was a real significant step forward for game animation?

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Gwen Frey: Dan wrote, "Was there a game or a moment in the last few years that you felt was a real significant step forward for game animation?"

I don't think there was a tipping point, I think the quality of game animation has consistently increased each year. I will say that the most important shift was when we stopped focusing on cut scenes and started focusing on making player-driven animation as impressive as possible. I think that set game narrative and game animation apart from other mediums. I think Naughty Dog has been a huge part of pushing player animation quality up year over year. More recently I think Inside really set the bar for technical animation and responsive AI.

Building on what others have said - I think there was a community for animators a decade ago, however animators in video games weren't really considered animators. If an animator left a job working in feature film to work in video games that was seen as a step down career-wise. I can definitely see why this was the case! In film the animator tells the team what they need and the team makes it happen. The animator is the end user. However, in video games animators usually work to help realize the design of the game. We are providing a service to to the designers and the team rather than being the end user. To a lot of traditional animators this looks unappealing. Imagine telling a film animator the following: "Animate the player hands reloading this weapon. This weapon needs to feel responsive so the player has to reload it in .4 seconds. Also, keep the hands in roughly the bottom of the screen so that you aren't blocking the player's view and keep the shoulders way off the screen in case the gamer has a wide resolution monitor." That sounds like a lot of constraints! However, there is artistry in making something that is beautiful within constraints. Having a character that blends and reacts and feels alive no matter what the player does is an incredible achievement to be a part of.

Also there is artistry in being the first to break convention or alter constraints. You'll find yourself thinking "Okay, so the gun has to be responsive, but does the reload have to be .4 seconds. Can I come up with a way to set up the blend tree so that I have more time? Can I start the reload right at the end of the firing animation to save a fraction of a second. Hmmm..."

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Mike Jungbluth: I think VR is opening a lot of eyes for more traditional animators about the challenges of interactive and realtime constraints for character animation. But in a space closer to film than games, with the ability to offload some of the constraints on to the participant.

Touching back on Gwen's point about film animators being the end user vs game animators being more of a service department, I think that extends past animators and to actors and script writers as well. I've had a number of conversations in which the idea of empowering the player to change or impact the narrative removes the purpose of their craft. When their approach has revolved entirely around their controlled authorship of the creation, allowing the player into the experience is akin to letting members of the audience jump on the stage during a performance. And overcoming that mindset can be a hard one to even want to embrace or indulge.

But seeing film focused creators talking about the struggle to overcome many of the issues we are aware of and have found solutions to, has been a great moment of getting to reverse knowledge share across mediums.

My biggest desire with the democratization of knowledge sharing has been wanting to get past the how, so we can focus more and more on the what. Once we no longer struggle to get the character to just move convincingly on the screen and openly share when a better method exists, we can all dive into their performance and personality. And that is the end goal for animation, bringing to life a character that feels unique and alive. More than the sum of their parts. Which I think we are starting to get a lot closer to now for all the reasons we have been laying out.

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Lana Bachynski: Jalil wrote, "I guess I like to call it 'Animation in the Game industry' rather than 'Game Animation'. The craft of Animation itself is pretty much the same whether it is in the film industry or game industry. ... Feature Animation used to be the holy grail of animation. As an animator, being part of a Disney, Pixar, or Dreamworks film used to be the ultimate goal, but the Game industry has rapidly changed that perception.”

And Gwen wrote, "If an animator left a job working in feature film to work in video games that was seen as a step down career-wise."

I feel like I need to call back to these, because this is a monumental shift in perception.

It feels particularly important for me – especially coming from a film animator turned game-dev. While I was studying, the thought of 'Game Animation' was beyond even the notion of 'inferior career choice' and into the realm of 'worthy of ridicule'. I remember telling people I wanted to animate for Blizzard (circa 2008), and I was literally laughed out of the school computer lab to calls of "Wait… you want to make GAME art?!" Obviously this is just one, tiny, sad violin, but from my perspective, it wasn't until these outlets (i.e. Animation Bootcamp, and now the Animation Exchange) started presenting robust, technical breakdowns, and inspiring examples of our craft that people really started paying attention.

Compared to any one, perfectly art-directed frame from a film, it is easy to overlook what happens in real time, but showcasing the Animation in Games in a standalone setting seems to been doing a lot of heavy lifting in regards to changing people's minds about this sphere of the industry.

Dan wrote, "That extends to everyone: Was there a game or a moment in the last few years that you felt was a real significant step forward for game animation?"

Gwen wrote, "I think Naughty Dog has been a huge part of pushing player animation quality up year over year.”

I'm not so sure if there has ever been a tipping point of any variety, but there have been pieces of animation that really, really stick to me. Calling out to what Gwen said, I have always been (to an almost embarrassing degree) an avid Naughty Dog fan, and it's largely due to the animation quality. I reference various pieces of Jak and Daxter on a regular basis (I think that double jump started me on the path to becoming an animator), though a more recent note, Uncharted 4's near-seamless transitions from cutscene to gameplay have had me floored. I may be wrong, because I rarely actually have time to play video games, but that was the first instance of it that I've ever seen of it, and it has been a personal desire of mine for as long as I can remember. With games getting more and more intertwined with these robust, immersive stories -- and the rise of VR on the horizon -- it seems as though the days of loading screens may have to fall behind us.

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Dan Lowe: I totally agree about VR, Mike. It was really interesting at last years GDC listening to the Oculus Story group or ILM X-Lab saying things like, "We discovered it was really challenging to get players to look where we want them to look", and I wonder if it's giving credibility to the process of making games, exposing feature animators to challenges that in games we've had to face for a long time. And absolutely, I think VRs been a great melting pot where you now have these companies that are half film professionals and half games people. I'm really looking forward to what lessons come out of that.

On a similar thread, with what Lana was saying about the feature animation students looking down on game animation: The line that always made me sad when I'd hear it, was "game quality animation", by which the person saying it meant "bad quality animation", because it seemed to dismiss the skill involved in making animation systems.

I've always wanted to take a really talented feature animator, and sit them down in front of Unreal and say, "OK build me strafe nav system, and the character has to start and stop in 3 frames, and they need to be aim in all directions as they're moving, and it has to be built so you can swap out different weapon types, and you've got three weeks to do this." I'd be interested to see if going through that process would change the animator's perspective, but also genuinely interested to see if that animators skill would still translate. There's actually a real practical example of this going on right now, where you have Seith, who's an ex-Dreamworks animation director, making Ghost of a Tale. He's doing great work, and it's looking like it's going to be a beautiful game. I'd love to see more features animators giving games a shot.

It sounds from what Jalil is saying that the perspective has changed already, and if so that's really great. I wonder if that view comes from the advances in gameplay animation though, or if people are seeing work like the Overwatch character intros and Play Of The Game animations, which are amazing, but very similar to feature animation?

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Lana Bachynski: Dan wrote, "I wonder if that view comes from the advances in gameplay animation though, or if people are seeing work like the Overwatch character intros and Play Of The Game animations, which are amazing, but very similar to feature animation?”

I could actually chalk this up to the depth of character we're starting to see in games, now. Yes, a lot of that can be found in the broad, hype moments (POTG, supplementary short films), and in part, it's obviously due to great writing (so many amazing characters emerging with real agency!), but I do like to think it could be owed (at least a little) to an animator's capacity to infuse character into even the smallest moments.

I remember during last year's bootcamps, Danielle Riendeau's MicroTalk was which animated moments stuck out at her from the perspective of a non-animator — and it was amazing! A lot of her favorite moments weren't big, badass boss fights — they were little moments: Lara Croft wringing out and tightening her ponytail after she comes out of the water (Rise of the Tomb Raider), Henry's hand touching the wood of the overhead stairs (Firewatch) — small, character moments, the kind you only get if you're liberated enough to focus on Mike's aforementioned 'what' instead of the 'how'.

Plus, I think what we're doing is pretty damn fun.

One of the most satisfying things about making animation for video games is getting to create something, then experience that thing over and over again in a myriad of different ways. Maybe I hate a particular animation more on days when I lose a Team Fight I should've won, but then maybe I see that hyper-rare walk variation I slipped in when I had an extra hour one day and it cheers me up again. I've never been able to watch a film 100 times, and on the 101st viewing see something entirely new. That's some of the beauty of animating for games, and it seems pretty enticing to me!

Dan wrote, "The line that always made me sad when I'd hear it, was "game quality animation", by which the person saying it meant "bad quality animation", because it seemed to dismiss the skill involved in making animation systems”

Jumping back again to this idea of perception, I think, perhaps, it might be wise to remember that - not too long ago - there weren't really 'game animators' so much as there were 'game developers'. Folks weren't just making beautiful little performances in player-controlled segments, they were writing the baseline and putting motion in between when they could (really focussed on that 'how'). Perhaps a big tipping point would simply be a time where animation became important enough to dedicate someone to the beautification of it full time? Correct me if I'm wrong, but even at smaller studios, it seems like folks have to wear far fewer hats nowadays.

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Mike Jungbluth: Over the last decade, I have always been lucky enough to focus solely on animation asset creation, across a range of mid-tier to AAA studios. And I think the quality increase has come in better systems, even more than just better animation assets. Which means I would say I am actually wearing more hats now than before. Some of that is a natural part of becoming more senior and experienced, but in giving more ownership of implementing character movement and feel to animators, having a better understanding of some system level architecture in regards to high level design and programming needs has become more and more necessary. So before, where the multiple hats may have been between rigging, skinning and animating, I think a lot of mid size studios require animators to apply their knowledge to more areas than creating an animation in whatever software package you use. When I started at Volition, I didn't even open up motionbuilder or look at the rigs for the first 2 weeks, because I was focused on learning the implementation/graph tools. That is now half of the job for a lot of people. Or even more, as Gwen and Dan can attest to. The new skillset of technical animation that has less to do with software and more to do with realtime systems has exploded. Which means potentially more hats to wear, or even more specialized people to train/hire.

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Gwen Frey: Dan wrote, It sounds from what Jalil is saying that the perspective has changed already, and if so that's really great. I wonder if that view comes from the advances in gameplay animation though, or if people are seeing work like the Overwatch character intros and Play Of The Game animations, which are amazing, but very similar to feature animation?

Building on what Dan and Lana said here:

I've found the animated shorts and the cinematic moments in Overwatch to be very powerful improvements to that game. It has long been understood in game art that you can paint a gorgeous, high-fidelity 2D character, and then have a lower poly 3D representation of that character running around in a game world, and fans will love it. People will project the highly-detailed concept art onto their game avatar and they will believe the in game art is more detailed than it actually is. I suspect the same thing is happening with Overwatch (and with LoL, WoW, etc). People see these highly cinematic moments and they project that extremely polished and detailed animation on to the characters in game. When you are actually playing Overwatch things are so frantic that you wouldn't notice an overly quick blend here and there anyways. I agree with Dan that the skills required to make an animated short, or an in-engine cinematic are very different than the skills one needs to make gameplay animation! But I'm also really glad we have those cinematic animators around. They add a lot to the experience!

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Jalil Sadool: Gwen wrote, "I agree with Dan that the skills required to make an animated short, or an in-engine cinematic are very different than the skills one needs to make gameplay animation! But I'm also really glad we have those cinematic animators around. They add a lot to the experience!"

I think the skill of Animation itself is not different whether you are in game or film or cinematic. The limitations around it are what's different. An animator working in cinematics can absolutely join the in-game animation team or vise versa. There will obviously be a ramp up time to learn either the specific tools or the demands of the game or cinematic, but the craft of animation itself is no different. That's why I'm not a big fan of branding animators as 'game animators' or 'film animators'. Many animators move from games to film... They learn how to use the tools in a few weeks, learn the demands of the film itself and apply their animation skills to the job. Same goes for film animators who join the game industry. My point is we train to become animators without the extra label. Then we tweak and adapt that skill to the project we are working on ... regardless of it being a game or a film. ---------------------------

Mike Jungbluth: That really depends on the game. For games pushing more towards realism, where straight mocap can be leveraged more and more, that is happening for sure. For games that are pushing more towards stylized timings and posing, that is still a long ways off. I think if animators focus on the final character performance as their end goal, no matter how the process adapts or changes to new technology, animators will always be relevant and needed, based on our knowledge of emotion and physicality.

I think this also leads to a good closing question for everyone (if you want to also answer this while answering Dan's question, since we are hitting the last day for this discussion). What do you see the next 5 years looking like? Between this group we span indie, to AAA and gameplay to cinematics. What are areas you are hoping get better or easier? What aspects do you still see struggling for years to come?

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Dan Lowe: It's a difficult one to pin down because the role of an animator is different at every studio. If you think of a cinematics animator at one end of a scale and an animation programmer at the other, there are all these shades of grey in between, and exactly how technical a gameplay animator needs to be, is different for each studio. At Visceral our gameplay animators build the animations to spec, and then hand them off to technical animators to integrate into the engine, so it wouldn't take much at all for an animator who had never worked in games to adjust to working there. But there are lots of other teams that I've worked on where animators are expected to be very technical.

I think in a lot of ways you can sum it up with "Would I hire this person for this role?" and that's a very situational, very nuanced question. I'd like to think that most studios would place the ability to animate well above all else, and would allow a non-technical animator time to learn, but I've also seen great animators not get hired for gameplay roles because they didn't have any technical experience. The basics of the technical side should really be no more complex than learning Max or Maya, so in part it was frustrating to see, but on the other hand, I've seen studios who have tried migrating their animators over to building their own state graphs and it's been disastrous. Some animators took to it easily, but a lot were resistant, and some just couldn't get their heads around it. There's an argument to be made about whether the design of the tools, or the training methods were appropriate, but I can at least understand how some teams get concerns when they're hiring for gameplay roles and they see that the animator has never worked in games before.

What's interesting, and challenging for some people going forward, is that it's only getting more and more technical. Part of my reason for gradually moving over the course of my career from purely animation to a more technical role, is that I can see a point in the future where animators may not longer be required, at least not in the sense of sitting down and keyframing animations. In the last year or so this is starting to feel more and more imminent.

I don't know if you guys agree with that assessment? If so is it something you're concerned about?

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Lana Bachynski: Dan wrote, " I can see a point in the future where animators may not longer be required, at least not in the sense of sitting down and keyframing animations. In the last year or so this is starting to feel more and more imminent. I don't know if you guys agree with that assessment? If so is it something you're concerned about?"

I agree with this sentiment from a production standpoint, but not as a blanket statement. I think it will be possible. I think it will be economical! I think it could eventually look as good as hand-keyed -- but I don't think that it leaves me worried.

When Toy Story was released, everyone was up in arms about how traditional animation was dying and we'll never see it again, but here Laika is kicking ass -- with an even LESS conventional traditional medium -- how many years later? Imagining that hand-keyed animation in video games will eventually disappear entirely sounds, to me, like the same sort of 'the sky is falling' attitude. Even if it disappears from AAA, the indie scene is BURSTING with talent, and I believe there will always be at least some sort of 'artisanal game studios', hand-keying like there's no tomorrow. Even with all the CURRENT advancements that exist, I'm at a big studio, and I'm still hand-keying all day every day!

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Dan Lowe: At last year's Animation Bootcamp, I said at the end of my talk that I didn't think animators should be worried about automation; that it was just going to make things faster and easier for us. Since then I've read a bunch about Deep Learning and it scares the hell out of me. While there are certainly some tasks that are much easier to automate than others, the terrifying thing about neural networks is that they're dealing with problems the same way that your brain does, and that means that ultimately no cognitive task is sacred. We all worked hard to become artists, but there was a process happening there. We receive inputs, neurons fire, myelination improves connections along axions, and now we know how to make an appealing, emotive character.

It won't happen overnight, but the path to full automation is becoming more and more clear, and the rate of advancement that's going on in AI is crazy right now.

You do raise a good point Lana, which is to what degree does an audience or a customer care about the method by which something was made, versus just the end result. Say if someone hand carves a beautiful table, and makes it from the wood of a special tree that they've been growing since they were a child, but then a machine on a production line makes the exact same table with such precision that they're completely indiscernible. To what degree does the person who buys that table, care about the story behind how it was made. For some people I'm sure they care a lot, maybe for others they just want a beautiful table.

Of course, people won't stop animating, the big question for us, is whether companies will still pay us to do it. Does the provenance of an individual piece of content like an animation in a game, matter to a gamer, as much as how the overall mechanics, story, and world comes together. When you're making these huge simulations, the quality and volume of the content matters to an audience. If a machine can give you an Overwatch Play of the Game animation, that has the same level of performance, the same level of appeal, but it's unique every time, would gamers rather have that, or the version of the game that they know was made by a dedicated team of people?

But that's the long term. I think the next 5 years for keyframing won't change all that much. It's a well understood art that's been on a steady trajectory for a long time. I would say that even in stylized games, you could see some realistic elements come into it, like materials, cloth, physics, etc. Like Pixar and Disney have still moved to physically based rendering for their lighting and materials, and I think if World of Warcraft looked like the Blizzard Cinematics, there would almost certainly be a market for it.

For realistic games I think there'll be huge changes. I can see a big focus on developing different methods for capturing the real world. Photogrammetry, material scanning, facial scanning systems, capturing not just skeletal motion but surface deformation, muscles and clothing: This is already in the pipe, and I'd expect it's only going to increase going forwards. Along with that I can see a big focus on new methods for processing that data: Pipelines that take this information and automatically process it and put it directly into the engine, or systems like Motion Matching that can work using raw data. Then as I say, Deep Learning systems that will use motion capture as training data, then generate motion on the fly, rather than storing animation in memory. There are people that are looking at that problem right now.

I hate to end on a downer, but if automation does change things, unfortunately I can see less jobs for animators, especially on the mocap side. On the other hand, animators could become more like directors; working with actors to define the motion on the stage, and working with engineers to define how that motion is processed

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Jalil Sadool: Now I am depressed... ;)

Once, a programmer said he will replace me with a small Mel script.... At the time I laughed, but after reading Dan's projections, that comment doesn't seem that funny anymore.

I do think that there's still quite a while before Key-Frame animators are fully replaced everywhere. We all remember when CG started taking over and Disney closed down the Florida branch.

We all thought that 2D would disappear within a decade, but that hasn't really happened. Yes, Disney as we knew it, the traditional side, isn't around anymore, but others have picked up the torch. Film studios from abroad, Netflix, Youtube and TV have all kept 2D alive and healthy. I think the landscape for animators will keep changing, and it will be up to us to adapt the skills we've learned to future technologies….. at least until Skynet takes over.

From a small production house point of view, I think the next 5 years are going to be fruitful yet challenging.

We've noticed a sudden increase in outsourcing animation work from AAA game studios.

Outsourcing has been more common in the VFX industry but in the last few years, Feature Animation studios and AAA Game Studios have been increasingly outsourcing animation work. With the level of animation rising every year, it has become primordial for game companies to seek and compete for the best animators out there. It's not always easy to ramp up a solid animation team and then keep them busy for a long period of time. Having a trusted outsource animation team has become a practical and financially viable option. The challenge is of course maintaining the high level of animation that is required by most AAA Game Studios. As long as the focus is on quality and efficiency, I think smaller animation houses have a healthy future.

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Lana Bachynski: Dan wrote, "If a machine can give you an Overwatch Play of the Game animation, that has the same level of performance, the same level of appeal, but it's unique every time, would gamers rather have that, or the version of the game that they know was made by a dedicated team of people?"

I think people absolutely do care where it's coming from. Not everyone, mind you, there will be many production teams that just want to get the work done, and I'm sure they will make some really badass stuff. However, like any dedicated tradesman, I think folks do care to see a master at their craft, possibly just out of novelty, but likely out of respect. Yeah, I can buy a sharp knife that was generated in a batch alongside a thousand other sharp knives that came out of that metal chomping machine. It will cut my food and look pretty on a magnetic strip in my kitchen...but if I just SAW some guy put in the raw, physical time and effort to heat and hammer and polish, I feel like he's earned my patronage. That is the knife I'd want in my kitchen, if only for the story.

In regards to animation, consider things like Ryan Woodward's incredible conte work -- a large team could have put together that animation in a fraction of the time with 100% of the quality, but knowing it was one man, in his basement, with some reference chorography and his own internal narrative...that makes it special in one of those strange, human ways, and I think people can't help but gravitate toward that.

Mike wrote, "What do you see the next 5 years looking like? Between this group we span indie, to AAA and gameplay to cinematics. What are areas you are hoping get better or easier? What aspects do you still see struggling for years to come?"

As for the next five years, I'm not sure if I'm well versed enough to make any sort of technically specific kinds of predictions, but I do believe it is the rise of the small studio! Think about this last year's Game Developer's Choice awards and Indie Choice awards -- there was a pretty darn remarkable degree of overlap, there, and I can only imagine the lines between indie and AAA will continue to blur.

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Dan Lowe is a senior technical animator with over 10 years experience in animation systems design, gameplay animation and motion capture. He is currently working on an as yet untitled Star Wars project at Visceral Games. Previously Dan worked at Ubisoft Montreal on titles such as Far Cry 3, Watch_Dogs and Far Cry Primal. Prior to that, he worked at Bizarre Creations, where he helped ship Blur, James Bond: Blood Stone and The Club. As a technical animator, Dan works with Visceral's gameplay team to design and implement systems in ANT, EA's proprietary animation tool. He also works to develop new tools for animators, with a focus on automation. Dan has a BA in Games Design from Teesside University.

Gwen Frey has been working as an animator or technical animator in games for over a decade. Most recently she co-founded a small indie studio and launched The Flame in The Flood as a biz dev personality and the sole animator. Her other credits include Bioshock Infinite, The Bioshock Infinite DLCs, Marvel Heroes Online, and numerous consulting credits for other games. Her previous GDC talks are available online, and she has a popular YouTube channel for technical animation tips and tricks.

Jalil Sadool is currently the CEO/co-founder at Steamroller Studios as well as co-founder of CGTarian Online Animation School. He has worked in the film and game industry as a professional animator for over a decade. He was lead animator on 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' at Weta Digital as well as 'How to Train Your Dragon 2' at Dreamworks Animation. His resume also includes 'Avatar',' Rise of the Guardians', 'The Chronicles of Narnia', Rise of the Tomb Raider and Deus Ex: Mankind Divided.

Lana Bachynski is an animator at Blizzard Entertainment for Heroes of the Storm, co-creator of Tea Time Animation, and yoyo aficionado. Find her anywhere @Latienie. [NOTE: Lana Bachynski's opinions are her own, and do not reflect any official standing of Blizzard Entertainment.]

Mike Jungbluth is the lead animator at Volition on Agents of Mayhem. Past games include Elder Scrolls Online, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, Call of Duty: Black Ops, and Singularity. He has talked at GDC and several other conferences about using art, design and tech to drive a character's performance, his writing has been featured on Gamasutra & GameIndustry.biz and he is a co-creator of the GDC Animation Bootcamp, Animation Exchange and AnimState network. More than anything, he believes in the need for open sharing and democratization of knowledge.