#at lot of the time there isnt the pressure to entertain as much as u watch this stranger fall in love with the same media u love

[fellowfights]

This is me suggesting small streamers to play Disco Elysium btw.

[truly-a-snitch]

Hi! Hi! I just discovered your blog and I have a request. So can I request Ranpo, Sigma and Dazai with a s/o who is like really calm and reserved in public but when they're alone together you can't separate them. Like a clingy, touchy, overprotective s/o who is reserved in public or at work. BUT if anyone hurts their partner they will go to war!! THEN afterwards come home and cuddle with them.

🍬 - Idk if you do the emoji things but I'm signing off with this one.

(You can just ignore this if you want, NO PRESSURE)

this is actually so cute. me and who

this sorta turned into just ways they show affection sorry i got carried away. jn my defense i love these three

warnings: none !! this is fluff but only sort of partially answers the prompt oopsies

---

Ranpo, Sigma, and Dazai with a reserved but affectionate S/O

Ranpo

ranpo is very affectionate no matter where you go so you two could not be more different in that regard

like. at home ? hes never not in your lap. shopping ? your arms Will be linked together (so he doesnt lose you, in his own words). at work ? he sidles up next to you and slings his legs over yours while he begrudgingly does his paperwork

he doesnt mind that youre more reserved when it comes to pda !! he knows how to tone it down when he gets to be too much

he just has a lot of love to give ok :-(

ranpo is 100% the type to just like. after a long day he will very dramatically splay himself across your lap and be like "ughhh im dying of boredom..... blehhhhh........."

his favorite activity is laying on top of you and demanding that you entertain him (any means possible) (especially reading to him)

he BITES !! leaves hickies on accident sometimes (he says hes sorry but like. is he really) and he encourages you to bite him right back fr. hes so silly i love him

admittedly he is a little upset he cant be as affectionate w you in public but he loves u enough that its ok and he makes up for it by not letting go of you from the moment you get home to the moment you go to bed

has fallen asleep in your lap before. also has fallen asleep on top of you on the couch before. haha good luck getting up you cant youd disturb him

congrats on the cat boyfriend btw

Sigma

silly... as somebody who runs a casino (yes he still runs the casino in my head. canon can get bent) he is very very busy, so he understands that there simply may not be time or energy to dedicate to him during working hours

affection shared between him is often that tired sort if only because after a full day the last thing he wants is something high energy

seeing as he spent a lot of time around fyodor, public physical contact of any kind is probably still a taboo hes deconstructing, so hes very much grateful that you arent really big on pda yourself (if only because he doesnt feel ready for all that at this point in time)

he likes to just lay against you, or hold your hand while he does his paperwork :3

big on forehead kisses. he loves them okay. the inherent tenderness of it makes him forget how to speak for a little bit he gets So flustered its actually the cutest thing ever

sigmas also a big big fan of massages (he runs on energy drinks, stress, and pure unfettered anxiety okay. i bet his muscles are Stiff)

and if you give him coffee...? doesnt matter if u made it or not. you are Getting Kissed

sleeping next to each other,, sleepy kissing,,, naps together,,,, top tier

sigma likes to just sit on the couch and watch tv with you. lay on him right now do it. diy weighted blanket

he treats you with fancy schmancy meals from the casino kitchens. you guys get to have date night where its just you watching tv and eating good food and drinking wine (hes a white wine guy you cant tell me otherwise)

Dazai

dazai isnt super affectionate in public, hes sorta similar to you in that regard, but he still has to be touching you almost all the time

HES SO ANNOYING ABOUT IT TOO his love language is annoying you so he will find the most inconvenient ways to Just Barely Touch You so that you have to talk to him and tell him to stop

getting home tho you get to literally watch the mask melt away. you sit down on the couch and he immediately just relaxes into you, he is ALL over u

(pspsps play with his hair. and like gently run ur nails over his scalp a lil bit. he gets so so sleepy when you do that)

dazai is so NEEDY w affection but he knows how to act like he doesnt want/need it in front of other ppl

if ur in private and ur not actively giving him attention. he will stare at u for a bit before practically tackling you. bro sprawls

hes not like AGAINST pda btw i forgot to touch on that its just that he prefers to be more private with his genuine romantic endeavors :3 like hell annoy you on purpose in public but behind closed doors hes a softie fr

dazai also bites as a love language like ranpo does but dazai is always careful not to accidentally bite too hard (ranpo may not give a fuck but dazai certainly does)

he rly likes laying on top of you. fair tbh laying on ur s/o is better than therapy

anyway overall hes very much like. purposely annoying or embarrassing in public but hes much more romantic behind closed doors

[archetypal-archivist]

hey man, i've been following u for a while but i saw your comment and dude.. bringing up the age of consent means jackshit man. it isnt a cultural difference, if brazilians ( the ones who were literally the first people who brought it up ! and translated everything ! ) say its weird and wrong, then it's weird. you don't have to defend forever, put your morals before your entertainment.

Okay first: I don't agree with pedophilia and regardless of age of consent, going out with younger people when certain age gaps and power dynamics are at play is a scummy thing to do. I'll agree with you on this and I'll ask that you read the entirety of this post explaining why else I commented before you start metaphorically stabbing me.

Second: My reason for bringing up age of consent is not to excuse what he's done, not in the least. The reason I am is because there's a nonzero chance that there's cultural shit at play and as a white person from the USA, I don't know enough about the situation to say anything for sure. For example, in Japan it's very common for women to be sexually assaulted in trains- some statistics put that number higher than 20%. It's not excused there, people there hate it as much as people here. However, when numbers are that high, one does have to wonder what percentage of the population assumes that it is okay. What percentage assumes that yes it's scummy, but it's also to be expected. In Japan, while there are laws against sexual assault, the chances of anything being done about it are... not always promising.

Obviously sexual assault is not okay. Obviously the people who do it are in the wrong. I am not excusing this behavior, nor should it be normalized. However, the fact remains that there are cultural norms that may be at play here and those norms may dictate to some people that it is okay. Even if it's not. (Think about how many entitled dude bros are in the US who think commenting on a woman's bust size is okay, or think it's normal for a husband to physically punish his wife.)

The fact here is that whether or not Forever went out with an underage fan, so long as the fan was over the age of 14, it was not technically illegal. And as such, there may be cultural norms in some locations that make a young 20-something think going out with a 14 or 15 year old is okay. Is it a good thing to do from a moral standpoint? Absolutely not. But until I know what percentage of 14-15 year olds in Brazil date/get hit on by older men or someone from Brazil can fill me in, I don't have enough information to know if Forever's going out with this person was to do so with scummy intentions. It's a scummy action sure, and people are welcome to dislike it. But I want to know the degree of scummy before I make a personal decision, you know?

There's a difference between peer pressure + not knowing better and going out with intent. One of which will make me distance myself from the situation until he makes an apology, the other makes me start deleting old work with him in it. Regardless, until there is more work from Forever in making up and apologizing for his past actions, I will not be supporting him.

Third reason: The person who's dragged up all those old tweets is apparently an anti and has spent a lot of their time trying to dig up dirt on the Brazilians. There's a logical fallacy regarding disbelieving a source simply because you don't like them, but there's also something to be said about believing someone on the internet wholeheartedly regarding context and what they think was going on when you don't know the person and they have reason to be biased. Again, I want to know. And I want other people to fill me in and for other people to have information so they too can be filled in. I'll be doing my own research too of course, but again, I'm not from Brazil nor do I speak Portuguese.

As such, I'll close this post with this: If you are from Brazil, can you weigh in with your takes on the situation and the cultural norms regarding the age of consent in Brazil? Also, if you are not from Brazil and/or you also think you may be missing something about this whole situation, feel free to sit in the corner with me while we watch this shitshow and hope for more info. Just- don't go attacking people. Please.

I'd rather not get an outpouring of hate in my inbox.

[its-afucking-mess]

i got my period today and because my lower back is being repeteadly violeted by cramps i am sharing ethan fluff

special tag to @writingmaneskin the ethan simp and @cheese-toastie-11 the ethan kinnie (real)

so so so so.

my thought process for this was

ethan plays the drums. common knowlege for most of us. and u cannot convice me that ethans body isnt tense and all his muscles stiff after how many hours of banging drums daily.

so maybe when his hot shower after coming home doesnt relax him u offer to massage his body, and more often than not its just u trying to soften amd relax his muscles while he just lets out small groans of content and comfort

back to reader. you (its actually me but for the sake of entertaining the moots its y/n) come back from work exhausted, because surprise you got ur period at work and ur in pain and tired. ethan offers to massage ur back to help u relax. thats it thats the fic

the cuddles are obligatory.

Ethan barely notices you walking through the room, not until you've crashed on the bed face-first next to him. He eyes you in surprise.

"Hello" he says, shifting to look at your stiff figure on the bed. "How was your day?". You don't have it in you to give a proper reply, and groaning into the matress seems like an appropriate response to his question.

Ethan can't hold his giggle back, shifting closer to you. "I got my period at work and I got tired" you whine. Ethan's face morphs inti a soft expression. "Come here," he says, and you cuddke into him, your arms looping around his hips. "Guessing you're tired huh?" he asks, and you nod, nudging his thigh with your nose. He trails a hand up and down your back, and you melt into his touch.

"Do you need any painkillers?" he asks, but the thought of leaving his warm embrace seems uncalled for and wrong. You shake your head. Ethan purses his lips. "How about, a massage?" he asks, and you move your head up to look at him. "Oh, please, I promise I'll give you actual money, please," you beg, and Ethan can't help the laugh that leaves his throat.

"No need for money, you've done it for me so many times. It's only fair," he replies and you make a 'mmm' of approval. He disconnects your hands and gets up from the bed, much to your dismay, in the en suite bathroom, where you had stored some oils you used on Ethan. You try to shed off your shirt, but your shoulder seems to not want to cooparate. It isn't worth the effort, so you decide against it.

Ethan makes a reapearance and he takes off your shirt and pants, leading you to lay down on the matress in only your panties. His hand lifts your hips, and for a moment you are confused of the direction this was going. He must have guessed, because his other hand quickly retrieves a warm towel and places it at the end of your tummy, right where your pelvis (and the pain) starts. You let out a happy noise and Ethan chuckles as he sets yout hips back down flat on the matress.

You can hear him rubbing his hands together, warming up the oil and spreading up your back. A surprised moan leaves your mouth at his gentle pressure, body relaxing under his strong touch. "Good girl," he comments under his breath, but you heard it all the same. You curl in the matress more and Ethan's hands start working at your shoulders.

"How was work? Besides getting your period," he asks, and you understand he wants to keep you awake when you find your eyes closed.

" 'twas good, we had a lot of sales today, and there was a lot of back and forth but it was very productive, but I got tired and wanted to come to you. It wasn't too bad though," you reply, and Ethan makes a calm noise from behind you, pressing down on your back harder. You let out a sigh of content.

"How was your work?" you ask, and Ethan's hands move lower down your back. "Well, we told off Damiano for delaying the lyrics, but we gave him an extent to his dealine because Giorgia had told him she wanted a date," he starts, and you let out a "mmmmmm" as a reply. Ethan continues his work on you all the same.

"Then Vic and Thomas showed us these parts they came up with, and Damiano said he had something in mind for them," he continues. Groans of comfort drop from your lips as Ethan works his way lower, slowly reaching the place that is most tense.

"Then I played a bit to try and match a tempo to Vic's bassline. I came home, made an omelette and waited for you to come back, maybe make you something to eat too," he finishes, and you mumble incoherently into the matress. Ethan gives your shoulders a final squeeze, moving a bit to your thighs.

"Guessing you're feeling a bit queezy though, mhm?" he asks, and you half nod. "I could still eat something" you reply, and Ethan kisses between your shoulderblades. "I'm glad, I could make you something warm and easy to eat, hm?". You nod frantically, and Ethan gives your shoulders a final squeeze, kisses the small of your back and pulls you to sit up next to him.

"You feelin' better? Or,"

"I am way better, thank you" you say, hugging Ethan tightly. You feel his smile against your neck, where he leaves a soft kiss. "Go make food, and I'll take a bath," you suggest, and Ethan comes back up to face you.

"What a wonderful idea, god you're so smart" he praises, and you want to melt into the matress more, but strong arms pick you up and carry you to the bathroom.

"Make yourself warm, and I'll bring you food," he says, kissing you on the lips lightly. "And get comfy, because cuddles are not negotiable,"

You smile as he leaves the bathroom, rubbing your eyes with a yawn as the water starts running

[smalltragedy]

* brigette lundy-paine, nonbinary + they/them | you know kirby wormwood, right? they’re twenty five, and they’ve lived in irving for, like, two weeks? well, their spotify wrapped says they listened to ring ring by mika like, a million times this year, which makes sense ‘cause they’ve got that whole balancing acts at perilous heights destined to entertain, jack of all trades master of none, refusal to accept the mortal world as it is thing going on. i just checked and their birthday is december 1st, so they’re a sagittarius, which is unsurprising, all things considered. ( james, 21, est, they/them )

hllo welcome 2 my third character i love them a lot theyre a. remake of an older oc of mine so this is fun <3 sdfhk anyways once again i am asking u. pleathe like if u wld like to plot.

ARSON TW

mini playlist.

wizard ;; lucas lex / ring ring ;; mika / crows ;; clues / sunrise sunset ;; bright eyes / la llorona ;; beirut / no children ;; the mountain goats / might be love ;; the pesky snakes / sax in the city ;; let’s eat grandma.

statistics.

full name: kirby wormwood (currently).

nickname(s): magpie.

birthday: december 1st, 1995.

zodiac: sagittarius sun, aries moon, libra ascending.

mbti & temperament: estp & improvisor / sanguine.

label: the hellion.

hometown: abilene, texas.

sexuality: bisexual.

pinterest.

biography.

alright lets get right into it. kirby ws switched at birth. they cld’ve hd a very like. picket fence trampoline in the backyard. 4 columns cos its texas n it feels right. bt instead they were chosen <3 somewhat unintentionally <3 by dorothea n fawley wormwood, two traveling circus workers who emergency stopped in abilene.

n u know what. growing up in st. pierre’s traveling circus ws kinda fkn awesome? like ok. besides the fact tht they were homeschooled fr like evr n there were a sparing amt of children 2 socialize with? it ws p cool idk.

it ws kinda like everybody ws their parent n also not at all bc they were all very casual. bt they grew up learning hw 2 maintain the circus (n also like. normal school thingz bt i dnt think kirby hs ever cared abt school like ever) n whenever they hd a show kirby wld facepaint or handle tickets until they were old enough 2 start learning like. the Real fun things. 

fawley hd a lot of his own weird odd little like superstitions n beliefs n practically raised kirby on them like n they dnt rly <3 make a lot of sense. lots of made up philosophy. very much like. nothing defines u. u cn b anything or anyone. n kirby ws like ok cool. n then developed a god complex.

names didnt rly stick 2 kirby when they were a kid like. nothing satisfied them or felt worthy fr them or simply they just. got tired of a name. this isnt related 2 them being nonbinary BUT it did help ease some of the. pressure of exploring gender identity. theyve only hd one name tht stuck genuinely n tht ws magpie n. thts bc everybody hd their own bird name n it felt very. like community. like a role. usually the names they used during performances bt. anyways KFHDSGLKKHL

theyre Kirby bt answers 2 most. neutral nouns.

honestly. they were also a rascal as a youth. ws like. oh. i learned sleight of hand? cool. time 2 pick pockets. wld throw popcorn into the hair of other kids n b like. omggg what was that ... became a mime fr a year. it ws a rigorous training.

now a master of charades. bt anyways. they traveled pretty much weekly, maybe bimonthly n sometimes just pure monthly. there wsn’t an off season fr them, when the colder months came they’d travel south and when summer rolled in they’d go right back up again. it ws easy to switch personas almost daily n just. never reveal ur true self. totally not saying tht’s what kirby did bt thts what they did. it nvr made them lose sight of themselves it ws more like. acting. tricking ppl fr fun. 

anyways all good things come 2 an end and when kirby ws like. 18. they were like hey ur old enough that we cn trust u with fire. we think. n they started 2 learn fire-throwing n like. they were ok at it bt lessons were painfully slow n kirby ws like. i wld b so good at this if i cld do it all the time. n it ws like. hey kirby, chill. u already know a lot of things.

arson tw // u see where this is going. tents are kind of flammable. kirby ws unsupervised. bad decisions all around. circus is aflame. all the animals n all the circus workers got out fine bt like. st. pierre’s ws efficiently out of business. arson end of tw //

n kirby fkn booked it they just. ran. pure fear. nvr looked back which is like super traitorous of them 2 do bt. sometimes they meet up in secret like. sunglasses n all at a coffee shop. not all of them just like. fawley or someone else. theyre like. ur family u cld burn down a thousand circuses n we’d still love u. n kirby is like yeah i know bt i’ve rly committed to the bit now. n they dnt reunite.

anyways. since then kirby hs just been. a traveler. nvr rly staying anywhere fr super long n driving around in their shitty little van tht’d been used as housing back at st. pierre’s.

they’re in irving n theyve been there fr almost. suspiciously long. compared 2 their average stays. when asked abt what they do or why theyre there theyll just. give a vague answer or spin a long tale tht usually involves a burning circus.

theyre staying at uh. abernathy creek rn bc of course they r they fit in so naturally. welcomed with wide arms. might b soul searching rn might b on the hunt fr their birth parents might b just vibing ... whose to say ..

personality & facts.

has a Big personality tht attracts others fr better or fr worse. either super likeable or the most despicable person on the earth. no in betweens. n honestly tht is a talent in itself

has no off button is constantly. spinning tales or performing a dance or getting kicked out of bars fr whatever nonsense reason. 

honestly they prob think tht nothing bad cn ever happen to them even tho like. bad has literally happened 2 them before? love the optimism here. KLFGDLKFSDHGF

acts a bit like u’ve known them fr ur entire life they r oddly warm in tht way bt they themself r so distant tht its like. oh nice ok ...

both honest n yet dishonest like. yes they will hustle u out of ur money bt they will also tell u their opinion straight up. 

probably smart bt they r just like. prime thembo? flowy pirate shirts n cropped tshirts n pants tht r never tight. dresses like they do still work n live at a circus. 

likes 2 instigate things between others n then stand back n just watch it happen while taking like zero accountability. loves a good small town drama. avid milf hunter.

does not hv any faith in the american healthcare system at all n will straight up refuse 2 go 2 a hospital if they get hurt theyre like. i cn do it myself im like practically a professional. they r not a professional. 

bt does hv like. a thing abt apples. fkn loves them. 

uuuhhh cn play instruments bt all very badly. only knows one (1) song tht isnt made up n its wonderwall by oasis. they play it at parties. they expect fr tomatoes to b thrown at them at any given time.

very nimble. agile. granted its frm. learning circus tricks frm a baby age bt they hv impeccable balance n cn sneak up behind anyone without a single noise. uses this 2 their advantage in order 2 scare ppl. chaotic neutral.

loves having the attention on them i wont fk around here. will go to drastic measures to accomplish receiving it. my other muses r capable of taking things srsly bt kirby just. is not. they do not take a single thing srsly they barely even took. st. pierre’s destruction srsly n they caused it. maybe.

likes being able to just. be unknown so the amt tht ppl know abt them is actually very. little. i dnt think they even tell others their last name. sometimes not even their first. just hs so many aliases n nicknames. i know i didnt list any bt thts simply bc Any cld.

probably acts out to compensate fr the. underlying guilt they hv bt thts okay. i mean it isnt bt.

will probably show up if u call them fr help bt they lose interest in people p quickly n r always moving onto the next shiniest person. bt when they do they give them like. all their attention. if u wrong them in this period they will just. ignore it. bt when theyre bored then its like. u werent even friends at all? very odd.

perhaps it is commitment issues bt <3 ya. thts them. they do not claim favorite colors or movies or. most interests. probably bc theyre very very disconnected frm pop culture i think they learn everything thru twitter n google.

i wld not call them a good person bt i also dnt think theyre like evil horrible nasty awful they just. think abt themself a lot more than they think abt others n also refuses to face consequences ever and also .. anyways.

wanted plots.

part of the bird’s nest ;; honorary bird honorary circus member. u hv to be very well regarded by kirby to earn a bird name bt i feel like tht doesnt feel like a lot considering theyve only been here fr like. two weeks KDGDSHKGK. the catch is tht u cn only refer 2 them as magpie frm then forward. 

hand in unlovable hand ;; theres comfort in being terrible ppl together n it may not last bt it doesnt hv to anyways. its just them n the like. vibes. n knowing tht its smth thts nvr gna b long term. cld b anything ur character just hs to be also a little evil. KHDSGFDS

one jester ... wht abt ... TWO jesters .. ;; hoo boy. ooh man. unstoppable force and immovable object combine forces n just become. the worst of the worst. ultimate jokesters. epic pranksters. absolute clowns. chaotic energy unmatched. always nonsense. 

n also ;; ppl they’ve stolen frm, ppl who hv caught them in that act, ppl who’ve maybe seen them in the circus a very long time ago, Found Family Trope, real family shenanigans, kirby just asking everybody if theyre their dad., mortal enemies if they see each other its an instant duel 2 the death, etc.

[beautifulbangtanboyz]

Kim Seokjin is literally THAT bitch. His mother was supposedly miss Korea, and his dad is a ceo!! Despite growing up with money, and having successful parents, he didn't need any help rising to stardom. That binch did it all on his own !! He is such an inspiration for real. Its crazy to think he was scouted due to his undeniable good looks,(not really because I mean, look how gorgeous he is) bUT look how talented he is TOO!! WHAT BLOWS MY MIND THOUGH IS HOW FAR HE HAS COME IN TERMS OF VOCALS AND PERFORMANCE. HIS VOICE IS INSANE AND THE NOTES HE CAN HIT JUST BLOWS ME AWAY. HIS VOCAL TEACHER LITERALLY BURST INTO TEARS AT HIS PROGRESS AND IM JUST SO PROUD OF HIM. HIS DANCING SKILLS AND STAGE PRESENCE HAVE IMPROVED SO MUCH SINCE DEBUT. HE LEARNT PIANO FOR EPIPHANY ????? um hELLOOOO , OH AND NOT TO MENTION, thAT MAN LITERALLY BALANCED SCHOOL AND PERFORMING. HOW ????? He was so privileged and probably could have used so much to his advantage but NO, He earNED EVERYTHING HE HAS AND HE WORKS HIS ASS OFF DAY AND NIGHT. ANBODy who says that mAN "DOES noT deserve to be in BTS" OR THAT HE "DOESNT BELONG" NEED TO TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT THIS MAN'S HARD WORK AND DEDICATION TOWARDS WHAT HE DOES. IDK ABOUT U BUT IM INSPIRED BY HIM EVERYDAY. OH AND HIS CONFIDENCE ?? I MEAN, IF I were him ofc I would be confident too but he literally knows hes the shit and Im so happy he realizes how amazing he is.

I ALSO NEED TO ADD HOW HE JUST DOES WHAT HE WANTS AND KNOWS HOW TO GET HIS POINT ACROSS. He doesnt let people define him or tell him how to act. I absolutely love that he is changing a lot of norms within the industry!! He eats what he wants when he wants, he makes sure he has his opinion heard and if he isnt fond of something he speaks up. He stands up for his team even in times where he could get in trouble. He has shared private stuff with us, and openly discussed subjects that are usually kept within the group or the company. He doesnt give in to things just so others can have their way. He wont do certain stuff for entertainment if he is genuinely uncomfortable. I love how he stays true to himself even with the constant pressure to be a certain way. Idols are for the people, but he reminds us that he is a real person with real emotions. He shows us that hard work does pay off. He shows us that loving yourself and believing in yourself, and chasing after your goals is so important. He has taught me soooo much honestly and has really given me motivation to put towards my own goals. I know I keep adding to this post but this man is so wonderful. I am so thankful to have an inspiration like Kim SeokJin :) HOLD ON, ADDING ONE MORE VERY IMPORTANT THING. I JUST LOVE HOW HE ALWAYS BRIGHTENS THE ATMOSPHERE WITH HIS JOKES , AND HOw he stays positive even during difficult situations. He has helped the others through so much and the others have often mentioned that. He really cares for them, even when he jokes around . He takes care of the others and always has.Maaaan, He should NEVER be underappreciated. He is so talented, hard working, funny, sweet, thoughtful and genuine!!!!! ! Please love Kim Seokjin!!!!

[citialiin]

FIVE SONGS

list five songs associated with your muse and its meaning to them as a character, or to you as the writer. this can be applied in-character or out-of-character. it can go as deep as looking at the song’s real-world origins or meaning along with the themes it carries to the muses’ story, values, or experiences, or as simple as if your muse would listen to this kind of music, or even if you just listen to these pieces for inspiration.

TAGGED BY: @dansiere​​, who did such a good detailed job they even included an “honorable mentions list” ? i am embarrassed to type mine out now TAGGING: @blossomingbeelzebug​​ @zhrets​​ @dirtyfilthysunshine​​ @prcphesise​​ @hyakiru​ @foxcharmed​

01. kaun komsott - ros sereysothea

this song actually lyrically has absolutely nothing to do with ziggy !!!!  kaun komsott /  កូនកំសត់ actually just means “poor/pitiful child” it’s just a khmer dub of a song from a taiwanese movie lol but i feel like this is the kind of music he would listen to that made him fall in love with, like ... humanity, as dumb as that sounds. it’s time period appropriate (late 60s/early to mid 70s), the song is really good and it’s SO emotional.  i could see him sitting in the apartment of his bandmates after being “found” and they teach him how to use the record player and he sits there going through each and every record they have and listening to this and its like the fucking scene in ratatootie where the goddamn rat can visualize tastes as colors but he would be so enamored with the song he would see it in colors or something i dunno.  something has definitely fucking happened to my brain because ever since nat and alex and i rewatched ratatootie we keep referencing it for our characters. anyways i ended up using an instrumental of kaun komsott in the final film i made as the song that plays during the end.  so this song just also means a lot to me because it’s part of how i made this character and the film/story i animated to go along with him, i am sure you are all absolutely sick of hearing me talk about it <3  

02. who can i be now - daveed booweyywywy now you found me, now can I be real?  can I be real? if it’s all a vast creation / putting on a face that’s new someone has to see / a role for him and me someone might as well be you

one of z’s most obvious character motifs is figuring out self identity through adopting different guises.  he markets himself as being so overly confident and almost arrogantly certain of himself -- rock god space idol whatever -- as his own way of learning who he thinks he might be underneath it all.  i think at first it started off a little innocuous, a ‘ fake it till u make it ’ thing at the least and maybe more obviously a ‘ im not a human so i have to pretend to be someone else ’ deal, but over time it became almost all consuming and just obliterated all his previously held sense of self in favor of some weirdly demented version of who he wanted to be.  683 starts off with the same core personality traits as ziggy: maybe he’s a little vain, a little selfish, but he’s very interested in creativity/self-expression and he wants to be thought of as a unique individual and appreciated for his differences.  but the difference is that 683 isnt an arrogant asshole who has no regard for other people in the slightest.  so yeah ... who can u be now ... is it worth it to adopt a different guise or should he go through the effort of figuring out what parts of his personality were corroded by human influence and what parts are genuinely him?  my big endgame thoughts for his story would be that he eventually just decides to retire from the public eye and fucks off entirely.  this would be over the course of a long long long time -- maybe he has a good 20 yr run in the industry -- but there are some things about him he has to deal with (mental health issues, drug addiction, also the fact that you’re a freaky alien creature who doesnt age like a human so you’re physically like 46 and you still look like you’re 25?) so he inevitably decides he doesnt need the horrible pressure of fame and he ought to just live his life for himself.  i think this would be a nice final song for him to sing/perform -- then he goes into the dressing room and cuts his hair and just vanishes. bye.

03. sunny afternoon - the kinks Help me, help me, help me sail away Well give me two good reasons why I oughta stay 'Cause I love to live so pleasantly Live this life of luxury Lazing on a sunny afternoon

1. i think this would sound A LITTLE like the kind of music he would write/play albeit i feel like his would be more exciting and have more samplings of like laser noises or pewpewpew or weird spaceship sounds BUT.  its also pretty time period appropriate.  even in “modern” verses ziggy is inexplicably obsessed with the 1970s, he likes bell bottoms and thinks groovy patterns are neat and he owns too many lava lamps.  anywayz. 2. just the general idea of feeling unfulfilled with luxury -- even if ziggy enjoys his fame and wealth and the absolutely insane amount of pussy/dick he gets at some level he is still cognizantly aware of how weirdly empty he feels.  he ditched atomina and came here because he felt unfulfilled and bored and unwanted.  now he feels wanted (clearly, everyone loves him) and he feels entertained (earth is So Good at fun distractions) but his fulfillment still isnt quite there.  he’s getting there -- but in exchange of being able to live this life of fame, he’s had to kind of change everything about himself and live this almost caricature version of himself, and he knows he cant keep it up forever.  the luxury will run out one day and he’ll be a washup and no one cares about celebrities once they stop being hip.  it is literally only a matter of time before ziggy has to find out who he is because no one can be a “rockstar” forever.

04. i hate jimmy page - mindless self indulgence SUCKAS CAN REACH OUT TOUCH ME EAT ME BITE DA FUTURE & FUCK DA PAST  I'm lower than most animals and fear what might be weird and all those voices in my head have every right to be there i ain't a girl just cause i rock the boat i ain't a boy just cause i rock your world

i mean he does hate jimmy page but that’s beside the point. its just a good song about being a crazy rockstar and has the same Craziness that i feel like accompanies his character ... just go listen to it you will understand. there is nothing to explain here.  even the lyric “ill show u how official midgets jack me off” like just accept it. it’s whatever  but yeah i aint a girl i aint a boy ... i guess his gender (or lack thereof) never really comes up in rp but its still an important part of his character.  if any of u guys ever call him a man in prose again ill kick ur ass.  gender is like an accessory to him and he just takes whatever aspects of masculinity/femininity he prefers and discards everything else.  to him he’s just as much a “man” or a “woman” as he is a “human” which is to say he isnt, at all, and he just pretends to be because he feels obligated to.  also ziggy’s brain kind of sounds like this...just Noises.  his brain sounds like a microwave that’s been going off for 26 years.  i think his brain is a single uncooked pinto bean rolled in glitter that’s been left in a box with a cobweb

05. ghostride - crumb daydreaming I stay in the backseat / the slow beat rocks me back to sleep keeps me on automatic  press my face up close against the glass i see the people when they pass they move so automatic you wake up when I go down / the radio reminds me I'm alive we've been hearing it all night

i care more about 683 on atomina than i do about ziggy on earth sometimes (BUT I CARE THEM BOTH. DO U?) so ... 683 feeling aimless and drifting but trying to find purpose through passion, a person, some sort of concrete meaning -- going through the motions of life makes him feel empty he spends almost every day going through the same toil while feeling guilty or like a burden and also feeling like he’s ultimately nothing more than a replaceable cog in a machine. his species had a near extinction = bottleneck which made them so genetically similar they’re almost clones of each other.  no one ever seems to do anything wrong except him, he finds no joy or fulfillment in anything at all.  all he ever wanted (which isnt a selfish desire at all) was to feel purpose, or feel wanted, or appreciated. inevitably he leaves because of his own imagination -- he yearns for something More, and he doesn’t know What, so he figured he ought to at least Try instead of waste his life away. also atomina is supposed to sound like “automatic.”  do NOT make fun of my bad scifi.  i am trying to mimic the way 1970s scifi is endearingly cheesy.  come here.  i just want to touch you with this knife.  gently tho it wont go inside of you. bro you are bleeding. bro we are bleeding and i keep putting the knife in your soft parts.

[trickstarbrave]

Question, why are your dice so expensive? I could buy several chessex sets for the price of one set of yours and I don't see the appeal at all. Why are you making them so expensive and then expecting people to buy them up? If you wan't actual customers I just think you should pay more attention to the price dice actually go for than jacking them up so high. Not to mention this isn't a great time to be asking people to buy expensive things like that... It's selfish.

first of all these arent chessex dice. if you want mass produced dice go right ahead, i own a lot of them too. theres nothing wrong with buying and collecting just that and if you want a lot of nice sets theyre a good way to go. but mine are not mass produced, and the reason mass produced sets are so cheap overall is because they are, well mass produced. you make a lot of them. the molds to make them and the big machinery are investments larger companies make in order to make a lot of dice. when you divide up those costs between hundreds upon THOUSANDS of sets of dice its not that much. 

my dice are handmade. im not saying you should buy them because theyre handmade if handmade means nothing to you. but because theyre handmade i can do a lot of things mass production cant do, like different effects, inclusions, and having sharp edges polished. again theres also a lot of effects only mass produced dice can have as well, so its not like i can do anything and there are pros and cons to each. but if youre asking the appeal, well then there are certain things youre only going to be able to get handmade. 

and because theyre handmade theyre more expensive expensive. if i charged what chessex does for theirs done nearly fully by machine i would be paying myself 2 dollars or less per hour and thats not even factoring into costs of materials or equipment. i have to hand make the molds, hand mix and pour small amounts of resin, i have to hand place tiny little embeds, i have to cut sprues and sand edges all by hand (before i would use a power tool a bit and do for other things now). i had to buy custom masters 3-d printed. i had to buy a pressure pot and air compressor so i could stop having failed casts filled with bubbles because of temperature fluctuations. i had to invest in sandpaper, polishing papers, a dremel. i had to buy silicone, and failed at making molds sometimes and had to eat that cost. i had to learn how to cast resin, different mold making methods and why they worked, how to sand and polish epoxy, how to use different materials. i had to buy every inclusion, all the resin, all the pigments and mica powders. and this doesn’t include the time i have to take to make every listing, photograph dice, social media management, and more. this is something i like doing yes but i cant just spend so much money on equipment and then just give them all away for basically free. 

and lastly i do know dice prices. i kinda have to. every single price increase was due to better equipment and learning, better materials, and done to try and adequately pay myself for my labor. i’m still, at best, getting about 10 bucks an hour which in many places isn’t that great and isn’t enough to survive on. im making what is barely a livable minimum wage from years of training and experimenting and honing a craft. and its not perfect, no! my dice probably arent the best you can buy handmade. there are people better than me and people who have been doing it longer. which is why mine are about middle of the road for handmade sets. ive seen them go as cheap as 25 bucks a set to 150 bucks a set. 60-70 is about where i feel rn is comfortable for the amount of time i put into it and my skill level. 

again i also cant tell you to buy from me rn. i get money is tight. i get theres a lot going on. ive also made donations, ive been unsure of things during covid. many people have lost their homes, or dont have proper food. if you can afford my dice i am not mad at you or upset, right now shit sucks. maybe you can never justify that much money on a dice set, i get it. i dont know you and dont need your lifes story. i dont want to make you feel you need to sacrifice even more to buy them if you dont want to or even cant and im not trying to pressure you into it.

but i cant fix all of these problems and i am not some multimillionaire demanding you cough up as much money as possible so i can hoard more wealth like a dragon. im a disabled lesbian. i was trying to be employed before this though a work program and that was set on hold as most places closed down entirely, and i sure as hell am going to be one of the last people anyone wants to give a job to in reopening. this is basically all i have to make money atm. and while times are tough i feel for some people things like a want for art or entertainment wont die. theres still ppl buying video games and art commissions and nice clothes. just right now a lot of people who would probably love to cant. and since i have no money i cant buy any of that other stuff rn either (luckily my gf and roommate have jobs so we can afford things like, food and rent). 

again buy chessex or any other brand of mass produced dice if you want to. if you dont care for expensive kinds dont buy them. im not going to force you to or guilt you into it. spend your money how you want to. the post was mainly so people who like that kind of thing and have the money for it can see it and make that decision for themselves. and if you personally dont like my stuff you can buy from another handmade seller if you decide you trust them more, i dont mind. im just... tryin to get by. making some dice. seeing if anyone will buy them so maybe i can make more bc there Isnt Much Else I Can Do Like This. 

tl;dr: dont buy my dice then and buy cheaper dice it doesnt hurt my feelings if you dont want to/cant buy what i make im not your mom i cant tell you what to do???? i am just trying to get by im an artist and im disabled idk what u want ME to do exactly in this equation 

[curly-q-reviews]

ROAD TO THE OSCAR MAYER WIENER AWARDS 2K19

Black Panther, 2018 (dir. Ryan Coogler)

Nominated for: Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Sound Editing, Best Sound Mixing

ok y’all lets get this party started with a movie i didnt get to catch in theaters (i think i ended up renting it) but people were absolutely raving about it all of last year, and for good reason i gotta say!  it was one of the better marvel films that came out last year (though in my humble opinion Infinity War takes the gold)

speaking of marvel lets talk about it for a spell!  lets have a lil sit-down chit-chat shall we!!  cause its kind of insane how much of an american media phenomenon marvel has become, they are arguably single-handedly responsible for reviving the superhero movie subgenre and now these types of movies bring hollywood more dineros than they probably know what to do with (besides make more superhero movies).  what used to be a niche market where only your most hardcore of nerdy types dared to dwell has been embraced into the mainstream wholeheartedly, and now its hard to imagine the american film industry without them. 

from a film critique standpoint, marvel movies seem to be a hit-or-miss as far as quality, however i cant really think of a particular marvel movie that i thought was a total piece of hot garbage (the first two Thor movies come close but they were more boring than anything else).  however last year was a real success for the studio, they just kept pumping out quality movies left and right and once disney managed to get its grubby lil mouse paws on Spider-man it was a done deal baby.  DC and other companies have tried again and again to recreate the success that Marvel has managed and so far they’ve failed to various degrees.  Marvel’s just got that special something with their cinematic universe, some magical combo of great actors and creative directors and an ever-expanding budget that keeps them staying at the top every time.

so whats my stance on superhero movies???  well theyre not my usual cup of tea but i gotta say they’re real damn entertaining.  i kinda view them like a high-speed ride at an amusement park, super fun and thrilling and exhilarating and just a real good time!  but thats about as far as it goes for me, and im sure thats the same for a lot of people.  to be honest its kinda refreshing to have movies that quality-wise are up to my standards that i dont have to think too hard about.  so for me the movies i typically go for are like museums, whereas superhero movies (and action movies in general) are like a carnival.  both entertaining and fun, but the latter is just all about letting loose and not wondering about the why’s and how’s.  when i think about it, this kinda mindset is for sure a factor in how these movies got so popular, because with the shitshow that is our current government and the potential imminent death of our planet people are once again looking for movies as a form of escapism, rather than a way to get deep and philosophical and ask the tough questions and see something profound. 

with that being said, despite some exceptions that have proven me wrong to my utter joy and delight (im looking at u Logan), i expect movies that are nominated for wiener awards to be more like museums than like carnivals y’know what i mean?  u catchin my drift???  u takin what im dishin out????  the academy awards have a long history of prestige, of nominating the best of the best of any given year. quite a few movies that won oscars are now considered to be timeless classics.  which is why superhero movies, at least the typical marvel types that are chocked to the brim with CGI and epic massive fight scenes and explosions, dont really strike me as anything that could eventually become a timeless classic.  the amount of computer-generated effects alone will make these movies feel really dated as soon as like five years from now with how fast technology is progressing.  i just dont see it happening.

and that brings us to the first wiener award nominee ill be talking about, Black Panther.  this isnt director Ryan Coogler’s first time at the rodeo; his first feature film Fruitvale Station received critical acclaim in 2013, and the spiritual Rocky sequel Creed actually got nominated for some oscars a few years ago.  so we’ve got a promising and talented director at the helm which is a great start!  we’ve also got a stellar cast with the likes of michael b. jordan (who has been in all of Coogler’s films so far), lupita nyong’o, angela bassett, and forest whitaker in the bunch.  it also has the astronomical financial backing of Supreme Overlord Disney so u know this is gonna be some high-quality shit.

so i’m gonna tell y’all why i think this movie got nominated for so many oscars, because in a way i do think this movie is deserving of noms from the academy.  theres no denying that it is very groundbreaking for a movie of this scale and magnitude to have a black director and a nearly all-black cast.  in fact, i think a lot of the crew members (including set and costume design) were black as well.  thats fuckin huge my guy.  and this movie was by no means a flop either; it ended up being one of the highest-grossing films of 2018 and stayed in theaters for a loooong-ass time.  and not only were the people on this project mostly black, the movie itself is a story praising and showing off the beauty of african culture without exotifying or demeaning it in any way.  like i can say 100% without a doubt that this movie deserves its best costume design nom cause holy shit the outfits in this movie are stunning, just the perfect blend of ancient/current tribal african aesthetics and a more futuristic sleek style that any fashion enthusiast can drool over.

i cant say much about best musical score or best sound mixing or anything like that cause it all seemed like typical marvel stuff to me and wasnt all that memorable.  however i can say that the production design on this movie, while it didnt impress me as much as costuming, did still impress me.  the one thing i gotta knock it on is all the fucken CGI, like whole entire towns and landscapes were digitally rendered.  i wouldve been a lot more impressed and would agree more to the production design nom if they used more practical effects and real sets/locations. 

so.  best picture.  this is where i feel the most conflicted.  cause this is where i now have to look past all the pretty fancy visuals and music and look at the actual meat of this movie, its story and characters.  usually best picture noms also get noms for things like best actress, best script, and best director, cause those are all really important elements of a good film.  ur movie can look and sound as pretty as it wants but if the storys shit and the characters are shit and the actings shit then u dont have much going for u.

and by no means am i saying that Black Panther was shitty in these aspects, it was just well.  passable.  it was ok.  but nothing to write home about

we got some good performances from newcomers letitia wright and chadwick boseman, lupita kills it as always, but then everyone else was like.  okay.  michael b. jordan didnt really do his best in this and idk if its the script’s fault or something but it was weird.  and speaking of the script it was uuuuhhhhh well.  not great.  every time i think about that “what are those” reference i die a little inside.  and the story overall wasnt really anything new when u break it down, just another “son of king struggles to take his place” narrative.  and that aspect of the story couldve actually been more developed into something interesting, i found myself really intrigued with the political scenes.  but there just wasnt enough of that cause they needed to make more room for the PEW PEW POW EXPLOSIONS

granted, movies with lots of shimmer but little substance have been nominated for best picture before (just look at James Cameron’s Avatar which is apparently getting a sequel now????????).  and its not even that this movie is completely devoid of substance cause theres some interesting things going on plot-wise, and some stand-out characters too (shuri is the boss and no one can tell me otherwise).  its just, u know, a good superhero movie.  nothing really profound about the story itself except for the cultural, historical, and social context behind it.

so lemme get back to why i think this movie got a best picture nom.  i think the academy wants to keep up their appearance of being #woke now by continuing to nominate more than one poc-heavy project each year, but they seem to be caring less and less about the actual overall quality of these movies.  and theres even some movies on the noms list that i think actually have what it takes to be a strong oscars contender, like If Beale Street Could Talk and BlacKkKlansmen.  but i think in Black Panther’s case, they were under a lot of pressure to give it top noms (or any noms at all) because of the intensely positive response this movie got, as well as the accusations of racism to people who didnt think it was as great as fans were saying. 

also i have no doubt that Supreme Overlord Disney like threw piles and piles of money at the academy like they tend to do (cause i’d bet good money thats the only fucken way Incredibles 2 got nominated for anything)

well anyway ive gone on long enough about this, lemme know what y’all think.  really the only nom im iffy about when it comes to this movie is Best Picture, but the others i think are well enough deserved, especially costume design.  so i guess the one thing i struggle with is this: does a movie becoming a pop culture phenomenon and being groundbreaking in its cast and crew count as enough for it to be nominated for the top prize of the wiener awards, despite any fallbacks in script, direction, and acting?  idk man im just hoping it doesnt get the award by default or something but then again maybe after watching all the other nominees it may turn out that the rest of them were worse than Black Panther i guess i’ll have to find out

stay tuned for my A Star Is Born review y’all stay fresh and funky eat ur vegetables stay in school u dont need drugs when ur high on life

[viralhottopics]

Nintendo Switch: hands-on with the world’s strangest games console

At a London launch, we got our first look at Nintendos hybrid gaming system, as well as playing Zelda, Splatoon 2 and more

Some are calling it Nintendos last chance. At least at manufacturing a games console. The creator of smash-hit machines since the original Nintendo Entertainment System in 1983 suffered an ignoble commercial failure with Wii U. Announced last year and revealed in full on Friday, the new Nintendo Switch machine has a lot to prove.

Its a typically idiosyncratic creation. Described as a hybrid system, it works as a traditional home console, plugging into your TV, but it can also be slid out of its dock and played on the go, via a built in screen. The concept is fascinating, merging the portable and home experiences into one product, but what about the practice?

On Friday afternoon, Nintendo held hands-on events in several cities around the world. Outside the Hammersmith Apollo in London, a long queue of lucky fans, media types and industry insiders waited patiently, many bleary-eyed from having stayed up until 4am watching Nintendos Switch console livestream from Tokyo. All were eager to get inside, away from the cold and towards Nintendos future. Heres what we discovered.

Hands-on with the machine

The Nintendo Switch games console. Photograph: Chesnot/Getty Images

Immediate first impressions. Its small. The central tablet-shaped unit is smaller than a Wii U GamePad and has the same size screen – 6.2 inches, which is smaller than an iPad Mini. The dock through which you connect the device to your television is just a little bulkier. The Joy-Con controllers, which can be connected to the sides of the Switch to turn it into a handheld console, are tiny. Wrap your fingers around them, perhaps for a motion-controlled game of boxing, and they almost feel like they could disappear. You might want to actually wear your wrist strap for these, and dont let your children run off with them or youll never find them again.

Still, with their curved edges and soft finish the Joy-Con are surprisingly comfortable in every possible configuration. The grip that turns a pair of Joy-Con into something that resembles a standard controller might look a bit silly – and canine – but it nestles snugly in the hand. It was difficult, however, to get a proper feel for the weight of both the grip and the handheld mode with Joy-Con attached to either side of the screen, because they were all attached to their stands with thick security cables.

Nintendo Switch in its box. Photograph: Nintendo

Because of the security measures, it wasnt possible to try much of the actual switching that gives the console its name, with one exception. When playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, attendees could switch from television to handheld mode by removing the Switch from its dock, which proved to be almost instant, and back again, which took a second longer. Placing the Switch in its dock didnt seem to quite have the satisfactory click expected, but that might again be blamed on the thick cable throwing off the balance.

Attendees werent allowed to try attaching the Joy-Con to the grip or the Switch itself, but the different games around the room were set up to be played in different ways. In handheld mode, games were displayed at 60fps and 720p, which looks pretty good on a screen that small. Some games were set up with the Switch as the display and the controllers detached, and for those it was common to see players leaning in to see more closely. It works, but is best saved for when you cant use a television.

Importantly, while it wasnt usually possible to test physical switching from one mode to another, moving between games set up to be played in different ways felt natural. Those with experience with the likes of analog sticks and triggers should have no problems adapting to the feel of the different control methods.

Hands-on with the games

Here are the titles we got a chance to play.

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Photograph: Nintendo

Given the popularity of this long-running adventure series, its unsurprising that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was the only game with a substantial queue. Many of the attendees had already played this demo at E3, but on a Wii U. The Switch version is largely similar, right down to the existence of Links Sheikah Slate, which was obviously meant to reflect the second-screen experience provided by the Wii U GamePad an experience you cant have on Switch because when its docked, the screen is not visible. You can of course undock your Switch and explore that beautiful world 720p but still lovely on the go, if only for up to three hours at a time.

1-2 Switch (Nintendo; launch title)

1-2 Switch. Photograph: Nintendo

The game that best showed off what the Joy-Con can do was 1-2-Switch, a collection of mini games designed to get players looking away from the screen and at each other. Each mini game on show was one-on-one competitive multiplayer, each player using a single Joy-Con to perform some action mimicking real life.

Quick Draw and Samurai Training use the accelerometer and gyro-sensors inside the controllers to test your reaction times, by respectively asking you to shoot your opponent or catch the sword they swing through your open hands. The latter also demonstrates the sturdiness of the Joy-Con, since you catch the sword by clapping the controller in your hand.

Ball Count and Safe Crack demonstrate the HD rumble technology in the devices that can make it feel like there are little balls rolling around inside the controller. Nintendo claimed that the rumble tech is so intricate it can even make the Joy-Con feel like a tumbler full of ice cubes. Its cool, but unlikely to be used to its full extent in many games.

But the 1-2-Switch mini game everyone was talking about was Milk, for which you hold the Joy-Con vertically, wrap your fingers around it, and move it up and down while applying rhythmic pressure to the top and bottom in turn. You know, to milk a cow. In the background, the screen shows a stylised view of a cows teats delivering the … product. Unsurprisingly, footage has already been a hit on social media.

These mini games are great the first time you try them, and would probably go down well at parties, just like the original Wii games did a decade ago, but the collection lacks the lasting appeal required to justify a purchase. Its a shame Nintendo hasnt chosen to bundle it in with the console, especially given the popularity of Wii Sports.

Snipperclips (Nintendo; March 2017)

Snipperclips. Photograph: Nintendo

Another game that caused a lot of buzz on the showroom floor was a cooperative 2D puzzle game that involves two shapes with feet and faces cutting chunks out of each other in order to create new shapes and solve challenges. Played in pairs with a Joy-Con each, Snipperclips fits well with the tendency players have to lean in when using the Switch on its kickstand as the display. Its unique mechanic feels very refreshing, and appropriate for a Nintendo console, but Snipperclips might not be as new as it seems. A very similar game called Friendshapes, from brothers Tom and Adam of SFB Games, was playable at EGXs Leftfield Collection back in 2015.

Arms (Nintendo; March 2017)

Arms. Photograph: Nintendo

Arms is reminiscent of the boxing game in Wii Sports, albeit with characters whose arms extend on springs and end in a variety of weapons. Hold two Joy-Con vertically and turned so that the buttons face inwards which is still comfortable but makes you grateful for the wrist strap and punch. You can also tilt the controllers to move, turn them inwards to shield, punch both at once to grab, press L and R to dash and jump, and press ZL or ZR to use a characters special move – heal while shielding, hover, teleport and so on. Theres plenty of strategy here, but just as boxing was the lesser played of the Wii Sports games because it required each player to have a nunchuck, Arms is likely to suffer from its need for two Joy-Con each, especially given their listed price of 75 a pair.

Splatoon 2 (Nintendo; summer 2017)

Splatoon 2. Photograph: Nintendo

Despite promises of a full sequel, Splatoon 2 feels very similar to the original, which will probably be just fine for those who racked up dozens or hundreds of hours and just want more of the same, or those who skipped the Wii U altogether and will experience it for the first time on Switch. The demo did include one new weapon, Splat Dualies, which let your squid shoot their coloured ink from both hands at once. Using motion controls in this case in handheld mode still feels gimmicky, fun at first but not ideal for fast-paced competitive play.

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo; 28 April)

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. Photograph: Nintendo

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe isnt pretending to be anything more than an upgraded version of Mario Kart 8, which will suit both those who want to bring that experience with them when they upgrade from Wii U to Switch, and those whove never played the game before. Changes include the introduction of a battle mode, some new characters including ones from Splatoon, and an optional smart steering feature that keeps players on the track.

But the biggest Switch-specific feature, of course, is the ability to play in many different ways. At the event, attendees could play eight-player local multiplayer in handheld mode, with the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller in television mode, or with the Switch on its kickstand and two players each using one Joy-Con in a tiny steering wheel. Any way you play it, Mario Kart 8 is still great.

Fast RMX (Shinen; March 2017)

Fast RMX. Photograph: Nintendo

This colourful futuristic racer looked great in 1080p and 60fps on the television mode, but it would have been good to test out how it plays in handheld mode, whether you can still play two-player splitscreen and if that causes the frame-rate to drop. Still, with little more to worry about than staying on the track and switching your anti-gravity vehicles colour in time to catch boost strips, Fast RMX is good simple fun.

And the rest

Sonic Mania. Photograph: Sega

Sonic Mania (Sega; Spring 2017) was described as a homage to Sonic. Its neither a new game nor strictly a reboot. The demo was the first level of the original Sonic but with added Tails and dash ability, and a different boss encounter at the end.

Skylanders Imaginators (Toys for Bob; Activision; 3 March) was demonstrated the NFC, with players bringing Skylanders into the game by tapping them against the right Joy-Con. It works well, but feels less magical than placing them on a solid pedestal.

Super Bomberman R (Konami; 3 March) was also played with two players with a Joy-Con each, leaning into the Switch on its kickstand. This setup seems to work well for retro-type games, and well probably see more come to Switch.

Just Dance 2017 (Ubisoft; 3 March) also worked well with each player holding just one Joy-Con, their small size and light weight an advantage for those who want to forget theyre holding a controller at all.

A Nintendo Switch launch event. Photograph: Chesnot/Getty Images

Our verdict

As its name suggests, the main selling point of the Switch is the ability to play it in all sorts of different configurations. Though it was disappointing not to be allowed to try many of these actions at the event, most of the configurations were available and proved viable even if they sacrificed some resolution or power or in the case of leaning in to better see the Switch on its kickstand comfort. The question is whether people will see these options as reason enough to buy.

If were going to question the necessity of certain features, when will we see why the Switch needed a capacitive touch screen? What games will make the HD rumble worth whatever extra cost it added to the expensive Joy-Con controllers? Without having 1-2-Switch bundled in with every console, will players care about the motion controls and will developers bother to create more games that use them? Will there be enough online content to justify paying a monthly subscription after the free introductory period ends?

Of course, you could just see these features as a bonus to a console that looks and feels great, but then the selling point has to be the games. As far as launch titles go the Switch is lacking, but then the hardcore fans wholl buy the console on day one will likely be satisfied with just the huge open-world Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. And for those who wait for Christmas therell be lots more to choose from, supposedly including a new open-world Mario game in Super Mario Odyssey.

As for third-party developers, word on the show floor was that the Switch is far easier to develop for than the Wii U, which could translate to better third-party support. Given the architecture is apparently similar to the latest Sony and Microsoft machines, it should at least be easier for developers to port across their PS4 and Xbox One games to bulk out the Switch library. Whether they do this or not will depend on whether the console shows signs of success. Low initial sales can quickly cause a vicious cycle in which publishers withdraw support and further lower a consoles chances.

This was a fun event, filled with familiar Nintendo experiences, but doubts remain. Given what happened with the Wii U, heres hoping Nintendo can switch things up.

Read more: http://ift.tt/2jPmYMO

from Nintendo Switch: hands-on with the world’s strangest games console