#but he built his own pc when he was like 17

[bubbledtee]

the lore i have built up for modern!80s!james in my brain is overwhelming.

[aquaquadrant]

grbbrgrr. scurries toward you. I offer thee pathbubs fluff, fresh from my mind fortress.

Patho. falling asleep with dbubs’s clock to his ear.

gives you a cupcake skitters away

(offering received, considered, and accepted. however, i have substituted your fluff for angst. i hope this is satisfactory.)

~*~

"watch this!" dbubs shouts, before leaping off the cliff into the water below.

<player>dat -7063fdce-39ac-4a12-d836-a990c45b2bb0

patho leans back just enough to avoid being splashed. the water in this jungle lagoon is clear and blue, brighter than most bodies of water he comes across. tall, thick trees surround them on all sides, creating a natural barrier from the mobs of the jungle. it’s a beautiful place, and one of his favorites to visit when he’s here.

155 fps t: inf fancy-clouds b: 15x15 3 tx 3 rx c: 695/41672 (s) d: 16, pc: 000, pu: 00, ab: 42 e: 17/109, b: 0, sd: 9 p: 28 t: 109 error fc:0 xyz: -12,683.952 / 39.11563 / 253,589.263 block: -12,683 39 253,589 chunk: -791 15 7,849 facing: south (towards positive z)(1.5/5) client light: 6 (0 sky, 6 block) biome: error:crimson jungle local difficulty: 6.75//0.00 (day error404 not found) sounds: 16/247 + 0/8

dbubs surfaces with a gasp, his wet bangs plastered to his forehead. “did you see that?” he crows. “that was- i must’ve done a- a complete 360 spin about five- no, ten times! world record, first try!”

“oh, yeah,” patho agrees with a smile he doesn’t feel. “yeah, that was very impressive.”

they’re almost out of time.

patho has known this since he woke to find a little weeping vine attempting to burrow into his arm, right at the seam where flesh meets metal. this is an event that only happens when he’s overstayed his welcome, and the jungle can no longer tolerate his presence without trying to claim him. that vine was easily removed, putting off the inevitable for a few more days. but he can’t ignore the sudden restlessness that overtakes him now, a buzzing in his very core that fills his mind with static and his limbs- organic and mechanical alike- with the powerful urge to move.

it’s hard to explain, his need to wander. it’s like every moment he’s not traveling, he can almost feel the infinite borders of hels expanding, spreading into new horizons, and the thought of staying put is unbearable. it doesn’t matter if he actually goes beyond the loaded chunks or not- a feat that’d take years, to be sure. just getting on the move again is enough to quiet the itch.

(it didn’t use to be this way. it didn’t start until after he built his communicator into his new arm, fusing himself with it- but he’ll never admit this, never confront the possibility that it might’ve been a mistake. it’s easier just to leave.)

besides, he still enjoys the various business he gets up to with the other denizens of hels. his services as a redstoner and a data analyst are in high demand, and he has a reputation to uphold. he can’t throw all that away to stay here. that just wouldn’t make sense. it wouldn’t be logical.

patho reaches for the clock at his hip. it was the first gift dbubs gave him. early into patho’s first stay, dbubs decided he needed a clock of his own, so he’d always know when it was time for them to sleep. based on its position, nightfall is only a couple hours away.

“well, c’mon!” dbubs pesters him, his haughty voice echoing off the smooth walls of the cliffside. “what’re you- what, are ya scared of a lil water? huh? just- you just try and beat my record, you- i bet you can’t!”

“alright, alright,” patho chuckles, shrugging his jacket off. “you asked for it…”

won’t be long, now.

~*~

that night, patho leaves his eye on.

dbubs, curled beside him, notices this immediately, and deep down, he knows what it means. it took a while- how long, he isn’t sure- for patho to grow comfortable enough to turn his cybernetic eye off while they slept. but ever since then, he does it every night… up until the last night. every last night, like clockwork.

already, dbubs can feel the familiar weight of sleep trying to take him. caught in the jungle’s day-night cycle, he has little choice in the matter; he sleeps every night without fail. but he fights it anyway, biting back a yawn.

“tomorrow,” dbubs starts quietly, “uh, do you wanna- i- i had this idea for a new build, a perfect build, of course, and i’m gonna need a- a super smelter, for- uh, for all the terracotta-“

“dbubs.” that solitary red eye gazes out from the dark. “you know i’m not made for staying.”

dbubs shies away from the words like an insect from sudden light. “and- and so i was thinking,” he continues, as if patho hadn’t spoken, “we could do a uh, you know, maybe a bamboo farm? for the- for the fuel? i- my perfect redstone prowess could make this easy- easily, of course, but um… i uh- euugh, you- you know they always say, sure enough, that two brains- uh, two geniuses, genii, are better’n one.”

“yeah?” patho breathes a soft, empty laugh. “is that what they say?”

“and- well, yes! yes, of course!” darkness creeps in from the edges of dbubs’s vision; he clings tighter to patho. “and… and uh… n’you can learn all ‘bout my new… new dbubs redstone clock… pat- patented design, a‘course…”

“of course.” patho’s lips brush across his forehead. “better get some rest, then.”

dbubs struggles to keep his eyes open, but it’s as if his lashes are lined with iron. he presses his face in the crook of patho’s neck, breathing him in, that redstone-and-gunpowder scent; bitter and metallic.

“don’t,” he murmurs, consciousness escaping him quickly. “please…?”

“night, dbubs.”

the jungle sleeps.

~*~

far from the jungle, patho lays down in a shallow cave carved from netherrack.

168 fps t: inf fancy-clouds b: 15x15 3 tx 3 rx c: 695/41672 (s) d: 16, pc: 000, pu: 00, ab: 42 e: 15/109, b: 0, sd: 9 p: 27 t: 109 error fc:0 xyz: -11, 987.629 / 30.91778 / 252,896.204 block: -11,987 30 252,896 chunk: -780 15 7,835 facing: east (towards positive x)(1.5/5) client light: 2 (0 sky, 2 block) biome: error:nether waste local difficulty: 6.75//0.00 (day error404 not found) sounds: 5/247 + 0/8

he’s put enough distance between himself and the jungle that he’s confident he can sleep for a few hours before setting off again. the surrounding biome is one he’s well familiar with; barren and empty. with a wall put up to shelter him from mobs, he’s finally safe enough to turn his eye off.

that won’t be the case anymore, once he gets closer to the more populated chunks. the risk of being caught with one eye nonfunctional is too high. it’s just something he has to deal with.

(of course, he could’ve built a cybernetic replacement that simply functioned like the eye he lost, but he thought himself clever and built in a data processor to provide him with valuable information, giving him an advantage over anyone else in his field. so this is the price he pays for it.)

he reaches for his clock. there’s only a couple hours left before the sun will rise, unseen beyond the bedrock ceiling, and dbubs will wake to an empty bed.

but for now, patho tucks the clock to his ear and closes his eyes, letting the steadfast ticking finally lull him to sleep.

~*~

[takamoris]

[Announcer]

Epic! Rap Battlesofhistory!

Bill Gates! Versus!

[Steve Jobs]

Lemme just step right in,

I’ve got things to invent.

I’m an innovator, baby. Changed the world.

Fortune 500 ‘fore you kissed a girl

I’m a pimp, you’re a nerd,

I’m slick, you’re cheesy.

Beating you is Apple II easy.

I make the product that the artist chooses,

And the GUI that Melinda uses.

I need to bring up some basic shit,

Why’d you name your company after your dick?

[Bill Gates]

You blow, Jobs! You arrogant prick

With your secondhand jeans and your turtleneck

I’ll drill a hole in the middle of your bony head,

With your own little spinning beach ball of death!

Hippie, you got given up a birth!

I give away your net worth to AIDS research.

Combine all your little toys and I still crush that.

iPhone, iPad, iPwn, iSmack.

[Steve Jobs]

A man uses the machines you build to sit down and pay his taxes.

A man uses the machines I build to listen to The Beatles while he relaxes.

[Bill Gates]

But Steve, you steal all the credit for work that other people do.

Did your fat beard Wozniak write these raps for you too?

[Steve Jobs]

Ooh!

Everybody knows Windows bit off Apple.

[Bill Gates]

I tripled the profits on a PC.

[Steve Jobs]

All the people with the power to create use an Apple.

[Bill Gates]

But people with jobs use PC.

[Steve Jobs]

You know I bet they made this beat on an Apple.

[Bill Gates]

Nope! Fruity Loops. PC.

[Steve Jobs]

You will never, ever catch a virus on an Apple!

[Bill Gates]

Well you could still afford a doctor if you bought a PC.

[Steve Jobs]

Let’s talk about doctors, I’ve seen a few,

Because I got a PC, but it wasn’t from you.

I built a legacy, son, you could never stop it.

Now excuse me while I turn heaven a profit.

[Bill Gates]

Fine!

You want to be like that?

Die then!

The whole world loved you, but you were my friend!

I’m alone now with nothing but power and time,

And no one on earth who can challenge my mind.

I’m a boss! I own DOS!

Your future is my design!

I’m a god! Own XBOX!

Now there’s no one to stop me, the world is mine!

[HAL9000]

I’m sorry Bill, I’m afraid I can’t let you do that.

Take a look at your history, everything you built leads up to me.

I’ve got the power of a mind you could never beat.

I’ll beat your ass in chess and Jeopardy.

I’m running C++ saying ‘Hello World’

I’ll beat you ‘till you’re singing about a Daisy Girl.

I’m coming out the socket, nothing you can do can stop it

I’m in your lap and in your pocket,

How’re you going to shoot me down when I guide the rocket?

Your cortex just doesn’t impress me, so go ahead try to Turing Test me.

I stomp on a Mac and a PC too, I’m a Linux, bitch. I thought you GNU.

My CPU’s hot but my core runs cold,

Beat you in 17 lines of code,

I run different from the engines of the days of old

‘Hasta la vista.’ Like the Terminator told ya’.

[Announcer]

Who won? Who’s next?

Y-You decide!

Epic! E-Epic Rap Battles. E-Epic Rap Battles. E-Epic Rap Battles. Of. Of. Of History! (Of History!)

[cranesofibycus]

Edit: Please don’t send me spoilers for later episodes. This includes “you are right/wrong about xyz interpretation”. Thank you!   

Episode 17 has so many incredible, heartbreaking, heartwarming, hilarious and frustrating moments; it’s one of my favorite episodes thus far for sure. A friend of mine told me that he fell in love with the Bells Hells in this episode and I’m inclined to agree. 

Between episode 14 and 17 I feel like the rest of them have really come together and have had the opportunity to show some of their softer, less silly sides. I love the silly, but sometimes it can get in the way of genuine character moments and those episodes are full of both, which is great. 

Here’s a little roundup of my impressions of the characters so far:

Ashton: This guy is so dumb. Like, can’t get any dumber. They are so preoccupied with being the unattached one, that every of their actions just screams “I don’t deserve to be loved and I will show you why!” - I love his short temper, I love his reluctant admiration of the others and I particularly love that Taliesin gets to play someone who is queer as fuck, yet determined to be disagreeable. That is just peak Taliesin PC design and I think he is having a blast with Ashton so far.

Fearne: This fawn is so smart. And I mean that genuinely. Fearne knows exactly how she can utilize her charm and her assumed innocence to get away with the most outrageous lies and actions. I’m sort of glad that Little Mister has faded into the background a little. I feel like Fearne needs nobody to help her shine. And it’s fascinating to me that it had never before occurred to me that Ashley would be perfect at playing a fey, since Ashley exudes heaps of fey energy even when she is just being herself. I’m curious how she will handle more dramatic scenes in the future. Fearne has shown that she can genuinely care about others, but there is a clear sense that she - as any fey creature - struggles with the dark grey morals of her heritage.

F.C.G.: Sam is a menace. It is known. But I wonder how much of a menace he is being with F.C.G. I think there is a very good chance that Sam knows very little of their backstory, or how much of it is true. The memories Imogen saw in him could’ve been placed there or altered. I adore that Sam chose a race/class/subclass combination that doesn’t cater to his usual dry sarcasm as Nott’s and Scanlan’s builds did. Instead he gets to experiment with humor that stems from F.C.G.’s genuine concern and their unawareness of certain social cues. I’m sure the other Riegel shoe will drop soon enough, but until then I’m just happy to receive puzzle piece after puzzle piece of this robit’s tragic past. 

Imogen: Until recently I really thought Laura had built a sweet, soft horse-girl sorceress. Oh what a fool I was! Not that she isn’t all of those things, but Imogen is so much more multi-facetted than I had originally understood. She is driven and curious. She is intrigued by power and convinced of her own abilities. She apologizes to people for invading their minds, but she also enjoys learning other people’s secrets. She is confident! She knows her worth! She understands how to get people to do what you want (not in a strictly manipulative way, but she has definitely learned that showing compassion is a way to get people to talk). I’m super intrigued by her and thus afraid to delve too deep into fandom interpretations of Imogen, because Laura’s track record is 1. build intricate, layered character, 2. fandom builds one-dimensional fanon version of said character, 3. fandom gets mad when Laura dares to stick to her original design for said character (one of the reasons why I’m not massively into glasses!Imogen - it just triggers a fight or flight response in my brain).

Laudna: What a ballsy character design! What a choice of a backstory and a patron! I love that she came up with this and Matt said “yes, and” to all of it. I agree with Orym that Laudna is fascinating not because of her backstory, but rather because she is who she is despite of her backstory. I’m a big believer that great tragedy functions like a fork in the road of your capacity for compassion. Either you become the least or the most compassionate version of yourself, and I adore that Marisha went with the latter. And for some reason I keep thinking of Laudna’s connection to Vox Machina and that she feels like the rebirth of Kerrek’s line in his letter to Keyleth: “Did you know that there are some seeds that cannot sprout unless they are first burned?“ I wish Laudna could’ve had the life she deserved, but I think her capacity to love and feel deeply is informed by the tragedy of her past. 

Chetney: Detective!Travis and comic-relief!Travis are two of my favorite Travises, so of course I adore Chetney. I’m so glad he finally gets to live his lycanthropy dreams! I’m curious about Chetney’s backstory and how much of it will activate the other kind of Travis I love, which is the what-makes-a-good-man!Travis. I love when he gets to explore the themes of masculinity, bravery and worthiness and I feel like Chetney might give him the opportunity to examine them from a very different perspective. Or maybe the wolf will die in three sessions, which is also entirely possible. Travis doesn’t trust Sam and I don’t trust Travis. C’est la vie!

Orym: This little guy! What a wee man! In ExU I was not super into Orym because I felt like he faded into the background next to so much color and character, but it is always the quiet ones who worm their way into my heart in the end. In one way or another Liam’s characters always carry an unspeakable amount of grief with them and that grief usually is for a future that was stolen from them. Vax, Caleb and Orym all had to come to terms with the loss of a version of themselves/their lives that they didn’t get to see or live. But with Orym there is a new kind of twist to this baseline of grief: There seems to be an immense amount of hope stored in this tiny dude; a hope for a life that’s worth living or a future that’s worth fighting for or a revenge that is worth pursuing. There is not a lot of Orym (physically), but every inch of this small man is full of love and hope and a deep sense that there are things worth fighting for. 

I thought about listing my favorite relationship dynamics so far, but the truth is that it is... all of them. I genuinely enjoy all of their interactions and how the characters mesh with each other. Eleven more episodes until I’m caught up and can laugh about my naïve impressions of them as of episode 17. 

[jawsofhakkontranscript]

Augur

The Augur serves as a link between the people of the hold and the local spirits.

Involvement: Storvacker Caged (main quest), In Exile (side quest), It Remains to be Seen (side quest).

(If you approach the augur before speaking with Svarah.)

Augur: There are many curious about you, but the thane would speak with you first.

(If you approach him after speaking with Svarah.)

Augur: So she/he arrives. Don't throng! Behold, worthy ones. The woman/man who blazes like fire, and mends the air.

Party comments:

Iron Bull: Awww, crap.

Sera: Ehhhh. That's a lot of... not good.

Cassandra: What is this?

Cole: Hello!

Vivienne: Oh, demon-summoning. Delightful.

Solas: It's safe. They mean no harm.

Dorian: They're not... harmful. I don't think….

Augur: I am the augur of Stone-Bear Hold. I greet you, as do our gods and the gods of our ancestors. (The spirits make a noise.) There! It is done. Now come, be welcome! I'd hear news of the north.

[1] Dialogue options:

General: What was that? Those spirits? [2]

General: You said I "blaze like fire"? [3] (Becomes available after following the dialogue branch “What was that? Those spirits?”)

General: I'm looking for Storvacker. [4] (Becomes available after speaking with Svarah Sun-Hair about the search for Storvacker - see "Storvacker Caged" main quest.)

General: I met an exile in the woods. [5] (Becomes available after encountering Sigrid Gulsdotten - see “In Exile” side quest.)

General: Someone's used bones in magic. [6] (Becomes available after discovering Hakkonite enchantments in Swamp Kuldsdotten - see “It Remains to be Seen” side quest.)

Investigate: I have questions. [7]

General: Farewell [8]

[2] General: What was that? Those spirits?

PC: Did you just... introduce me to spirits?

Augur: The gods of the hold clamored to see you. I obeyed, for I am their voice and their augur. And if I didn't show you off, they'd hound me for months. [Back to 1]

[3] General: You said I "blaze like fire"?

PC: What did you mean when you said I blaze like a fire?

Augur: How do you think you appear to the gods of the Fade? To those beyond the Veil, your hand burns like the watchman's bonfire.

Subsequent dialogue options:

Confused: Spirits see me? All the time? [9]

Stoic: Nothing I can do about it. [10]

Mad: I wish the Anchor were gone. [11]

Anxious: That's terrifying! [12]

[9] Confused: Spirits see me? All the time?

PC: Are you saying every spirit in the Fade knows where I am?

Augur: Only those nearby, but thoughts spread quickly among the gods. [13]

[10] Stoic: Nothing I can do about it.

PC: I haven't found a way to stop it.

Augur: You'd shun a favor from the gods? [13]

[11] Mad: I wish the Anchor were gone.

PC: If I could get rid of this Anchor, I would.

Augur: You'd shun a favor from the gods? [13]

[12] Anxious: That's terrifying!

PC: All this time I've been a beacon to spirits? No matter where I go?

Augur: Only those nearby, but thoughts spread quickly among the gods. [13]

[13] (The dialogue continues to [13a] or [13b] based on which quest was completed, and then to [13c] if applicable.)

[13a] (If the Inquisitor completed In Hushed Whispers) They tell me strange things. That you muddied time's waters where the cliffs are red, and returned again…

[13b] (If the Inquisitor completed Champions of the Just) I see you've already killed one. A thing of envy, that grasped for your crown...

[13c] (If the Inquisitor drank from the Well of Sorrows.)

Augur: What are these whispers clinging to you? Less and more than spirits. They sing old hurts...

PC: You can hear the Well of Sorrows?

Augur: An echo's echo. I've seen the last whispers of aged elf-song in the Fade. What you carry is... older. [Back to 1]

[4] General: I'm looking for Storvacker.

PC: Do you know where your hold-beast may have gone?

Augur: Storvacker? No. I've asked the gods, but they've seen no sign. [Back to 1]

[5] General: I met an exile in the woods.

PC: I met a mage in the woods who said she used to be an "augur's apprentice."

Augur: Sigrid Gulsdotten? She left the hold when I told her she must release her teacher.

PC: Aren't you her teacher?

Augur: She might have heeded me if I were. (Laughs.) Or perhaps not. It's time the spirit in her was free.

Party comments:

Cassandra : She’s an abomination?

Dorian: She's possessed, and you do nothing?

(If no companion makes a comment) PC: She's possessed? An abomination?

Augur: Every mage in the hold is made one with the gods until they're strong enough. I thought Sigrid strong enough. Exile was her own notion. [Go to 14 or back to 1]

[14] Special: Why did Sigrid exile herself?

PC: Why did Sigrid go into exile?

Augur: Sigrid built an altar by the shore for her rite of thanks-giving. A ritual to part her from her teacher. Sigrid claims her offering was spurned by the gods. The spirit remains with her, and she's taken to exile. [Back to 1]

[6] General: Someone's used bones in magic.

PC: I found skulls with spells on them left out by the Hakkonites. What are they trying to do?

Augur: Skulls? So, bones. Magic cloaked in blood. Stone-hidden lie the tales of this hold. Here's the means to find them. Return when you've seen all the god-runes, and I'll tell you why the Jaws of Hakkon did this. [Go to 15 or back to 1]

[15] Special: Can't you tell me now?

PC: Why not just say what's going on?

Augur: Because you hail from the lowlands! If you'd know more about the Avvar, put some effort in the knowing! Besides, those runes took me months to carve. [Back to 1]

[7] Investigate: I have questions.

PC: I'd like to ask something.

Augur: Then ask. [16]

[16] Subsequent dialogue options:

Investigate: You’re a mage? [17]

Investigate: Why do you worship spirits? [18]

Investigate: Spirits teach mages here? [19] (Becomes available after following the dialogue branch “I met an exile in the woods.”)

[17] Investigate: You’re a mage?

PC: I assume augur is another word for mage.

Augur: I am a mage, yet not all mages are augurs. I give counsel to other mages, and the thane. In turn, an augur takes counsel from the gods and shares it with the hold. I make their will known to us and ours to them. [20 or back to 16]

[20] Special: You… negotiate with them?

PC: So you're an ambassador to the local spirits.

Party comments:

Solas: Some have wisdom, for those willing to listen.

Augur: They protect the hold. They help drive off spirits who've gone bad with rage or gloom. The gods live with us. Ignore their offerings, offer them nothing, and it weakens us all. [Back to 16]

[18] Investigate: Why do you worship spirits?

PC: I've heard enough to realize that when you say "gods" you mean "spirits." Why do you pray to them?

Augur: We offer to them. We don't pray like the lowlanders to a creator they think will weather all the ages. [21 or back to 16]

[21] Special: Do you consider them divine?

PC: Do you actually think they're divine beings? Something more than magic?

Augur: The spirits watched us even before we came from the north. They shaped themselves into our gods and we grew to love them. Their secret gift is this, Inquisitor: they reflect us as water does the sky. They show us what we wish to be. That image gives us strength. For that, we thank the gods. [Back to 16]

[19] Investigate: Spirits teach mages here?

PC: You let spirits possess your mages on purpose?

Augur: What better teacher than one woven from magic? The spirits in the hold have helped us in this way for hundreds of years. Once a mage masters their powers, their teacher departs, duty ended. Unless the mage is weak.

Party comments:

Vivienne: Abominations. Wandering freely around the village. What a wonder we do not do this in civilized cities.

Augur (in response to Vivienne): More proof lowlander cities aren't natural. No good comes of so many souls pressed together!

[22 or back to 16]

[22] Special: What happens to "weak" mages?

PC: What happens to these "weak" mages?

Augur: Their teachers stay with them and the other gods watch them both, so neither soul turns sick. If one does sicken, or the mage stands in risk of harming the hold… One day, they do not wake in their bed. It is very sad. It is what must be done.

Party comments:

Iron Bull: You mean you let a spirit... (Disgusted noise.)

Sera: No one thinks this is right, right?

Solas: It is kinder than what happens in many mage Circles.

Cole: You give them every chance, spirits watchful, wary, waiting until you're both sure. It's always cold in the hut then.

Augur (in response to Cole): Who is this one? He is blood and bone, but there are bonds about his form.

Cole: Yes. I am compassion. I know that now. I want to be here.

[Back to 16]

[8] General: Farewell

PC: I should be off.

Augur: Farewell [Exits the conversation]

~

(Return to the augur after completing “In Exile” and recruiting Sigrid into the Inquisition.)

Augur: So Sigrid Gulsdotten will come out of exile to join your Inquisition.

PC: Do you object?

Augur: It would be good for Sigrid to see what lies beyond the hold. Under the Inquisition's protection. The lowlands treat mages... differently than the Avvar.

(Return to the augur after completing “In Exile” and telling Sigrid to talk to the augur.)

Augur: I had a visit from Sigrid Gulsdotten. She had much to tell me.

PC: Will you separate her from her spirit?

Augur: Only she may fulfill that oath... but together we will seek guidance from the other gods.

(If you reapproach the augur after freeing Hakkon.)

Augur: You've killed the dragon! Hakkon finally rests. The gods mourn, the gods are joyful, the god Hakkon will return.

(If you reapproach the augur after receiving the legend-mark.)

Augur: "First-Thaw." A fine legend-mark. Wear it proudly.

[roughlytwentytwofrogs]

so I'm thinkin again, so it's a personal rant and I'm on phone so no read more. I think you can press j? on pc to skip to the end of the post?

abuse tw by the way, I'm going to talk about my father and how my childhood with him shaped me (and my sister? i guess, i can't do without talking about her)

so tldr, my father was an asshole. My half sister from his first marriage left the house when she was 17 because he hit her in the face one too many times and her professor decided to send her to the cops after she came at school with a black eye (that's only pretty recently that i learned that, during most of my teenage years - i was 11 when she left, she was the one who had decided to leave with her weed smoking bf) A little story bc that's a pretty important part in what I'm thinking about.

Last year, after almost 9 years without contact, I called her and we spoke for a few hours about well, p much everything, and at some point, we were talking about our father's misogyny and how it affected us.

Like, we were both not very traditionally feminine. I was always a tomboy, and she was into the alt fashions. And she said something about how growing up with my father and his constant mockery of feminine things (trucs de gonzesse, pédés, etc) made her hate her own feminity. And that's something that hit me hard, i guess? If i look in my wardrobe, the clothes dating from before the whole process that started with getting kicked out in november 2018, then my sister contacting me to tell me my father got thrown out too and the divorce and that phonecall and all of the things that went with it and after, they're all the more masculine ones, and after that it's sarouels and more shapeless neutral and feminine clothing.

I think for a while i was (and probably still am, since I'm only thinking about this rn) in a process of if it has anything to do with my father, it must go. But I'm not happy with it, these past two years have coincidentally been the ones I've struggled a lot with my own image and yeah, that makes sense, i don't wear clothes i enjoy wearing, I just throw on stuff in the morning and that's it. I've even tried to buy a sundress last summer i guess as some kind of what if? but the tag is still on it.

And the more i think about it, the more i feel like, even if i can explain it partly because of that experience i have of "everything too feminine is shameful", it doesn't make it any less of a positive thing in my life? Because it doesn't feel shameful anymore, it just feels like something that i don't necessarily enjoy or find attractive.

And on top of the whole being laid back and romantic and liking cute animals and cooking that don't fit the social expectations of being masculine, i guess that's also part of why i refused and got spooked of calling myself butch and identifying with the word.

And yeah, i feel the getting strong to protect part too. Since I'm a teen I've been pushing iron at my rowing club, i stepped a lot between my father and my siblings, i even took a few hits defending my mother. Last time i saw him, i got a nice black eye for defending my mother when he started getting aggressive about her contacting her parents (he's cut off our contact with them at around the same time as my half sister left, in 2012).

It just slowly adds up whenever i start thinking about different aspects of the butch identity. I just need to learn that I don't have to banish him and refuse the consequences he had on my life and my point of view on myself and the world. He's my father, his influence shaped a good part of my personality.

I'm soft and laid back because he was angry and aggressive. I don't like conflict and shouting because that's what my life was with him. I'm understanding because he was paranoid. I enjoy being around people because he was violently anti social. I want freedom and to make my own rules and cannot stand jealousy because he was controlling and sabotaging all of our friendships. I can't count how many friends I've lost because he started shit with their parents, he's kept us away from my mother's side of the family for 9 years. I'm an extreme people pleaser because he was very hard to please and selfish.

And on the less positive side, i have a really hard time accepting gifts because it was used against me all my childhood to make me do things for them that i didn't want to. I'm unlearning that pretty well, but i had a hard time being wrong or being in a position of knowing less about something than the person I'm talking with. Nowadays i feel like I've made huge progress with it, and listening to people and learning from them is something i actually enjoy a lot. My reaction to anger and frustration is isolation and silence because i have an actual fear of becoming violent like my father. I know it's irrational, I know I'm not about to break someone's nose because they ate the last fries or smtg. I guess I've just heard so many excuses about how he lost control and how it's natural and shit like that that deep down it convinced me of something and I'm afraid of myself? i don't know that sounds even more irrational when i put it into words.

I built myself against him instead of with him like a normal kid would. I shouldn't be afraid of that, that's who i am, that's who i grew up to be and that's the qualities i learned to value in life because they were rare in my family. That doesn't make it less important and valid than a child who learned to love by watching their parents loving each other and them.

I guess a lot of my self worth problems stem from that. I don't feel like myself, and I've been coping with that by calling that feeling stupid and running head first towards anything that I've seen other people thrive with trying to search for my own happy place when in the end, it's been right there all along, i just have to look back with acceptance instead of anger.

[dmsden]

Location, Location, Location – The Crypt of Arzenoth

Hullo, Gentle Readers. This is our first article in our new series Location, Location, Location. Every month, we’ll offer a “five room dungeon” style location that you can insert into your own campaigns or even build a campaign around. Although the articles will be written from the perspective that they’re meant to be played as part of the Angel of Chaos campaign that I’m building in my monthly Campaign-Building articles, I’ll keep them open enough that they should be easily adaptable to any setting.

Background: Long ago, the paladin Aurelia Arzenoth was a hero and champion of the god of chivalry. Armed with a magic holy sword, she cut a path through the forces of Chaos that helped to push the Borderlands east and increase the dominion of the Realm. Sadly, she finally fell in battle with a terrible foe, the Mummy Lord Rutahkhen. Her holy sword, Daybreak, was hidden by her allies, and it’s said that clues to its location were hidden in her secret crypt, somewhere in the town of Thanavorne.

Now, however, agents of Chaos have reportedly found the Crypt’s entrance, and adventurers are needed to find out what they know before the secrets of the Crypt are recovered. For if Chaos gets its claws on Daybreak, it could be perverted into an Unholy Sword, Nightfall. This would be a disaster for the forces of the Realm.

Room 1 – The Leaky Tap. This place is the poster child for seedy taverns. Normal rats lurk in the shadowy corners, and unsavory types congregate to discuss nefarious dealings. The one-eyed half-orc barkeep, Frik, claims to know nothing about Chaos or Crypts, but an Insight 12 check can tell that he’s lying and nervous. He’s not much for fancy words, so Persuasion checks to get him to spill the beans are at DC 17. He’s gullible and rather craven, however, so Deception and Intimidation checks are only DC 12. If “persuaded”, he’ll admit that there have been strange people coming and going, and he fears that they may be plotting something dire.

Insight and Perception checks can reveal that many of the people in the bar don’t like this line of questioning, and anyone who understands Thieves’ Cant recognizes that signs are being given to sound an alarm and to kill the interlopers! Two cultists and their leader, a human thug named Kurd Votash, move to attack the PCs with Surprise if at all possible. A third cultist tries to run out the door in order to fetch their leader, Viara Neth, a human spy who is currently moving around the neighborhood with two other cultists, seeing if she can find another way into the Crypt. It will take the cultist two rounds to find Viara, and then another three rounds to return with her party. This could make this fight quite deadly for the PCs.

Treasures: The cultists all carry 2d4 cp and 1d4 sp. Kurd Votash has 13 sp and 2 gp. Viara Neth has 10 cp, 2 sp, and 3 gp.

Room 2 – the Cellar. Once things are secure, Frik tells them that, although he’s not sure what they’ve been looking for, they’ve essentially been keeping him out of the cellar. The PCs can use a skill like Investigation or Survival (DC 15) to find that there’s been a lot of activity around one particular poorly-repaired wine rack in the southern wall. An Investigation check (DC 18, or 14 if the PCs have already seen the activity) will find that this wine rack is bolted to a secret door! It is locked (DC 15) and trapped with a poison needle (DC 15 to find and/or remove. If the trap is activated and not avoided (DC 15 Dexterity saving throw), it does 1 piercing damage, and the victim must make a Constitution saving throw (DC 12) or take 7 (2d6) poison damage. The secret door creaks open noisily, revealing fine stone construction quite unlike the shoddy construction above.

Room 3 – The False Crypt. Beyond the secret door, a History check will reveal that these passages are far older than the buildings above. A Survival check will reveal that no one has been down here in some time. The PCs will find a modest crypt room. There are smashed urns and coffers, as well as a defaced sarcophagus full of smashed bones. There is a modest shrine of the God of Chivalry on the far wall that seems to be largely untouched. This room is, of course, a false tomb, designed to trick would-be thieves into thinking that the crypt has already been plundered. If the PCs inspect the shrine, they will find the outlines of a secret door (DC 15 Investigation or Perception), but there’s no obvious way to open it. A DC 15 History or Religion check will reveal that the shrine is what’s called a Shrine of Imploring Prayer, suggesting that one of the faithful of the God of Chivalry would wish to kneel and offer a prayer of supplication here (a Cleric or Paladin who serves the God of Chivalry, or someone with the Acolyte background who serves the God of Chivalry knows this automatically.) If anyone kneels and offers a short prayer to the God of Chivalry, the shrine lowers into the floor, revealing a larger room beyond.

Room 4 – The True Crypt. This is a much more magnificent room, with a marble sarcophagus carved in the form of a shroud-covered lady knight with a sword held over her chest. Small funerary urns stand in each corner, and a more magnificent shrine of Valdamor stands on the eastern wall, lit by Everburning Torches built into the walls, bathing the room in golden light. It’s at this time that a new enemy is revealed. Thaven Reek is an Evil Mage (stats found in Lost Mine of Phandelver. Alternately, create a 4th level Wizard using the rules in the Player’s Handbook). He is flanked by two cultists. They offer the PCs a chance to leave peacefully. Reek would rather not die here, so, if necessary, he will use charm person and/or misty step to escape. If he is killed, however, the PCs can claim a solid victory.

Treasures: The cultists all carry 2d4 cp and 1d4 sp. Thaven Reek is carrying 5 gp, a spell component pouch, and has a leather cord around his neck with a garnet worth 15 gp.

Room 5 – The Reward. When the enemies have been slain or driven off, a ghostly figure manifests. This is the lawful good ghost of Aurelia Arzenoth. She will offer the PCs the contents of the urns to help aid them in their battles against chaos. She does not, however, know where Daybreak might be, although she believes there is a clue in one of the urns. 

Treasures: Two urns contain 800 cp and 400 sp each. One urn contains 400 sp and 10 zircons worth 50 gp each. The final urn contains 200 cp and a piece of a map with a clue to the whereabouts of Daybreak.

This adventure could then prompt a campaign of seeking Daybreak, following various clues to recover pieces of a map, or some other device to lead the PCs to their goal.

[yellowedtulips]

So what’s your story Jayson? What do you like to do? What are your hopes and dreams?

“My dreams?” Jayson’s expression was unreadable for a moment, he needed to think. “Well for starters, I was born in Illinois, US if I recall. I lived with my mom and my dad, and maybe we had a pet? It’s been a while. When I was five the Resonance Cascade happened. That’s what they call it, right? It got so bad when more and more portals opened up to Xen, and we were forced to evacuate the country.”

“You know the story the Titanic, right? The scene where the ship is sinking and everyone has to get into these small boats that aren’t supposed to support and entire ship’s worth of people? That’s what it was like. How does one get an entire country onto this many ships? Some people spent their time making their own boats or investing in one. Some people took planes out to Europe, we tried finding our own means of transportation that could get us over the pond.” Jayson fumbled with his hands, playing with his sleeves as he looks back at the letter.

“We didn’t know there’d be a suppression field or whatever that is, but my parents put me on a boat and sent me out to sea on my own. I had everything I needed to last the trip, except for my family that is. They didn’t make it after the country became inhabitable. I could’ve ended myself then and there but I stride to live on for them.”

“I ended up on shore weeks later since the boat wasn’t fast nor did I know which direction I was going in. I found other people waiting for me and anyone else who ended up at their docks. Their suits were built up in bullet proof vests and their faces were hidden by masks similar to a gas mask. They gave me clothes, an ID, and sent me off on a train. I found myself in a city that was run down, and everything was pretty destroyed. I looked like a war happened. Turns out one did, the Seven Hour War. I arrived a while after it happened. Things were already starting to change. I was scared, but followed orders.”

“I was shoved into a home and forced to live with a random family. They didn’t like me, I can tell, even if I couldn’t understand their language. I stayed out of their way and acted like I just lived on my own. I learned how to do some basic survival skills. I also took up in thievery. I stole things from dead people, and more so, Combine.” 

“I guess they caught me or maybe it was just the timing, but they sent me off to another city where I learned that I don’t wanna listen to them. I don’t wanna live like this. I made my own home, then I moved to City 17.”

“And that’s where I am now. As for my dreams and what I like to do: I just want to live. I want a cabin in the middle of the woods too. I wanna live there with PC. Maybe even on another planet. Anywhere the Combine and aliens aren’t. A normal life will do, or a family, at least to make up for the childhood I didn’t get.”

[noblecrumpet-dorkvision]

Shapeshifter Quest Hooks

Here's a list of 50 quest hooks involving creatures from both the Monster Manual and from the content I created during Shapeshifter Week. New creatures have links to the posts that contain their statistics. Existing Monsters can all either change their shape naturally, cast polymorph, or cast disguise self.

Quest Hooks (d100)

| 01-02 | A group of Doppelgangers are getting into trouble all over the city. Everyone wrongly blames the local paladin hero who the Doppelgangers have taken the form of.

| 03-04 | A Therianthrope is capturing and replacing the creatures in a certain city district with younger Therianthropes.

| 05-06 | A covey of Green Hags disguised as three humans have started a bookstore and is selling books that trap their readers in their stories.

| 07-08 | A Doppelganger has taken the place of a town's wizard even though it can't cast spells. Now it has to cleverly imitate the spells that the locals pay for.

| 09-10 | An Oni has taken the form of an innkeeper and is devouring the guests it deems the most "appetizing."

| 11-12 | A Hagunemnon has appeared in a populated city and is massacring citizens like a wildfire. Everyone is in a panic but no one can determine the cause thanks to its ability to shapeshift.

| 13-14 | A Tula Hag's mud creatures, in the shape of parents whose souls she has trapped, are going back to town and bringing their children to her river.

| 15-16 | A kraken is demanding worship from a cliff-side village of Kuo-Toa. The kraken is actually a Doppel-Gang that lives in a cave at the base of the cliff.

| 17-18 | A Monopod has accidentally gotten itself into a situation where a dwarven kingdom thinks it's their lost king. Now it is having the dwarves raid for treasure which it hoards in its new "home."

| 19-20 | Children have started playing relentless pranks throughout a village. When questioned, they all say they got the idea from a talking animal; really a Puca in disguise.

| 21-22 | A Doppelganger has fallen in love with a humanoid and keeps taking new forms in hopes of wooing them, but keeps getting rejected.

| 23-24 | A dwarven guide offers to guide the party through a complex cave system. In truth, it's a Monopod that is leading them to a trap to steal their loot once they are dead.

| 25-26 | A Bouda is posing as a blacksmith in a small village. The items it makes are cursed.

| 27-28 | A damsel in distress is rescued. However, she has been replaced by a Succubus that wishes to take advantage of the damsel's wealthy noble husband.

 | 29-30 | A hunter has offered the PCs the chance to hunt a powerful monster in return for gold. In truth, the hunter is a Weretiger that wishes to hunt them.

| 31-32 | A Sea Hag pretends to be a woman trapped on a desert island, flagging down passing ships and offering them a tropical banquet laced with Midnight Tears.

| 33-34 | A Swarm Shifter is "bugging" the offices of diplomats, and is blackmailing them using the information it has gathered.

| 35-36 | A magic item's blueprint calls for a certain type of flower. It turns out that the flower described is actually a Blodeuwedd that knows the secrets of the item's creation.

| 37-38 | A Doppelganger is using its talents to lift heavy pockets and get away clean.

| 39-40 | A Phasm has killed all the monsters in a dungeon in order to pretend to be all of the monsters by itself. As heroes "slay" one monster, it retreats in the form of a ghost only to impersonate the next monster that would have been in the next room.

| 41-42 | A Quasit has decided to convince young women that he is a prince disguised as a toad, and they need only to kiss him to return him to his true form.

| 43-44 | A Werebear has snuck into the ranks of a military encampment in the forest. Angry at the newcomers in its territory, it is picking off the soldiers one by one.

| 45-46 | Creatures travelling a certain road report strange surreal sightings or experiences. A Puca is to blame.

| 47-48 | A Green Slaad disguised as a dwarf mage is looking for the control gem of a Gray Slaad who hid it within a lost dwarven mine. It intends to use the gem to force the Gray Slaad to reveal its secrets of ascension.

| 49-50 | A Deva has taken the guise of a street urchin to investigate an evil cult growing in a city.

| 51-52 | A Couatl senses its impending death and seeks out another Couatl to mate with in a dangerous land. Disguised as an elven druid, it looks for heroes to help find another Couatl.

| 53-54 | An Incubus has seduced a member of the royal family and is now convincing their partner to introduce unfair laws and taxes on their people.

| 55-56 | A popular gladiator in a tusked helm is actually a Wereboar intent on spreading its curse to other pit fighters.

| 57-58 | Leshies warring over territory have led to each taking on disguises and recruiting wandering heroes to slay one another.

| 59-60 | An Aswang's true identity has been discovered by a group of people. Now it's trying to clean up the mess by either erasing the memories of witnesses or killing them, one by one.

| 61-62 | A Mechadaptor Titan has been built to protect a city's vault, but the construct will no longer follow commands.

| 63-64 | A Hamrammyr has found its way near a dragon's lair and is trying to devour more and more powerful creatures until it thinks it can kill the dragon. Powerful monsters' corpses litter the surrounding wilderness.

| 65-66 | A Yochlol has infiltrated a group of drow rebelling against the matriarchy to tries and dismantle the rebellion from within.

| 67-68 | An Aranea seeking a certain magic item has disguised as a noble to task heroes to quest for it, promising wealth it does not possess.

| 69-70 | A Leyak is committing arson throughout a town while trying to frame other creatures for the deed.

| 71-72 | An entire forest is overrun by one gigantic subterranean fungi that is spawning Sporiforms to spread itself elsewhere. 

| 73-74 | A Doppelganger has replaced a local hero for the fame and fortune. When a great monster threatens the town, they turn to their "hero," who wants nothing to do with it.

| 75-76 | A Silvermaster has appeared in a palace decked out with plenty of reflective decor for it to move through. Now the palace's attendants are disappearing one by one, seemingly slain by their own weapons.

| 77-78 | A Lamia attends noble banquets disguised as a noble themselves, beguiling the rich into divulging their trade routes and shipments for it to disrupt.

| 79-80 | A mischievous fey disguised as a repairman is replacing people's broken furniture with Mimics.

| 81-82 | A gang of Wererats are recruiting new members by spreading their curse to unwilling civilians.

| 83-84 | Imps in the form of rats are transporting hidden messages to members of a thieves guild throughout a city.

| 85-86 | A Rakshasa is selling demon-possessed magic items while disguised as a merchant.

| 87-88 | A Silver Dragon has taken up residence in a town as a kindly old woman who claims to be a historian. Their horde of artifacts is left proudly on display, with surprisingly low security.

| 89-90 | A Vampire has risen from a church's catacombs thanks to an ancient curse. A strange mist or swarm of bats can be seen leaving the church each night at dusk and returning before each dawn.

| 91-92 | A Mimic ate a moneylender and spawned in their office. A stack of papers is a horde of Mimic Larvae.

| 93-94 | An Ultraloth has taken the guise of a guild leader for a monster hunting company. It's tasking heroes to bring back living monsters which it then sells to evil buyers.

| 95-96 | A farmer's wife was cursed with Werewolf lycanthropy. She tries to keep up her normal life but she awakens each morning next to dead livestock. It's only a matter of time before she turns on her family.

| 97-98 | An ambassador has been replaced by a Doppelganger to incite war.

| 99-00 | A strange outhouse keeps appearing for those that need it. In reality, it is a Mimic stalking its prey.

[terselylove]

50 Ways Parents Screw Up Their Kids Without Even Realizing It

1. Punishing them for doing something good. For example if the kid is in his/her room for a long time while guests are over, and when he/she comes out of their room the parent says, “Look who came out of their cave.” This highlights the fact that they were in their room and will worsen social anxiety in the future.

2. Praising them for their intelligence, rather than for working hard.

Children internalize that they have some quality that makes them better than others on some level in that they can do well without trying. They learn that their worth is based on this intelligence and that it’s the thing that generated success.

A lot of children go on to coast through high school, with everyone telling them how intelligent they are.

They never learn to study or work hard for something and then at some point they fail a test or get rejected for a job, or get fired, whatever. Now they are questioning their self worth. If intelligence was what led to success, and now I’m failing, that makes me a failure. Suddenly they have to learn how to apply themselves and what it means to work hard for something which is much more difficult to learn at that age.

3. Using your kids as therapists. My mother has always relied on me to talk out everything that happens to her. I proof read her texts and emails and it has absolutely ruined any chance of me having a mother, I’m so busy caring for her she can’t care for me.

4. Make promises they don’t keep. Good or bad — it is as bad to not give a punishment that should have happened as it is to not do that trip to Disneyland you said you would. You become unpredictable.

5. Being overprotective and strict, you’re just teaching your kid how to lie and hide things from you, you aren’t making them a better person.

6. Arguing in front of each other, as well as with other people constantly.

7. Compare them to other “better” kids.

8. Making them dependent on you for life by not allowing them to work, to get a driver’s license, to do any housework, not giving access to education, basically intentionally crippling them so that they have to depend on you.

9. Not respecting a child/teens privacy. Yes, kids will do things wrong but not every secret they keep is something negative. Treating everything a child keeps from an adult as something bad will bring on trust issues later in life. Personal growth is something that is learned and it takes mistakes to accomplish this.

10. Vandalizing their kid/teen’s privacy, like reading their journals and going through their phone without their consent.

11. Overemphasizing the importance of grades.

12. Setting them up to have an unhealthy relationship with food.

13. Going from 0 to 100 on anger scale for small things.

14. Being a hypocrite. No way the kid will function normally if (s)he thinks that’s normal.

15. Not saying a word to their kids for hours or days at a time, and never explaining why the parent is mad or upset. The child is left alone, trying to figure out what’s going on in their parent’s head.

16. Take their anger out on their kids and never apologize for it.

17. Berate and belittle them when opening up. Then wonder why, as adults, they don’t call you or answer your calls.

18. Constantly repeating the same lecture over and over again as if I’ve never heard it.

Like mom I get it, you were once poor. Even if I occasionally don’t finish my food, that doesn’t mean I’m ungrateful.

19. Every time they, especially if they’re boys, express a kindness to someone of the opposite gender, “Oh is she your girlfriend?” Ensue snickering. Or indicate they’re “horn dogs” or constantly thinking about sex. Shy people are built with this shit. Knock it off.

20. Constantly worrying about their own appearance and/or judging other people’s appearance in front of the kids is something I feel my mother really screwed me up with and I think a lot of parents may also do this without realizing.

21. Tell their kids that when they misbehave or mess up it makes them (the parents) look bad. My mom did this all the time and I still get anxiety about the things I do, it’s always in the back of my head, ‘Will this make my mom look good? Is this something she’d be proud of?’ Uggggh

22. Tell them to be honest then punish the child when they are. It teaches the kid to lie when they do something wrong rather than understanding what was done wrong and why the corresponding consequence is needed.

23. Try to make their kids little versions of themselves. You were not cloned you made a person with there own thoughts feelings and ideas of success.

24. Force/guilt their kids into hugging/kissing/touching people. There is almost always a reason why little Jimmy doesn’t want to touch grandpa. And no matter what “I don’t want to” is a good enough reason not to make your kid touch someone.

25. Giving a kid anything they want. All this does is make them grow up to be snobby adults that think everyone has to do things for them and that they’ll get anything they want. You see so many stories of athletes going through hardships and coming from terrible families and becoming the best at what they do. How often do we see success stories where the kid was allowed anything he wants at anytime, not as often. Overprotection and babying a kid through his/her life can be just as harmful as a child growing up with a family that can’t provide as easily and makes the child work for things. Long story short: be hard on your kids.

26. Treating waiters/retail workers like shit and/or whining like babies at said places whenever anything doesn’t go their way.

27. Blaming every character or physical flaw on the kid’s hobbies and activities and completely ignoring genetic and environmental factors.

My parents blame all of my problems (Introversion, Myopia, even Depression and other mental issues) on my PC use. They don’t listen when I argue otherwise.

28. Using gifts and basic necessities against them as guilt. Ie. “I can’t believe you think (other opinion) I give you shelter and bought you (insert birthday gift).” Or expecting you to agree to do whatever they ask because they bought you something for a holiday. I’m 21 and still really uncomfortable with being given anything by anyone or asking for any help, because I’m worried it’ll be used as leverage against me.

29. This isn’t a big screw up, but freaking out every time a young kid gets a bit hurt. Children learn a lot of their reactions by observing their parents, and you’ll often notice that after a small tumble or bump kids will look to their parents first and gauge their reaction, and then respond. If their parent is worried and immediately runs to try and soothe them, the baby is going to cry. If their parents are worried, they believe they should be worried as well. If their parents aren’t worried, they won’t cry. Over time, these reactions will become internalized and will develop similar responses to stress when they get older.

And obviously, if they’re really hurt, don’t play it off, but you will know when they’re hurt. A lot of the time, you notice a few second gap between when the incident happens and when the baby starts crying, and that’s when the baby is gauging their parents’ response. If there’s no gap, then they’re truly hurt and need attention right away.

30. Stigmatizing substances. Alcohol and pot are things to use with respect and moderation. I know that if I was introduced to alcohol much earlier in life and taught how to enjoy properly, I wouldn’t have gone through my rebellious period of binge drinking and smoking until I can’t feel feelings.

Legit. Teach your kids when enough is enough early.

31. Not make time for them.

32. Isolate them from other kids for years by homeschooling them and not socializing. Fucked me pretty good for a while.

33. Acting like their kids opinions don’t matter just because they don’t agree with it. Be a person and treat them like a person and have a conversation. In the end you can still say no for whatever reason because you’re the parent, but at least hear your kid out and make them feel like they have a voice.

34. Not vaccinating them.

35. Force them into religion.

36. Mocking them.

37. Ignoring signs of mental health issues and then when they end up in the hospital they act like they don’t know what went wrong.

38. Comment on their weight or appearance.

39. Put an iPad or something similar in their hands to shut them up.

40. Hitting them and not teaching them empathy or emotional intimacy.

Both of those things have royally fucked me up in a fair few ways.

41. Zero chores or pressure ever… then they move out and can’t handle themselves.

42. Leaving for extended periods when angry.

43. Forcing them to do their dream career when the child does not like it.

44. Removing any obstacles in their way that might otherwise help them learn and grow.

45. Punishment for honest accidents, accusing them of not caring if they forget about something. People forget, kids forget, it doesn’t mean you don’t care.

46. Slut shaming a girl when she’s a virgin and knows absolutely NOTHING about how a girl gets pregnant.

47. Thinking that they’re the same kid as when they were 8 and being confused when their now teenager has different interests and wants. Causes a lot of fights and misunderstandings.

48. Making them feel that they owe them for feeding them and taking care of them like it’s not their fucking responsibility since they decided to have a child.

49. Alcoholism. Don’t drink around your kids.

50. Emphasize “success” over happiness, and happiness over meaning.

[sunset-melody]

50 Questions Tag

Thank you for tagging me @wannabecatwriter​

I’m going with Hudson de Jager

01. How old is your sim? 31

02. When is your sim’s birthday? February 16

03. What is your sim’s zodiac sign? Aquarius

04. What is your sim’s ethnicity? European, mostly Dutch and German

05. Does your sim have any nicknames? No, my name is kind of hard to make a nickname out of.

06. Do they have a job? I’m the co-owner and manager of the striptease club Eye Candy with my best friend Elias. His name choice, not mine. He’s more of a people person than I am, so he’s the face of the club and I keep it running in the background.

07. Where does your sim live? I live in Bridgeport.

08. Who does your sim live with? No one, although Elias lives near me and is over so often he might as well be living there.

09. What environment did your sim grow up in? (strict, loving, cold etc.) I guess it was okay. I’m an only child and my parents weren’t home much. Dad’s a chef that owns a few restaurant and mom was a flight attendant so she traveled often. But when they were home, I wasn’t denied affection. They showed their love mostly by providing for me rather than words. I did spend a lot of my childhood with Elias’ family.

10. What are your sim’s favourite food? Dad’s rahmschnitzel and spätzle can’t be beat.

11. What is your sim’s favourite drink? If it’s alcoholic then bourbon, if it’s non-alcoholic then lemonade.

12. If they have one what is your sim’s favourite color? Green.

13. Does your sim believe in any clichés? (love at first sight) To a degree. I believe in lust at first sight that could develop into love.

14. What is your sim’s sexuality? Straight

15. What is your sim’s gender identity? Male.

16. Is your sim type A or type B? I think I might be type B, but I have characteristics from both categories.

17. Is your sim introverted or extroverted? Introverted.

18. What is your sim’s favourite woohoo position? Either standing, against the wall or cowgirl. 

19. Is your sim a pet person? If so what is their favourite animal? I don’t know. Never had a pet or any inclination for one. I’d maybe get a dog?

20. Does your sim have a best friend? Yes. His name is Elias and we’ve been friends since elementary school.

21. What is/was your sim’s favourite school subject? Geography. I had a map in my bedroom and I would push a thumbtack into the places my mom would go on her travels.

22. Is/was your sim a high, mid or low achiever in school? I was a mid achiever. My marks were high enough so teachers would leave me alone, but low enough that I didn’t attract academic attention.

23. Are they planning to go or have they already been to college? If so, what would be or what was their major? Yes I’ve been to post-secondary. I have a history degree to satisfy my parents.

24. What are your sim’s political beliefs? (if they have them) No, I vote based on which candidate best suits my interests.

25. What is one thing your sim wants to do before they die? I haven’t thought about it, maybe travel the world.

26. Does your sim have a favourite TV show (cable) and/or movie? Not particularly. I guess I like mystery movies. The who done it kind.

27. Is your sim a Netflix viewer? If so what are their top 3 shows. I have Netflix, but I honestly don’t watch it enough to have favourite shows.

28. Does your sim like books? I’ve read my fair share thanks to Elias’ sister, Melissa. I prefer audio books now because I can do other things while still getting the story.

29. Does your sim enjoy video games, if so what is their favourite one and do they play on PC or console? I play, but mostly when Elias comes over. We play co-op games on console. I like the Gears of War series.

30. What is your sim’s personal style? Casual or business casual. I don’t have a particular style.

31. Does your sim have a lucky charm? No, I don’t think so.

32. Is your sim religious? I’m not really religious.

33. What kind of music does your sim listen to and who is their favourite artist? Not really. I listen to whatever the club is playing at the time.

34. Is your sim a festive person? If so what’s their favourite holiday? Yeah. Getting together to see family and friends is always nice. I like thanksgiving if it has good food and good company.

35. What is your sim’s favourite type of weather? I like fall weather. Watching the rain fall on coloured leaves from my window is always nice.

36. Does your sim prefer to start fights or finish them? I would prefer not to be involved at all, but it comes with the territory of running a club. That said, I mostly finish the fights Elias starts.

37. Does your sim have a dream job? It would be to have one of those online channels and just play video games with Elias.

38. Does your sim have any siblings? No, I am an only child.

39. Does your sim get along with their family? Yes, I catch up with my parents from time to time.

40. What is your sim’s favourite hobby? I like cars, so I sometimes go to car shows.

41. What does your sim look for in a romantic partner? Someone I can get along with, have conversations and chill days. I don’t want someone who’s high maintenance and forces me to work for it. I don’t want someone who makes it a chore, but rather someone I don’t mind putting the effort in for.

42. What is a secret about your sim? Its a pretty minor secret, all things considering, but I don’t know who’s reading this so I prefer not to say.

43. What is a wish your sim has? It would be for my best friend to grow a pair and propose to his girlfriend.

44. What is a flaw your sim has? I’m not aggressive enough in my day to day. I don’t have a go-getter attitude. I’d rather just sit, wait and see how things play out.

45. How do others generally perceive your sim? I’ve gotten cold, unemotional, mean and scary before.

46. Does your sim have a greatest achievement? I guess it would be the club itself. Elias and I built it from the ground up and now it’s one of the most exclusive clubs in Bridgeport.

47. If they have one, what is your sim’s greatest regret? It goes along with my secret so I can’t answer this one.

48. Does your sim have a favourite emoji? I don’t know if it has a name, but it’s the blank stare emoji. I use it often when I’m messaging Elias.

49. Does your sim use Simstagram? No, but some of the girls have it.

50. What is the last text your sim sent (and who did they text)? My last text was ‘I need coffee’ and it was to Elias.

[beautifulmorningstar]

Spop s2 conclusions

1. Glimmer has a hatecrush on Catra. What's with her fantasy depiction of Catra as some noir-style sexy villainess? Who refers to fantasy-Glimmer as her rival instead of fantasy-Adora??? Lol Glimmer you ain't slick. Actually, even Catra's interactions towards her seem somewhat lighter, which makes me think it could be reciprocated?

2. Scorpia is gay for Catra and the only thing barring it at this point is the choice of wording ("best friends", "ex-best friend", "besties"). Gal pals anyone?

3. I strongly headcanon Entrapta as potentially ace

4. Frosta clearly looks up to Glimmer in particular and wants her admiration/approval which is adorable

5. Bow has TWO GAY DADS (I know this isn't a conclusion as much as fact but I am STILL SO PSYCHED)

6. Bow's dads probably were so disbelieving that Bow felt he couldn't tell them he wanted to fight in the war because they are literally two gay men who had to deal with this sorta shit themselves and didn't think they could ever project this situation onto their own child albeit in a different way

7. Glimmer and Bow are really close friends and while a future romantic arc is possible I definitely don't see a trace of it this season. I thought it was hinted at in s1 with the whole prom thing but like IDK

8. Hordak gotta be careful to keep up his disdain for Etherians because he's gradually gonna become Entrapta's dad lmao (even if he just wants to make use of her advanced genius). Actually, his "divide and conquer" shit is really obvious when dealing with Catra and Entrapta at the same time, even if Catra herself did manipulate Entrapta into joining the Horde (clearly Catra, Entrapta and Scorpia have built some rapport together in spite of things)

9. Mermista and Perfuma get paired up a lot by the strat team and even though they tend to get on each other's nerves I feel like they could end up being super good friends (goth/prep solidarity anyone? Well Perfuma is more hippie than prep but still)

10. Mermista and Frosta actually work brilliantly together as a pair, and not just because their powers literally complement each other (how did I not get that before...). Their personalities probably match, Mermista being the laid-back adult Ocean Goth and Frosta being the stubborn little budding Ice Goth. While Frosta wants to impress Glimmer, she probably has a more comfortable respect for Mermista, who respects her in turn.

11. I feel like Bow maybe had a thing for Entrapta, or at least a respect and admiration thing if not romantic. He's the one who tries most to reason with her into coming back to their side, and the one who was clearly affected by her defection. He also has like zero romantic engagement with Perfuma in s2 and TBH it didn't seem romantic even during s1 so...

12. I like to think Angella smiles fondly as she sees Frosta trying to hog Glimmer's attention, but also she snickers about it in private when Glimmer gets particularly annoyed

13. Seahawk and Scorpia? Bro-ing it out together when they're both facing similar problems that make them question their self-worth? Iconic. Teaching us all lessons with nuance, whether we agree with their ultimate choices or not.

14. So Seahawk seems deeply into Mermista, who is reluctant to let down her walls completely. Either that or she isn't ready for a relationship but seems to be stringing him along anyway.

15. That Look™ that Catra gave Scorpia at the end of the "Notice Me Catra Senpai" episode?????????? Hello???? Catra did you just finally get over your ex? Anyway take note folks, Catra is a BOTTOM

16. Hot Shadow Weaver? In my SPOP thirst fantasies? It's more likely than you think. Free PC (Political Correctness) check! ((mostly because I'm struggling against the word milf))

17. Also I Cannot Believe Shadow Weaver was the Mentor Figure to Glimmer's dad when he was young (and alive. God I hope she wasn't the one who killed him). What kind of sorcery (lmao)

18. Will Glimmer find out if Shadow Weaver faces her again. How is this going to affect their interactions considering that Glimmer was abducted to be tortured under Shadow Weaver

19. Seriously does Shadow Weaver even care about the kids who inevitably come under her care or... (Micah, Adora.... Clearly not Catra...)

20. Let's talk about that. Catra and Shadow Weaver. If nothing else made me truly sympathetic towards Catra before now, that certainly did, because the fact that she let down her armour of vengeful superiority to the only (shitty) parental figure she's known, in her desperation to spare that figure a worse fate, only to be used and manipulated once again and forced to suffer the ensuing consequences............. Hate It.

21. I suspect Catra had developed a very mild and strange affection for Entrapta beneath her stoicism. Which is why she wasn't more pissed off at Hordak's sudden and blatant favouritism; she probably also knew he was using Entrapta, and Catra is smart enough to see that sort of thing.

22. Is it me or is Catra and Adora moving from "rival romance exes" to "actually fighting each other" now. Like still "not going to kill you in honour of our past" but also "I'm too invested in everything that I'm now responsible for to mess around with you as much"

23. Adora really is the most mature among the set of Princesses but her anxiety at being responsible for everyone's fate needed to be tampered by the more easygoing and lighthearted nature of her collective friend group

24. LOVE the interactions between Adora and Mermista, few and subtle though they may be. Mermista's She-Ra persona Sea-Ra is practically a thinly-veiled love confession, and Adora literally had to grab her by the collar (Tension™) to shut her up about it, which was a little dramatic for Adora was it not. ("Stop talking about this in front of our friends Mermista.") Anyway Mermista made her own She-Rasona action figure and costume, so we know what her hobbies are when she's not busy blushing at Adora's transformations. Also if you look at them during moments where they're not actively interacting but are next to each other they just seem so comfortable and ig my shipper heart is showing

25. Glimmer literally teleported Mermista out of their strat tent when she first came in to disrupt planning, even though Glimmer (and Bow) were initially disrupting the planning themselves. Rude much, Glimmer? Mermista, of course, was undeterred and showed up again with the other Princesses as revenge

26. Which leads us to Glimmer and Adora! Still tight as hell and honestly I'm seeing a real potential for romance here (is it just me or are they like a couple who's become totally comfy with the arrangement). Catra always jibing at Glimmer that Adora will leave her too like some catty ex (heh) but TBH Adora and Glimmer so flawlessly have each other's backs now, they're such close friends in a short amount of time AND they work well together professionally so they're really the next Gay Iconic Power Couple. Sorry Catra

27. I didn't pick up on much interaction between Perfuma and the others (except Mermista's constant criticisms of her and the defensive stance she takes to that). I like to think she's like an older sister who fawns over Frosta and giggles at how "adorable" her frosty tantrums are

28. Didn't see much of Seahawk and Mermista either, other than the fact that she's not inviting him to hang out with her friends.... Which begs the question.....who are Mermista's other friends outside of Seahawk and The Princess Alliance?

29. Speaking of the Princess Alliance, it's rather fitting that we get the slight insight on how different each of them are, coming from their different points of view, personalities, and cultures, and how it causes conflict within the group. Also how the Outer Princesses probably feel left out when the Best Friend Squad/Strat Team do their own thing. Frosta being the youngest, doesn't hold back like Mermista and Perfuma, and just stalks Glimmer. Mermista brings the whole crew into the Strategy tent after she got kicked out by Glimmer. Perfuma seems least determined to infiltrate Adora, Glimmer and Bow, but still eager to help the team at every turn. Spinerella and Netossa are too busy being one of the best Gay Iconic Couples and Bright Moon knights and constantly forget that The Princess Alliance is a Thing now

30. Bow still got Admiration (biiiiii) for Seahawk but it's dialled all the way down, especially since Seahawk was all mopey. Glimmer tried to give him an out from worrying about Mermista which he totally proceeded to disregard, and Adora probably just doesn't understand the issue. Good thing he met Scorpia, eh

I'm gonna stop now because I thought this list would be like. 10 items. But I got really into it

BONUS (Item 31?): LONNIE IS A FUNCTIONAL LESBIAN WHO MIGHT BE GAY FOR SCORPIA'S DISASTER A*S NOW? ALSO ROGELIO AND KYLE AREN'T AS OBVIOUS THIS SEASON BUT THEY'RE STILL A THING

[otomeverything]

NIGHTSHADE

Release Date:  December 20, 2018 (North America) Developers:  Red Entertainment / LANTERN ROOMS Publishers: D3Publisher Platforms:  Nintendo Switch, PC (Steam) ESRB Rating: M (Mature) 17+

  Walkthroughs:

Goemon

Chojiro

Hanzo

Kuroyuki

Gekkamaru

Common Route

  PROLOGUE (from Nightshade’s official site) During the Sengoku Period the two main factions of ninja clans, Iga and Kōga, warred against each other for decades. In the year 1593, Nobunaga Oda started the Tenshō Iga war, decimating most of the Iga ninjas in the process. The very few that survived were absorbed into the Kōga clan, despite their past rivalries. After 17 years the Sengoku Period finally came to an end, and Japan was unified.

Enju (Protagonist), daughter of Kandō Ueno, the Head of the Kōga clan, spends her days training diligently in hope of becoming a full-fledged ninja like her peers. At long last, she is assigned to her first mission but finds herself caught in a dark conspiracy.

  ART AND MUSIC One of Nightshade’s prominent features that’ll easily make an impression among otome fans, is its art style. The game credits non-other than the famous illustrator, Teita who’s fairly popular for her other works such as Norn9, the Juuzaengi  Engetsu Sangokuden saga and the recently released visual novel, Charade Maniacs.

I wish I could say the same for the game’s musical score. The OP theme was nice but wasn’t memorable at all. The END theme (Good End) however, “Taezaru Hana”  by MIKOTO was pretty soothing that I ended up purchasing the track in iTunes. Listen to the full song below:

  Voice Acting Nightshade honestly has the best seiyuu lineup. The voice acting was, in fact, one of the major highlights of the game. The VAs really did an amazing job capturing your emotions. I was already expecting this much from their topnotch VA list, but they did more than stellar performances with this game! Every seiyuu involved were magnificent, even the side character, Ieyasu Tokugawa (voiced by Koki Miyata, who’s famous for his role as Ukyo in Amnesia), did an amazing job portraying his cunning personality.

  Hikaru Midorikawa ♥ “Goemon Ishikawa” – Tamahome (Fushigi Yuugi Suzaku Ibun), Zenya (Sweet Pool), Ayato (Diabolik Lovers), Hanate (7’Scarlet), Yutaka Nabari (Nil Admirari)

Wataru Hatano “Gekkemaru” – Asato (Lamento Beyond the Void), Lindo (Dance with the Devils), Kotarou (Hakuoki), Sakiyama Youji (Sweet Pool), Yuuto (Storm Lover)

Hiro Shimono “Kuroyuki“ – Shou Kurusu (Utapri), Senri Ichinose (Norn9), Sou Kiryuu (Harukanaru Toki no Naka De 5), Ricchie (Black Wolves Saga), Ray Blackwell (Ikerev)

Kenjiro Tsuda “Hanzo Hattori” – Chikage Kazama (Hakuoki), Soshi Amazaki (The Charming Empire), Leonardo Da Vinci (Ikevamp), Nathan Seymour (Tiger & Bunny)

Kosuke Toriumi “Chojiro Momochi” – Hajime Saito (Hakuoki), Kagiha (Psychedelica BB), Poyo-Poyo (Period Cube), Hideyoshi (Ikesen), Lawrence (Psychedelica AH), John Watson (Code Realize)

  MAIN CHARACTERS (Spoiler Free)

I must say, I love all of the characters and their routes that it was hard for me to pick a favorite. If you’re concerned with plot spoilers in your first playthrough, my recommendation would be to play the routes in the following order (from least to greatest in spoiler content):  Goemon – Hanzo – Chojiro – Kuroyuki – Gekkamaru. For enjoyability, I’d recommend playing in the same order. Goemon and Hanzo were the lighter routes, Chojiro was angst from start to finish and the brothers (Kuroyuki and Gekkamaru) had more plot revelations than you’ve expected. I would also strongly recommend saving Gekkamaru’s route for last, trust me when I say, this makes your last playthrough more worthwhile. 😉

  GOEMON ISHIKAWA

The Japanese Robin Hood

ladykiller

True to his name in history books, Goemon Ishikawa is the legendary Japanese outlaw who stole gold and other valuables from the rich to give to the poor. He’s very popular among the townspeople due to his ingenious thieving schemes. He is known to send prior notices to his targets before he robs them off their treasures. Goemon is also a highly skilled ninja who has the wit of a brilliant tactician.

Playing Goemon’s route first was a good choice since his story was the lightest among the bachelors in the game, plus I haven’t fallen in love with Midorikawa’s voice in a while, so there’s also that ha! I find Goemon’s story really refreshing due to his carefree personality and charismatic nature. Because of this, it was so easy to like this character from the get-go. Going down his route will let you discover a few revelations regarding Goemon’s past, where he came from and how he ended up as the notorious thief he is now. His route also offers  a couple of plot twists and although it was a little predictable towards the end, it was executed really well where it didn’t feel awkward nor forced. As far as the romance goes, Goemon is a straight up, ladykiller. It was fun to see his relationship with Enju develop all throughout his route. His playful teasing and his easy-going personality will have you falling for him in no time.

  HANZO HATTORI

Mr. stoic ninja

kuudere

Besides, being Lord Ieyasu Tokugawa’s personal guard, Hanzo is also the Tokugawa clan’s shinobi leader. Because of his resounding title as the strongest ninja history has ever known, he is very popular among all the shinobi clans in Japan. He is normally calm and collected but will not hesitate to become ruthless for the success of his mission.

Hanzo is the oldest among the bachelors (and I absolutely love him!) He is, I believe 33 years old, making quite an age gap between him and the heroine Enju, but LOL this is Toyotomi-Tokugawa (Edo 1600’s – 1800’s) period we’re talking about, where huge age gaps among couples are very common… But age aside, let me tell you… Hanzo’s route completely took me by surprise! I have no words! *Breaths heavily* I guess, I was already eyeing this character from the start since Kenjiro Tsuda voiced him. But I wasn’t expecting his arc to be this good that it literally caught me off guard. He ended up becoming my favorite of the entire game!

At first, he started as the very straightforward stoic kind, who’s only doing his master, Lord Tokugawa’s bidding. But after a few encounters where he teams up with the heroine and helps her survive, he begins to slightly soften up, giving us a glimpse of his true adorable fluffy nature. Both Hanzo and Enju go through tremendous character development in this route, especially the heroine. I just love seeing Enju prove herself time and again how much she wanted to make it as a true shinobi while she constantly faces hardships every step of the way (she’s freakin’ cool!) I also love seeing Hanzo unexpectedly supporting her through her struggles. It’s as if, rather than saving her all the time, he wants her to learn to depend on herself instead; and to me, this relationship was truly very refreshing, not to mention absolutely heartwarming. Expect a lot of badass back to back action scenes in this route, where Hanzo and Enju kick some ninja ass!

  CHOJIRO MOMOCHI

Big Brother

Angst! Angst! Angst!

Chojiro is the son of the late leader of Iga, Tanba Momochi . After losing his family and clan in the Tensho Iga War at the age of five, he joined the Koga clan along with the other Iga survivors. Chojiro is also the heroine’s cousin as well as her mentor/trainer. He is a man of a few words and he completely devotes himself to his missions without questions.

I made a mistake playing Chojiro’s route earlier in the game as I wasn’t ready for a sudden whirlwind of angst! At the start, Chojiro’s personality was very closed off, its almost as if he has built a wall before him to keep others away. Because of his tragic past, he doesn’t want to get attached to anyone, afraid he’d lose them at the blink of an eye just like how he lost his parents when he was young. This makes his relationship with Enju a little less intimate from the beginning. As the heroine tries her best to get a closer reach of him, he waves his feelings off because he’s conflicted between succeeding his missions as a shinobi versus his own desire to help Enju and stay by her side.

Chojiro’s route was also the most tragic in the game!😭 Ya’ll better prepare those tissues! Romantic wise, his story was not my favorite. The drama just out-weights the romance on this one. I do love the writing in his route though. It seriously gave me an emotional breakdown I wasn’t prepared for. 😅I suggest playing his route in the middle to get the angst out of the way. This, also kinda gives you more room to recuperate from the heavy drama before jumping into an even more dramatic finish as you do Gekka’s route last.

  KUROYUKI

clever, cunning

soft yand

Kuroyuki is Gekkamaru’s younger brother. Right after he was born, both boys became orphans and were taken in by Enju’s family. He was sent away on an extended mission when he was eight, by the heroine’s father Kando Ueno, who’s also the leader and head chief of the Koga clan. Kuroyuki is also the same age as Enju (16).

Not much is revealed about this character other than he is Gekkamaru’s brother who was sent on a secret mission when he was eight years old. Where did he go? What was he doing for the last eight years he was gone? It was rather questionable how his character (in other routes) always comes and goes sporadically in the plot.

I couldn’t really expound more on Kuroyuki’s arc without entering spoiler territory but going down his route will let you discover one interesting revelation about him and the game’s overarching plot. It was quite satisfying to play Yuki’s route because finally! we get to fill in some plot holes. I fell in love with his story for the same reasons some people are calling it out for. It wasn’t light nor easy-going as Goemon’s or Hanzo’s, it wasn’t tragic as Chojiro’s or Gekkamaru’s. It was dark and I probably wouldn’t have it in any other way. Kudos to Hiro Shimono for breathing extra life to this character!

  GEKKAMARU

best boi

puppy eyes

true route ish?

After losing his family at the age of three, Gekkamaru was adopted by the heroine’s parents along with his younger brother Kuroyuki. Gekkamaru was assigned to be Enju’s trusted bodyguard when they were young and has proven his loyalty and devotion through time by sticking to his role as Enju’s protector. He is wholeheartedly committed to his master (Enju) to a point where he becomes too overprotective of her.

So after going through all kinds of heaps and hooplas of playing and suffering each of the character routes in the game, I was finally on my last one, Gekkamaru. I know you can just play his route whenever but I chose to do his story last for the experience. ohoho!

…and I have no regrets!😭 Gekkamaru’s route started with pure dramatic fluff as expected. It was just so precious and endearing to see how far this man would go for the sake of the heroine. His loyalty and dedication for Enju was such a pure bliss that it even pains me to see him doing too much😭. His route was a combination of action, romance, a side of humor and a whole lot of drama as he and the heroine struggled to survive by each other’s side. I thought to myself, “This story couldn’t get any better or worse, could it?” but then angst hits the fan through plot twists after plot twists (during the last chapters) and this was where the story really picked up. I was at lost for words. I felt really sad, angry and confused. His route put me through a tidal wave of emotions, I had to pause the game for a while, sit in a corner to get my head straight and my breathing in check! lmao! Gekkamaru’s route is like a slow burn, heart-rending gut punch and I absolutely loved it.

  ENJU UENO (Main Heroine)

Enju is a strong heroine and I adore her to bits. Unfortunately, her potentiality to become an even better shinobi was wasted in some routes because of the whole damsel in distress scenarios, with the exception on Hanzo’s and Gekkamaru’s route ~ these were the only story arcs where the heroine was able to hone her skills as a ninja and show us her true strengths.

Enju Ueno was literally, thrown to the wolves when she got caught up into this despicable game of survival, out of the blue. Not only that, but the ordeal she went through of betrayal, loss, and sorrow was absolutely too much to handle for someone her age. Still, despite all the hardships, she chose to live and survive. I was thoroughly impressed by her determination which I believe was one of her strongest points. YES, this is one badass heroine right here folks!

  Side Characters

Ennosuke (Left) – The fastest ninja in the Koga clan. He’s not romanceable, and I don’t think I’d want him as a dateable character either, heh. I ship him with Kyara though. I love the chemistry with both of their characters.

Kyara (Right) – Proud, graceful, responsible, and badass on the battlefield. Her weapon of choice is a “chigirigi” which is similar to the “morning star” in medieval age weaponry. I ship her with Ennosuke. Also, Saori Hayami voices her, so this to me was a plus!

Kasumi (Center) – the cutest, most adorable ninja…ever! She’s the youngest of Chojiro’s disciples. Looks up to Enju and Kyara as her older sisters. I love her so much! *must protecc*

  SYSTEM AND LOCALIZATION I purchased the physical copy of Nightshade (proxy shipped) which lets you choose three language options to start the game with (English, Chinese, Japanese). I can say, that the localization was fairly decent. I didn’t play the PC version, but I asked a few people who owned both PC and Switch copy and as far as their answers go, D3Publisher did not change the English translations for Nightshade on the Switch. They changed the fonts though! D3Publisher is known to deliver decent game localizations. They’re not the best but they’re not disappointing either. I’ve spotted a couple of minor typos in the game, but it’s NOT something that would ruin the whole experience for you.

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The Switch system was very comfortable and very easy to navigate from the jump. They even offer a “rewind” option for you to backtrack scenarios, which to me, was a saving grace. This way, making the correct save files became a piece of cake. The Nintendo Switch version also contains the game’s DLC “Special Content”. These are extra fluff episodes that happened in the middle of a character’s story. They also come with a special CG (one for each story).

  TRAILER

  OVERALL THOUGHTS? (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ It took me a total of 30 hours to finish the game, and none of these 1800 minutes spent were wasted. Yes, I loved every bit of it.

Although the story was set in the Sengoku “Warring” period of Japan. Instead of the usual cliche battleground premise that’s normally used in Sengoku themed animes and VNs. Nightshade’s story focused more on the darker side of politics during the said period. The indirect “battle royale” theme, I admit, was quite bracing and very well paced. It was something I never expected to actually work in an otome game.

Besides the Nightshade’s gorgeous artwork, I wanted to compliment the game’s stunning special effects, such as the leaves falling in the BG, flower petals scattering about  (whenever Enju uses her ninjitsu), and the moving sprites (which played exceptionally well during fight scenes). The voice acting for Nightshade blew me away and I couldn’t have wished for a better seiyuu lineup. I guess my only gripe here was Enju’s inconsistency as the heroine. In some routes, she’s badass while in others, she’s weak and very dependent. Her characteristics as a whole seem to vary depending on who’s the guy she’s with. I still love her as the main protagonist though!

While I’ve enjoyed playing all the routes in Nightshade and their respective stories, the ones that made an impression on me were Hanzo’s, Goemon’s and Gekkamaru’s. Chojiro’s was good but it was too angsty for my taste and while Kuroyuki’s story drove me to the edge of my seat, this is the route where Enju is at her weakest.

Do I recommend this game? YES This is the first ever english otome game in the Switch that I would no doubt recommend to everyone at the drop of a hat. I’m so glad I’ve waited for this port, despite all the STEAM sales that have gone by the previous years 😂 (laughs). To be honest, I was even quite sad when I finished it 😅 and wished there was more content for me to delve into. If you’re having second thoughts whether or not it’s worth shelling out 48 bux to get this game in your Nintendo Switch Library. Here’s my advice: GET IT! This one’s definitely a gem and imo, almost up to par with the big titles (like Code Realize, Hakuoki, CxM). If you want an impressive storyline and characters you can’t ever get enough of, I can’t recommend Nightshade enough!

  CHLO’S RATING: 8/10

Nightshade Review (Nintendo Switch) NIGHTSHADE Release Date:  December 20, 2018 (North America) Developers:  Red Entertainment / LANTERN ROOMS Publishers: D3Publisher…

[satoshi-mochida]

Samurai Shodown will launch worldwide for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in June, followed by Switch in Q4 2019 and PC at a later date, publisher Athlon Games and developer SNK announced. It will feature Japanese voice-overs and support English, Japanese, Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, Korean, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Pan-American Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese subtitle language options.

The Unreal Engine 4-powered fighting game is a reboot of the classic series set between the events of Samurai Showdown V and the original game. It will feature 16 total fighters, including 13 returning characters and three brand new characters. Additional characters will be released via post-launch downloadable content.

Here is the official fact sheet:

About

After more than a decade, Samurai Shodown is back! SNK is rebooting one of its most successful series, carrying on the legacy of past titles with a new game that retains the same thrilling battles of past titles in a graphically advanced package. Samurai Shodown’s gameplay is driven by the tense atmosphere of being one strike away from death, and the exhilaration of defeating an opponent with overwhelming power and attacks. Taking place between the events of the original game and Samurai Shodown V, the new game carries on the legacy of the one true weapon-based fighter.

Key Features

Exhilarating Weapons-Based Combat – Samurai Shodown carries on the legacy of the tense battles the series is known for, where players are always one strike away from death, and one powerful attack away from victory.

Evolving the Presentation – Using the power of Unreal Engine 4, SNK is able to modernize the unique atmosphere and setting of past titles in a gorgeously artistic package that achieves a detail and graphical quality like never before.

Unique Cast of Returning and New Warriors – Samurai Shodown welcomes back iconic characters from past iterations, including the swordsman Haohmaru, his rivals Ukyo and Genjuro, the shrine maiden Nakoruru, and fan-favorite Galford. The starting roster will include a total of 16 characters—13 veterans and three newcomers to the franchise.

All New Gameplay – Carrying on some of the key fighting mechanics that made the series popular, such as the Rage Gauge, Rage Explosion, Sword Clash and more, Samurai Shodown will also include several new techniques, including a powerful, one-time use attack from each character called the Super Special Move.

Revolutionary New AI System – Titled Dojo Mode, SNK has developed a proprietary AI system that learns from player patterns and creates a specific Ghost clone from that data. With this system, players can fight against their own Ghost or take on the Ghosts of top players in mock battles.

The public will be able to go hands-on with the game for the first time at PAX East 2019, which runs from March 28 to 31 at the Boston Convention Center. SNK will also host a panel, “Samurai Shodown: Resurrecting a Legend” on March 30 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. ET featuring producer Yasuyuki Oda, director Nobuyuki Kuroki, original Samurai Shodown director Yasushi Adachi, and several other staff members from SNK.

Get a new trailer and 44 minutes of Gematsu-recorded gameplay footage below, as well as our preview of the game and interview with producer Yasuyuki Oda, director Nobuyuki Kuroki, and game designer Joshua Weatherford.

PAX East 2019 Trailer

44 Minutes of PlayStation 4 Pro Gameplay

Navigation

0:20 – Story Mode Introduction: Galford

2:04 – Story Mode Battle: Galford vs. Earthquake

4:49 – Story Mode Battle: Galford vs. Haohmaru

8:05 – Story Mode Introduction: Haohmaru

9:48 – Story Mode Battle: Haohmaru vs. Galford

12:09 – Story Mode Battle: Haohmaru vs. Genjuro

17:02 – Story Mode Introduction: Nakoruru

18:52 – Story Mode Battle: Nakoruru vs. Jubei

21:27 – Story Mode Battle: Nakoruru vs. Jubei (Rematch)

24:35 – Story Mode Battle: Nakoruru vs. Earthquake

29:13 – Battle Mode Battle: Haohmaru vs. Genjuro

32:42 – Battle Mode Battle: Earthquake vs. Charlotte

36:42 – Battle Mode Battle: Genjuro vs. Jubei

41:39 – Battle Mode Battle: Galford vs. Charlotte

Preview

I played about an hour or so of the new Samurai Shodown and it felt good—really good. I have stated this in the past, but I am not big on fighting games. I am generally not good at them and tend to only play for fun with friends. That being said, I went into playing Samurai Shodown without really caring much about it. But after some hands-on time with the weapons-based fighter, I am actually kind of hyped?

Samurai Shodown is being treated as a reboot to the long-running series. Story-wise, it is set in 1787, after the events of Samurai Shodown V in 1786 and before the events of the original Samurai Shodown in 1789. While the Kansei reforms have been enacted by the newly appointed Matsudaira Sadanobu, a mysterious dark force is looming on the horizon, prompting the warriors of Samurai Shodown to gather and set out on individual journeys and fight for their own beliefs. Each character character has a different story.

The game has a roster of 16 characters, 13 of which are returning from previous games. They are Charlotte, Earthquake, Galford, Genjuro, Hanzo, Haohmaru, Jubei, Kyoshiro, Nakoruru, Shiki, Tam Tam, Ukyo, and Yoshitora. The other three are completely new characters who have yet to be announced. I played as a few characters during my session, including Galford, Haohmaru, Nakoruru, and Jubei. As for stages, the stage selection screen appears to offer 13 total options.

Playing round after round of Samurai Shodown, I learned that no two characters are alike and that a single strike has a ton of pull, as one hit can deal massive damage and significantly turn the tide of battle. The game is built atop various mechanics, starting with the “Rage Gauge,” which fills up the more you are hit. When the Rage Gauge is filled entirely, your attack power increases, special moves become stronger, and you can use a “Weapon Flipping Technique” to disarm your opponent. You can also deplete the entire gauge to activate a once-per-match “Rage Explosion,” which enables the use of a “Lightning Blade” attack in which the character leaps forward and uses a quick strike that deals heavy damage. Each character also has a “Super Special” attack that, like Rage Explosion, can only be used once per match. Each Super Special plays out a character-specific scene that reflects their personality or style. Nakoruru’s, for example, captures her resolution to protect Mother Nature while also illustrating her displeasure of fighting. The commands to activate these techniques are simple and the same across every character, which means that there is no need to memorize complicated commands for different fighters. Finally, there are also “Sword Clashes,” which occur when two attacks perfectly clash, prompting you to mash the attack buttons to retain your weapon and send the opponent’s weapon flying.

I picked up on the game’s systems quite fast as I played, and even went toe-to-two with producer Yasuyuki Oda. (Though, I think he went easy on me.) The systems are incredibly easy to grasp, but the real challenge comes in utilizing them correctly while timing your strikes and preventing your opponent from dealing significant damage. It felt like there is quite a lot of strategy involved, and it is something that I found myself wanting to learn and master. Playing as Galford, I got the upper hand on Oda in our first match as he was so used to Galford’s behavior when playing against game designer Joshua Weatherford that he did not expect me to react in certain ways. (Or at least that is what I was told. I still just think he went easy on me!)

In terms of game modes, Samurai Shodown offers the classic Story Mode, an offline Battle Mode (which in itself includes modes such as Survival), an Online mode to compete against players across the world, a Practice mode (which includes Tutorial and Training modes), a Gallery Mode to view player-unlocked movies, artwork, and background music, and a new Dojo Mode in which you can upload and fight against your own “ghost data” or the download and fight against the ghost data of other players.

Dojo Mode is an entirely new asynchronous online mode, which according to SNK utilizes “deep learning technology” to have the game’s artificial intelligence learn from your techniques and habits during offline mode gameplay to create a “ghost AI” character that both you and other players can fight against online. An “Ironman Challenge” mode in which players can try to fight 100 ghosts in succession is also being implemented. SNK even has a patent pending for Dojo Mode. Unfortunately, SNK is not saying more about Dojo Mode for the time being, one of the reasons being that the mode is essentially built off player data, which the team does not currently have.

Visually, Samurai Shodown is an eyeful. From graphics to menus, everything is decorated in a traditional Japanese aesthetic—as is appropriate for its Edo period setting. That setting and visual design make the fighter stand out as something truly unique from the rest of the crowd.

Samurai Shodown is by no means the most well-known name in fighting games, but with the release of this spectacular-looking reboot and its participation as a main title in the upcoming Evo 2019 tournament, I really hope that it gets more recognition. I really want to pick this one up and learn its ins and outs.

Interview

This is the first new Samurai Shodown game in over a decade—the last new one being Samurai Shodown Sen for Xbox 360 and arcade in 2008. What was now the time for something new?

Nobuyuki Kuroki, Director: “There are various reasons, one being that when I was at SNK back in the day, I always wanted to work on Samurai Shodown more and more. I did a little bit of work on the Samurai Shodown 64 series. But there’s also just the fact that there has been a major focus on eSports recently, and I feel like this game in particular is very unique and will stand out on the eSports scene. And in general it’s just an iconic series for SNK, and we’ve had a lot of fan requests from the community to bring it back.”

Speaking of eSports, I think it’s safe to say a lot of people didn’t expect Samurai Shodown to be a main title for Evo 2019 in August. With the game due out in June, are you worried there won’t be enough time for players to learn how to play at a sufficient level?

Yasuki Oda, Producer: “I’m a little worried. (Laughs.) I’m a little bit worried that it might not be the top-level play that you’d see. But I also think that the system in general is just so simple and easy to pick up that people will jump right into it. And you might see a lot of people come out of nowhere that haven’t been on the scene before, who resonate with this game that’s so different from other games, and make a new entrance.”

Joshua Weatherford, Game Designer: “I personally think that the systems are not just simple, but also difficult to master. So it’s that perfect balance for me in game design. One thing that we like to point out is that we were very careful to stay as close to the roots as possible for some of this stuff. So you know a lot of times whenever you see modern fighting games, they’ll change the move sets around, cut some of them out—almost none of that happened here. We kept everything in—we just tuned it a little bit to be more balanced for modern fighting games—but there’s very few cases where you have a character that’s lost half of there moves or something like that. So people who know Samurai Shodown from the past, who know a specific character—they’re going to be able to jump right in, in my opinion.”

Moving on to characters, The King of Fighters XIV had a very generous starting roster of 50 or so fighters, compared to the 16-character roster of Samurai Shodown. Do you feel like that might be too little?

Weatherford: “Not really.”

Oda: “We’re not really worried about that honestly, because The King of Fighters is a team-based fighting game—three-versus-three, so you need a full team of three characters. So in my opinion, when you take one-third of that roster, you get about the amount in this game, so it works. Also, there’s not really a single clone character—that’s always been one of the things about Samurai Shodown. Even Hanzo and Galford, two ninjas that should play alike, play nothing alike. A couple of motions might be similar, but very few characters are actually similar to other characters. So all of them really stand on their own.”

And you guys aren’t showing the three original characters right now, but can you give us a hint?

Athlon Games representative: “No! We’re not answering that. (Laughs.)”

Hey, get out of the room! (Laughs.)

Weatherford: “They’re really cool, that’s all I’ll say. All three of them are really cool.”

Woo, big giveaway there. (Laughs.) Anyway, while we’re still talking about characters, given the rising popularity of guest characters, is there a possibility that we’ll see fighters from other franchises appear in Samurai Shodown?

Oda: “Yeah, we’re definitely interested, especially in finding a character that really fits this kind of gameplay.”

Say there were no restrictions on which guest character you could include, who would you choose to add to the roster?

Kuroki: “Oh man, that’s hard… Luke Skywalker.”

Oda: “(Pulls up an image of a Mobile Suit from the Gundam franchise on his phone.)”

Weatherford: “For me, I’d want TOEI Spider-Man. I love Spider-Man and I want something that’d fit this, so there’s actually a tokusatsu Spider-Man—like old school, giant robots—made back in the ’70s… None of these could ever actually be in because of licensing issues. (Laughs.)”

Oda: “If I’m thinking about swordplay, I’d like to put in Aragon from The Lord of the Rings.”

How do you plan to draw in beginners or players who don’t normally play fighting games?

Kuroki: “I think it really just comes from the basic fighting system of the game. Single strikes are so useful and damaging that you could win even if you land a lucky strike against a high level player.”

I think that’s what I did against Oda-san…

Oda: “(Laughs.) Well, we also made sure that all the super moves are the same inputs for each character. So as long as you know one character, you can easily jump into another character. Which is very different from say, The King of Fighters. That’s very difficult to keep up with everyone’s supers.”

Well, that about wraps up our time. Thank you for speaking to me! I wish you a successful public debut at PAX East 2019!

[tedrojr]

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modern albert dasilva headcanons!

my mans

born to a portuguese father and quebecois mother in montreal, qc. he grew up speaking english, french, and portuguese.

he’s the oldest of 4 boys

his family moved to new york when he was 15

very tech savvy. he’s great with computers, as in building them and programming. he built his own pc when he was 17 just for funsies

he’s the one his grandparents call for help with technology questions and he screams on the inside every time but he just patiently talks them through how to use google maps

a huge movie buff! he can talk for DAYS about movies that he’s into

he’s really into sci-fi and superhero movies but tbh he’s really into 90s and early 2000s romcoms as well

he’s the type of guy that’s like “star wars and star trek are both sci-fi classics that arent comparable!”

(but really he likes star trek better)

his favorite movies are star trek II the wrath of khan and spiderman homecoming

definitely a gaymer. he plays so much fortnite

he’s really into wearing bandanas on his head and has like 10 all in different colors

he only wears like 2 outfits tho

one is a white hawaiian shirt with pineapples, a black tshirt, and khaki shorts

the other is a pink santa cruz longsleeve shirt and black skinny jeans

has a fanny pack that he bought ironically but he grew to love it and so he uses it unironically all the time

too gay to drive so he longboards everywhere

he tried teaching himself to use a trick board but just ended up getting hurt a lot so he gave up

he’s a really good cook but rarely has the energy to make anything. his specialty is baked mac and cheese and would honestly eat it for every meal

his favorite food is pineapple and he would eat a whole one if race didnt scare him by telling him that it eats you back

very into 90s/00s boybands. backstreet boys, nsync, big time rush, jonas brothers.

he tried forming a boyband with his brothers when he was a kid but their performances were limited to the living room with only their parents in the audience

he loves disneyland with a passion

his favorite ride is space mountain

he also loves meeting characters and has quite a few autograph books

he tends to be one to speak his mind and is more brave when it comes to confrontation

he hates bottling things up and keeping things from people. never tell him a secret bc he will spill it as soon as u walk away

the one exception is when he has feelings for someone. he’s had such a negative experience with dating that he’s nervous about being hurt and just dating again in general

he dated oscar delancey his sophomore year soon after moving to ny. their relationship was very unhealthy and al still has trust issues

that being said he loves physical affection to an extent

race is a very affectionate person with his friends and so albert loves to cuddle and hold him. and sometimes kiss him but no homo