#i actually like yoko's outfit in this

[beatleswings]

THE BEATLES + YOKO ONO jamming in THE BEATLES: GET BACK Part I.

[coredrill]

WHOA?????

[waywardsalt]

oh yeah i’ve got a bunch of loz aus that i haven’t really talked about. a few of them are listed and slightly explained in this poll and explanation reblog but i haven’t gone out of my way to actually list the aus i have and really explain them. so that’s what this post is for. here are some... decently simple explanations of my major aus and what they're generally about

i have two kinds of aus: original aus (loz aus that are set in their own kinds of worlds with their own stories and twists on character roles) and then crossover aus (we all know how this works i just mash loz and a thing i like together)

original aus: (many currently dont have actual titles, so the titles will often just be concept shorthand)

in the court of the crimson king/crimson king au: probably the most developed and closest to being written out. it's got one of the longer premises; set in a industrial-esque hyrule city, following linebeck as the main character, as the adoptive older brother of link and aryll, living with them and their grandmother as the only one able to reliably make money to pay for rent and food, leaving every other week to do jobs, but he moonlights as the 'demon of the gray moon', a masked persona he'd created as a child that had long since become a city-wide urban legend, anonymously taking unsavory jobs from whomever can contact him and offer pay, often working directly for bellum, a childhood friend, the one who enabled and trained him to become the demon, and one of five anonymous leaders of the city. linebeck effectively lives a double life, and tries to stay out of too much trouble to avoid drawing attention to himself or making his adoptive family worry, but he gets dragged into more and more danger as bellum becomes curious about the identities of the city's other leaders, and linebeck falls in love with a man named ganondorf, suspected to be one of those other city leaders. ive got a few posts related to it already: this one being another vague concept descriptor, this one being an actual scene i have written out.

'gimmick' au: i cannot explain the gimmick without spoiling the au. put simply, in this au, hyrule as a whole has been at war for ten years, every race and kingdom taking sides in a conflict that seems to be going nowhere. link joined the hylian army young, and has made his way up the ranks to become trusted by queen zelda herself, and things in the war take an interesting turn as he and zelda discover a new faction, unaligned with any particular kingdom and with unknown motives, and zelda decides to set out to the different parts of hyrule, link and a chosen group of trusted allies in tow, intending to try negotiation one more time before things take a turn for the worse.

sci-fi/space au: the fun one that probably would need to be done in a visual medium. it takes place in a solar system of a few planets, link growing up on the planet hyrule and occasionally traveling to the others as a knight specializing in investigating and taking down dangerous bounty hunters, working for zelda as a friend. he and zelda uncover a plot by the yiga clan to accumulate a number of highly dangerous research and weapons held by each species as they aim to resurrect a demon to wreck havoc on the solar system- the b plot being about the top bounty hunters in the solar system screwing around, eventually colliding with link and zelda's a plot as it begins to involve them.

murder mystery(?) au: one of the older ones, maybe one of the oldest that i still stick with. this might actually be one of the first ones i tried writing. the plot begins when zelda returns to hyrule city years after her father- the former mayor- was murdered, finding that he has been replaced by ganondorf and that while things seem fine enough on the surface, random and organized crime run the show, and she begins a private detective agency as 'sheik', a masked young man, and with the help of impa, and old friend and confidant, she moonlights as sheik and uses her daytime identity as zelda to help chip away at some of the city's biggest problems and finds herself drawn into a long string of murders that appear to be anything but random violence.

ruined hyrule 1: i have two au’s with the premise of hyrule being ruined. neither of them have more specific names yet. this one begins with the majority of greater hyrule's population having long since locked themselves in hyrule castle town in order to escape the increasingly dangerous wildlife. zelda, a young girl at the beginning, becomes curious about what lies beyond the city walls, and makes friends with many other children within this sheltered hyrule, and as they grow up together, aim to eventually venture out into the wilderness to see what may have caused the outside world to become so incredibly hostile.

ruined hyrule 2: the other ruined hyrule. set in a devastated hyrule, roughly ten years after the royal family was killed, link failing to save them or hyrule in the time since. he now resolves to set out and indiscriminately destroy every demon that plagues the ruined hyrule, meeting and bringing along various allies, each of which has been uniquely affected by and have different lived in this altered, dangerous shell of hyrule.

modern (school): i also have two modern aus. this one isn’t plot driven, just a concept i have, would work best as little vignettes or something. essentially just the idea of a group of loz characters hanging out together in a modern high school (or college?) setting.

modern: this is the one with an actual plot. follows the general idea of zelda characters living in a modern world only for the typical legends to begin resurfacing and heralding dark events. plot specifics are murky, but that's the general idea.

dark mage: this is the au that where the seas meet the sands takes place in. basically just ganondorf x linebeck shenanigans in this alternate hyrule while actual plot sneaks up on them. named 'dark mage' mostly because the initial idea behind this au was that linebeck would learn magic.

horror au: doesn't have the best name, and it's ended up just being a personal sandbox for me. constantly changing, with the cast and setting often altering if i find that something isn't working or sticking. it's an au i've considered (and even briefly tried) writing in the past, but it's still too fluid, and writing horror effectively is difficult. it's a fun au, though.

mecha au: spawned because i watched neon genesis evangelion. a lot of this au's basic concepts can be found here: x but the short version is that hyrule is being besiged by massive monsters, but each race has created their own mechs to combat them. link is just a farmer who happens to have a strange knack for being a mech user, so is brought in by zelda as a gamble to bolster their chances, and he is tasked with working with a new and less-than-trustworthy crew to help fight those monsters.

'amnesia link' au: an au that sprang up in about a day and hasn't gotten too far since. basic premise being that three years prior to the story, link and a group of allies has faced off against ganondorf and, despite their best efforts, lost, with link being presumed dead by their enemies. now, link has woken up from his coma, his memories gone and hyrule taken over, and, with guidance, must once again travel across hyrule, aiming to rediscover his allies and try to face ganondorf once more.

A quick list of crossovers: I won't explain these in length, since they can range from having their own plot to just being a fun mental concept. So, the things I have made crossover aus with are:

Warrior Cats

Batman

Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

Persona 5

Pokemon

(there are other, smaller ones, these are just the ones i consistently pay attention to)

So! These are the majority of my legend of zelda aus, some of which I may write, some of which just exist in my mind for fun, all of which I wouldn't mind talking more about if anyone is curious!

[caitlynskitten]

Wednesday convinces Enid and Yoko to join her in her investigation. Yoko wears her normal clothes. Enid wears her detective outfit including a detective hat and a long coat. Wednesday wears her beekeeping outfit because of course.

Yoko: We all look like we’re going to a Halloween party.

Enid: Why didn’t you dress with me? You could be my Watson!

Yoko: Because when you asked me to hang out I thought we were going to actually hangout. Not this!

Wednesday: You both are underdressed. The suits I picked out-

Yoko and Enid: We are not wearing the beekeeping suit.

Wednesday: DAMN IT!

[caitlynscat]

The Nevermore Girls have a sleepover at Wednesday’s Mansion.

Yoko: I didn’t realize your room was so neat…. and dark…. and devoid of light.

Divina: When’s the last time you opened up these curtains and let the sun shine through?

Wednesday: Never.

Enid: I love your collection of knives! It’s so cute! I love how organized they are on the wall!

Bianca under her breath: Guess she never has to worry about burglars here.

Yoko: Right like anyone is ever gonna want to break into this house.

Divina: So I guess I can forget asking if you were ever a Barbie or Bratz kinda girl.

Wednesday: Both actually.

Bianca: You played with dolls?

Wednesday: Of course, let me show them to you.

Wednesday pulls out her collection of dolls from under her bed and lays them out neatly on her table. The girls crowd over to look at the clean, shiny dolls all wearing various forms of black dresses.

Enid: Oh my god these are so beautiful!

Wednesday: Thank you, my love. I worked very hard in making these clothings for them.

Bianca: Wait you created these outfits for them yourselves?

Wednesday: Of course. I used to go to this frantic shop with my mother. Whatever she bought and used, I gathered what’s left and made these for them.

Yoko: Why though?

Wednesday: The colorful clothings that came with the dolls aren’t my style.

Divina: I did…. not expect you to do these to your dolls.

Wednesday: What did you expect? For me to torture these poor plastics?

All the girls nod.

Wednesday: Fair enough. But I don’t like the fact that you all though that’s what I’d do.

[barblaz-arts]

Okay okay hear me out

Older Divina but... with a man-bun or short haired bun? Idk thought just came to me eating Mac and cheese

Idk about a man-bun... I actually already pretty much know how I want Divina to look like. It's yoko I'm having trouble with 💀

Mostly the outfits. It's always the outfits I have trouble with...

[dragon-chica]

Piercings - Wednesday preference.

Fandom: Wednesday

Just a SFW quick thought on piercings they would get, because that's hot and I want it.

Wednesday Addams: She only got one because she had tagged along with others getting pierced so she could watch them squirm and be in pain. After getting there she was a bit more interested and asked which was the most painful, and ended up getting a Conch to see how it felt. You're not really sure if she likes it or not, but she hasn't taken it out so you take it as a good sign.

Enid Sinclair: She has little gem studs in a row from her lobe to mid helix, keeps them all matching with usually the same ones, but she wears lots of cute jewelry she likes to make on her bottom lobe piercing. She also has her right nostril stud, which she found a lot of cute stuff on etsy for. Including a hoop that looks like a heart that she adores.

Xavier Thorpe: He has a septum piercing that he got on a whim when he went with Ajax to the piercer. He was looking at a chart and different jewelry and asked if it'd look good, Ajax fully talked him up and he got simple silver. He ended up really liking it and thinks about getting something else, would do so if someone hyped him up to talk him into it.

(fun proven fact if you have a crush on someone and they get a septum piercing, that piercing is suddenly 100% hotter.)

Ajax Petropolus: Snake. Bites. I can see them being really popular with Gorgons just for the name, especially teens. He also gets a tongue piercing and has a bunch of different studs like he'll be talking and today you see neon green. Thinks it's fun but will also stick his tongue out at you when he sees you staring.

Yoko Tanaka: Despite there being a Dracula piercing, it's more for posers wanting to be Vampires than the actual ones. She has a side labret (lip ring) and tends to wear the ones on a chain attached to an ear cuff.

Bianca Barclay: Left eyebrow stud. Simple but still eye catching enough, she sticks to either silver or gold depending on her makeup and outfit. Has a few pieces of faux septum and labret jewelry.

Eugene Otinger: One ear pierced. He saw so many of his peers with piercings he wanted to as well, he asked his moms and they didn't mind at all, took him to a professional piercer (he was scared in the place) and despite his bravery, only made it through getting one done.

It's a little gold and orange gem starter. Enid bought him a little bee earring to celebrate and he cherishes it but is too terrified to change it even though it's fully healed.

Kent the Siren: He has regular lobe piercings and his belly button, got it at the same time as Divina, he wears gold studs and little gemstone belly button jewelry, has a little selection of them. He has a lot of opinions and jewelry he likes and would be so happy to let you borrow his or help you pick something.

Divina the Siren: Double helix! It took her a long time to decide what to start with besides regular lobe piercings, but she found some cute, dainty chain jewelry and went for it. She also has a bellybutton piercing and likes wearing larger stones and opal because it looks really pretty when she's swimming. Matches her tail.

Tyler Gaplin: He really just wants to get his ears pierced, kind of as an act of rebellion, but between being stuck in the small minded town of Jericho and having imagined how his father would react, that stays a dream. But he thinks of it any time other teens come in with piercings.

[enidsinclajr]

okay so with the new live-action avatar out it got me revisiting the wenclair avatar ideas i had:

pro-bender au where enid, yoko, and ajax are on a team. enid is a waterbender, yoko a firebender, and ajax is an earthbender (hehe cause stone) wednesday is a firebender who moves to republic city to become a journalist. she gets put on writing about the pro-bending league since she's new. she follows enid's team (which could actually be called the wolf-bats like in the show LOL) and even gets subbed in for a game when yoko is out. eugene is a fanboy who she also interviews/works with. bianca, xaiver, and divina are also on a rival team

something where they're both firebenders in the fire nation just because firebender enid seems so cool, and a firebender with blue eyes also seems cool!!!

avatar enid for sure. like I could also see her starting out as either an airbender or waterbender who's last element to master is firebending, and who better to teach her than fire nation royalty wednesday ???

air nomad enid also just seems fun (idk why she reminds me of jinora???), honestly her and wednesday in the airbender outfits would be so cute LOL

i just think wednesday is a firebender. her and zuko have similar vibes in the most weird way in my head idk how to explain it LMAO

[canmom]

Wasn't one of the Nier girls the one where the creator was asked to design a swimsuit for a gatcha or something and he sent back her in an old-fashioned diving suit? You should go in that because it was very funny.

(I don't go here, but I do appreciate good old-fashioned trolling)

that was in SINoALICE!

Yoko Taro: “Mobile game devs tell me that swimsuit outfits make more money, so I should make one, so I made Dorothy’s aquatic outfit for her Cleric class, but the sales weren’t very good. The devs said, ‘not a diving suit like this! A swimsuit that shows more skin!!’ so I released Dorothy’s lazy bear minstrel class, but sales went down yet again. Who can trust these devs?” [src]

(this is Yoko Taro being his goofy self, there are plenty of skimpy outfits in the game. but it's a good bit.)

SINoALICE was a gacha in which various fairytale characters are incarnated in a vast library, overseen by two sinister dolls. Each one is searching for their author in order to fulfil a wish. Its characters are invariably very violent, and also there are many clones of each of them running around, and they might turn into monsters..? It's implied that the fairytale girls are actually real people who got isekaied into the library. I never got much further than that, since I hit a wall where it was hard to progress without a pretty severe grind.

Although it was overseen by Yoko Taro and definitely plays to the NieR design motifs, its actual ties to the NieR series are... not entirely clear. In true gacha fashion, it's had crossovers with just about everything you can think of. Spot some very unlikely entries like Higurashi (the ryuukishi07 visual novel) and Kakegurui (the gambling anime). So it doesn't mean very much that 2B et al showed up in there too.

But, it got a very overt reference recently in NieR Reincarnation's main story (you basically walk through a ruined version of the SINoALICE setting and read a message from the puppets) so... it's got something to do with it all, probably? Maybe the library exists inside the Cage, which is actually (it turns out) the [spoiler] on the [spoiler]! ...though would it even matter if it did?

Anyway, the game was recently shut down, but there are various fan efforts to archive its content, most of which are linked from here. There's a text archive on Accord's Library.

[bookoflibrary]

Thinking of memories.

I thought I would make a really long trivia post of funny moments we had in JP as well as some of Aoki Tact's post EoS stream tidbits

When SINo first launched the game was nearly unplayable for over a week. Checking the status of the maint gave you a funny indefinite message.

There were originally two colo matches per day but this was discarded almost immediately for obvious issues.

Yoko Taro oversaw and wrote for main story to the very end with the help of two cowriters at Pokelabo

Pokelabo did the writing for everything else [Weapon stories, event stories and job stories] Despite her files not being in the game to datamine Rapunzel's design was leaked mysteriously thus she was released slightly sooner into second anniversary than intended.

Akazukin's sin jobs always gave away which character would be that sins giant raid [with the exception of Proud Lion where she talks about Alice but it was Pino who had that giant raid]

Yoko Taro wrote the very end of the game before anything else.

The desire mass in the finale and Gishanki are Taro's favorite characters. Yoko Taro also really likes Dorothy, and she is Aoki Tact's favorite character as well.

There was a very negative balance gem debt when the first run of the CG collab first came to JP. Akazukin originally had a different VA until shortly after first anniversary. All her lines were removed and replaced to the current one. To commemorate we were given Akazukin Mage for free in an upcoming event medal grind shop.

There was once a bug early in the game where the characters were dissembled on your home screen and their body parts would move really fast all over the place.

Hameln launch was a bit of a mess and also had a funny bug where he would have random characters' lines and voices on home instead of his.

It was purged off official accounts for no reason given but there was a live action short film of Reality Alice finding the Library. Fan re-uploads exist though.

The pose Alice makes in the Act of SINo ending PV is the front view of when you win your first colo match

Himiko (manga artist) and KitaEri (Cindy VA) made U32 a few times.

To add KitaEri and MAO were the most reappearing VAs on streams. KitaEri really enjoyed SINo as well as playing it. Of all the VAs, Tomoaki Maeno was the only one to not be on a stream in person though he did leave a video message for Hameln's debut stream.

Reality characters are designed when they make a new Library character [though they make changes sometimes, off the top of my head they mentioned Rapunzel drastically changed]

Some reality characters have official names and ages [mentioned here in other posts]

Some fun trivia from Aoki Tact's post eos streams:

Sin mages were considered at some point but the idea was discarded.

Mage designs were meant to resemble medieval Europe outfits but they tried a bridal look on Snow and fell in love so it was kept.

Momotaro was planned to be an actual SINo since they wanted more males and more Japan folklore characters period but they had issues catching later additions up as is so they stuck him as an NPC. Peter Pan had too much issues legally to be added.

To add Pokelabo had an entire legal team and list of fairytales they could potentially add.

Jino was only given one sentence of what to come up with for character designs so he spent a lot of time in libraries with headphones to capture little details in their design.

To add he once said he originally thought reality Gretel was in his 30s but this was misunderstood by fans. He was always meant to be age he is now. Jino also struggled a bit designing reality Akazukin, her original draft had her in a red raincoat. He also had issues making Hameln's reality design since his suits already had modern feels to them silhouette wise and wanted to make his silhouette stand out.

Aoki started his 'fan movie' since nearly the start of the game as a secret little project. Some of the models he made low-key were used in promo pvs (Act of Fusion PV and Cinderella having a cameo in the Death Metal video)

The shape and location for characters life force is important details for both Library and Reality.

A lot of discussions happened after the final Act of SINo chapters on JP sns, all he can say is Aladdin and Hameln are important to each other but their relationship is open to interpretation of the players. [Hameln's concept can mean Boys Love in Chinese as well though I think it's an accidental innuendo than anything linguistically speaking] Getting the movie officially released overseas is likely not possible. 'On the subject on another complete art book' there is no budget anymore and certain rights has expired that gives artists the right to share the work they've done for the game. In short making another art book is not possible.

The finale to the game took a majority of the games budget to make. Gishanki had voice actors in the film but it was a computer program thay made their voices for the game, so they don't have voice actors in the game. Aoki Tact says the characters we know in the game, and in the manga, and in the light novel are all 'different characters' as in he considers them completely different from the characters they are based off of and are separated canons.

This is already long so here's some trivia for now. I'll make a part 2 eventually. This is all based on memory seeing it in real-time, reading Famitsu interviews and watching Aoki Tact's streams which are very chill and interesting and talks a lot about game development so I recommend checking out his channel here.

[vaniloqu3nce]

Yoko Headcanons Pt 2

Yoko’s parents are an extremely wealthy and notorious vampire coven from Japan. They put plenty of expectations on Yoko throughout her childhood to be perfect and uphold their family’s image.

Yoko knew she was gay from a very young age but knew her parents would never approve. She played the perfect daughter but really she was sneaking girls home, partying, generally prioritizing her own happiness once she was old enough to understand what makes her happy.

Yoko’s parents had no idea what she was up to until she was caught. She was sent to Nevermore to reform.

She did NOT reform.

Yoko flirts shamelessly, with anyone. Even Wednesday occasionally (though playfully) up until she realizes Enid has a crush, then she tries to befriend Wednesday in order to make sure she’s good for Enid.

Wednesday and Yoko actually become decent friends and bond over their in depth knowledge of old horror media.

Yoko LOVES Wednesday’s books she’s basically the number one fan after page one.

Yoko: Is your girlfriend done with chapter twenty nine yet Enid i cannot wait this long

Enid: Yoko its three am STOP TEXTING ME

Yoko and Wednesday are an awesome sarcastic duo.

Thing Enid Yoko and Wednesday have horror movie nights in which the gfs cuddle and our favorite man and Yoko criticize outfits, set design, camera angles, how realistic the blood is, and so on.

Enid is terrified so she’s mostly hiding in Wednesday’s chest while scrolling through her phone and Wednesday holds Enid the whole time and Wednesday will occasionally comment on Thing and Yoko’s conversation if she has something to add.

Wednesday: It’s not that easy to hold a severed head. They’re quite heavy.

Yoko has a lot of trouble focusing and finding interest in school, so Enid helps with homework and classwork because Yoko’s parents will kill her if her grades don’t remain perfect.

Yoko is very confident and charming when it comes to flirting with someone she has no interest in romantically pursuing. Which is basically ever girl ever.

Yoko gets very nervous and flustered when she actually likes someone. She can trip over her words (very unlike her) or just completely brain fart.

Divina: Yoko, are you listening

Yoko, who was just staring and thinking about how pretty Divina is: wha?-I mean yes absolutely.

I raise you demiromantic Yoko.

I raise you Yoko who has a hard time expressing herself emotionally because her parents didn’t allow it.

I raise you Yoko being absolutely smitten with Divina out of all people and hates herself for it because love scares her.

I raise you Divina not wanting anything with Yoko to be public because Yoko gets around and she’s not ashamed of it, and Divina is worried about her image/what people would think/her parents finding out.

I raise you Yoko for the first time in a long time realizing she wants someone forever and that terrifies her so she never makes anything official.

I raise you them both learning how to work through their fears and vulnerabilities together. Yoko teachers Divina how to prioritize her happiness instead of doing whatever her parents want and being unhappy. Divina teachers Yoko how to open up, helps her stay organized and on track in school, teaches Yoko how to keep herself organized with little neat schedules and notes.

Yoko’s love language is very physical.

I raise you Enid being the best friend possible and supporting her best friend despite Yoko hiding her relationship with Divina for some time.

I raise you Wednesday telling Yoko to get her shit together when she’s flirting with other girls because shes scared of committing to Divina.

Finally I raise you Yoko and Enid being the worst possible pair of lesbian best friends ever.

Yoko: Divina can step on my throat and id thank her

Enid: Wednesday is so pretty id let her run me over twice

[hetrosjistin]

On Nier Automata's 2B (SPOILERS)

So I was today years old when I finally found out 2B isn't NEARLY as sexist as I thought she was. I've finally been getting around to learning more about Nier*because I've always been more of a drakengard boy when it comes to Yoko Taro's works) And I'm fuckin SHOOK by something.

Everybody makes fun of how oversexualized 2B is right, they're a combat robot after all, why are they running around in a miniskirt and leotard with an ass that claps so hard it alerts all the robots to her presence?

And today I learned that all the androids in Nier are based on the personality engrams of actual human beings. They all have the memories and personalities of humans from the rest of the series.

So who is 2B's personality engram? Well I don't think it's ever explicitly spelled out, but apparently the smart money is on Kainé, an intersex fem-presenting protagonist from the original game. And boy fuckin' HOWDY does that change the presentation of 2B if so.

Because an essential fact of the matter is that if your body is perfectly customizable, which for the androids in Nier they absolutely are, all gender representation is purely by choice, and while I'm not trans myself, among my trans friends I know quite a few who if given a perfectly customizable body would very likely go just as hard into sexualized presentation as 2B does, because if your body is already at core this tanky super bot, and you don't need to give a crap about protection, then why not flaunt the body you've always wanted to present?

I mean it helps a bit in my opinion that Yoko Taro doesn't out and out say any of this, he's always stated that the reason 2B looks the way she does is because he wanted to spend his time playing the game looking at a NICE ass since he'd spend most of it looking at SOMEONE'S ass, which is a nice bit of honesty for once compared to a lot of devs who find ways to present gals in outfits that would make a porn model blush, but all the same I find the possibility of 2B to actually be an incarnation of Kainé to be intriguing as hell.

[luigixd]

have you ever tried drawing the beatles’ partners?? (like yoko ono, linda mccartney, pattie boyd, etc)

Yes I tried drawing Yoko a few times and I draw Linda a lot but not the others. I’m still thinking about how the others will look sorry for the lack of girls.

Maureen Starkey⬇️

I don’t like this one. I should have did a better outfit. I like the ears and the eyes though.

Linda McCartney⬇️

Linda’s my favorite girl she’s sooo pretty. I also love to draw her and Paul they go hand in hand. My Fav relationship❤️

Yoko Ono⬇️

I know it’s hard to believe but I actually like Yoko. She’s so cute with John. Like bro they wear matching outfits. 

I like the fact I made John a white rabbit and Yoko a black one.

Sorry I’m still working on Pattie. Birds are hard to draw especially when they’re girls. Thanks for asking!

[spiralcloudpassage]

STELLAR BLADE THOTS TIME. To everyone and anyone who thought it was going to be a bad game i hope you eat it. Post-game elementary review under the cut.

the game’s design is eponymously stellar. The world is fleshed out; there’s plenty of exploring to do and objectives to complete; maps are expansive and multilayered with different layouts and aesthetics to each one; gameplay and combat controls are immaculate; and most surprisingly, the character writing is introspective and focused. I had an unbelievable amount of fun with this game, and am currently enjoying the new challenge of a hard mode in new game+. I will be playing this game for a long time to come.

much of the genuine trepidation towards this game (other than The Discourse which was so asinine and pathetic that i loathe that i may have to address it momentarily) I believe came from the suspicion that it would be a clone of nier: automata, with many elements from the story we saw in trailers and the demo giving clear parallels to the plot of an alien invasion threatening a league of sexy androids. Any further inspection however reveals that most of the direct parallels end there, with the direction of the plot and the personalities that bloom giving stellar blade its own unique sense of character. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the women in the game were given agency and drive (the game passes the bechdel test for anyone that needs it spelled out), though of course i wish that the designs for the women were more varied. No game is complete without a good handful of bulldog butches to round out the cast, and it’s a shame that they didn’t give us anything of the sort when the male designs are varied in that way and more interesting because of it. I love playing as the missing 13th member of LOONA, but even a strict sense of aesthetics should understand and appreciate the diversity of people that populate a planet– even when that planet has been made desolate.

Another large point of contention is the costumes in the game, which was once again a largely-reactionary response from cherrypicked screenshots teased before the games’ release, on both sides. Some of the costumes are, indeed, quite tacky, in the honorable spirit of any game in the cuntress slasher genre (or any game period, truthfully; they can’t all make the cover of vogue), but most of the costumes are actually well designed and stylish. There’s clear inspiration for each one, the themes are varied, and while thankfully not every costume is is sexy, every article of clothing EVE can acquire is chic. I appreciated that there are a few costumes where she has flat shoes in lieu of heels, and a few that dont accent her boobies or ass. Sometimes a girl needs a break from being the baddest. to the other side of the argument that threw a temper tantrum over “censorship” when the outfit you were bitching about literally shows off her kardashian-plumped pussoi; put a shotgun in your mouth and pull the trigger with your toes lmfao I dont even have the sense of humor to entertain your nonsense. One of the costumes has a clit window (and still serves). Another one forgoes the classic womb tattoo (or LED lights in this case) for the new and insightful ovary tattoo (LED light) instead. You’re so pathetic i can’t even put it into words.

The biggest attraction to this game for me personally however was without a doubt the combat. In the first look trailer we got in 2021, a video i can play in my mind as clear as day, I was able to identify two key features that put this title on my radar: a perfect dodge, the mechanic which platinum games perfected in Bayonetta all the way back in 2009, and a perfect parry, the mechanic that rocketed fromsoftware’s Sekiro to the top of the foodchain to forever outclass all action games to come. We will never get another Bayonetta or another Sekiro, much like there will never be a narrative that resonates quite as profoundly as what yoko taro produced in Automata, but Stellar Blade is not any of these games. Stellar Blade is Stellar Blade, and achieves a striking identity with the fluidity of its combat. Though being familiar with its predecessors aids in the understanding of its systems, treating them as interchangeable will lead to ruin, which I appreciated immensely. I didn’t start off doing terribly, but was punished severely for getting too greedy with combos or not being aggressive and proactive enough while trying to bait out attack sequences. The more personal nature of combat lends it more towards Sekiro, but with only a handful of human enemies in the game (four if i recall correctly, all bosses), the tactics and aggression needed to carve monsters to pieces are different and must be treated as such. Study, practice, and patience lead to action sequences that are bombastic, exhilarating, and salacious.

All of the action is underscored by a soundtrack that was truly breathtaking. Collabing with Keichii Okabe’s MONACA studio for some of the tracks was another cause for outcry of copycatting NieR (ignoring that MONACA has a very obvious deck of cards that they like to reuse across all of their games, no shade of course it’s all delicious), yet the soundtrack as a whole is diverse in its genre expressions. Obvious inspiration from kpop is what gives Stellar Blade its stylish personality, yet there are moving orchestral pieces, hard rock solos with thrilling guitar, and slow, mellifluous melodies that drift in and out of speakers as you move between the hub city and outside maps, or during brief stops at rest camps.

Perhaps the most delightful surprise in the game, however, was the true source of inspiration for the meat of the gameplay; Stellar Blade is a single-player action-adventure game, and it takes clear direction from the most successful games that came before it. Puzzles to progress forward or gather loot are varied and enjoyable in the same ways as Resident Evil, the atmosphere and level design is most reminiscent of Dead Space (a comparison I’m tickled to make, as several areas in the game were genuinely creepy and unsettling), and the platforming sequences are as tight and fun as the ever-classic Crash Bandicoot. There’s a fishing minigame that kicked my ass. The PS5 controller uses its functions to the fullest with its adaptive triggers changing the tension based off of ammunition fired from the drone or with soft vibrations to emulate the pitter-patter of raindrops or EVE’s footsteps on different terrain changing the intensity of vibration based on the texture of whatever is underfoot. It was sensory heaven identifying sneak attacks from burrowing enemies rumbling and tunneling under the sand to jump out at me from behind. There are difficulty levels that adjust the challenge to player preference, with accessibility options that let you auto-succeed QTE sequences or single-press buttons that would typically be repeated mashing inputs. This is a video game that enjoys being a video game, and as a woman enamored with video games, I cannot get enough of it.

There are criticisms to make, of course, and I’m not here to settle the argument of whether this game is feminist or misogynist. To label it as one or the other ignores the tepid nature of the subject, and encourages bystanders to form an opinion without seeing for themselves what’s under the hood. As a sexual woman who enjoys being strong, independent, violent, yet still sensual, demure, and unfathomable, I was delighted with the experience. EVE stands proud as her own woman; she is not the catty dominatrix aroused by carnage and destruction that is Bayonetta, nor is she the silent and surly tortured soul that is 2B. Stellar Blade can take pride in distinguishing itself from its foremothers as a modern game with modern aesthetics, and I hope to see developers truly understand just what kind of care and attention it takes to produce such a stellar title.

[caitlynskitten]

Enid introducing her cousin Pip and Wednesday introducing her cousin Tara.

Bianca: Did Sunshine and Black Cat clone themselves?

Yoko: I feel like I'm drunk and seeing double right now. This is weird, especially for Enid, but even for Wednesday.

Divina: Is it bad that l'm having only dirty thoughts about this situation?

Bianca wants to make fun of them so badly but Tara is actually meaner and cuts deeper with her words compared to Wednesday, making Bianca regret her decision and tries not to cry in front of them.

Yoko is making sure she’s not high or drunk to see that there’s in fact two Wednesday Addams. With one of them wearing a casual outfit.

Divina…. the smut fic writer she is can only think of extremely smutty thoughts. With her being part of it. What I’m trying to say is that Divina wants to be fucked by Wednesday and Tara at the same time. With Tara praising her and Wednesday degrading her at the same time.

[zoeysdamn]

Headcanon (crack): Wednesday’s characters being drunk

Don’t ask me why. @beggingforxavierthorpe​ and I talked and boom -- crack thoughts, you know the drill

Wednesday: 

Doesn’t get drunk easily, is used to fancy wines from family dinners; it takes around a whole bottle to get her tipsy.  

Prefers old age whisky (or nail polish remover)

Blunt af – even more than usual it is

But it also means blunting compliments

“Your dress is nicely complimenting your body, Enid”

“....I’m sorry wHAT– “

“I said what I said”

0 sense of danger

Like, none

Would accept any dare, I swear to god

“Hey Wednesday, bet you can’t walk barefoot on that electric line”

“Hold my beer–” 

Probably confessed a hella lot of personal stuff to Thing without realizing it

(he’ll keep it to himself, he’s not suicidal)

If she tolerates a hug more than 5 seconds, she’s wasted 

Enid: 

Can hold her liquor for like three cups top – after that she’s a goner

Will deny she gets drunk 

Switch between sad drunk, happy drunk, and cuddly drunk

Also will fight God in a fistfight on her 6th drink 

Sad drunk Enid will cry her heart out and cuddle you over any random subject. Last episode of her favorite show? Yep. The caramel dessert at the cafeteria at lunch? Absolutely. Yoko wearing the same outfit as her at the last party? She’ll cry on your shoulder. Mommy issues? bOI bring the tissues. 

Karaoke is a must do; don’t tempt her with a mic, you’ll have the full Taylor Swift discography blasted ‘til daylight 

Came become suspicious of everyone on her top drunk state: she’ll be sure one of the guest is actually principal Weems in disguise 

Probably had show her boobs on top of a table for fun (sober Wednesday had to pull her down)

Gets whiny when the alcohol starts to wear off 

Already ended up asleep upside down in a bathtub – somehow always wakes up in her bed 

Ajax: 

Mildly light weight; can hold his beer as much as he wants, but anything stronger and he’s gone. 

At 3 drinks he thinks he’s a good singer; at 5 he’ll demonstrate it (he’s not) 

Definitely an affectionate drunk 

Will hug anyone – anyone

The only person who had tackled Bianca Barclay into a surprise hug and lived 

Bc drunk Ajax is a gentle giant too cute for his own good

Actually managed to get away after being busted by Ms Thornhill as he stumbled drunk in the school’s corridor 

Asks the dumbest yet most legit questions

“So snakes are basically walking on their bellies?”

“D’you think Weems can have a baby with herself? I mean theoretically–” 

“If I stone someone during sex and pull out, do I pull the sword out of the stone?” 

Loves everyone, will die for everyone if you ask enough (just ask him)

Saw a bearded man once and hugged him while crying “Dumbledore, you’re alive!!” 

Xavier and Yoko filmed the scene; it’s an official meme of Nevermore now 

Harder drunker, so somehow the best at knowing all the tricks how to handle hangovers 

Will leave ibuprofen and bottles of water in the bathroom every time the party’s in his room

Xavier: 

Also familiar with fancy drinks (family dinners and all)

Ajax definitely made fun of him during their first time drinking together because of that 

Will defy anyone in a drinking contest – will most likely win but at what cost 

Knows when he’s drunk, will have another drink to celebrate it 

Needs no more than 3 drinks to dramatically turn to Ajax singing like he’s a judge in The Voice 

Hair has no rule anymore: past 5 drinks, Xavier will let anyone try any hair style on him – should he end up with a palm tree hairstyle (he definitely did. Multiple time.)

Instaured a socks race with Enid to establish a winner in beer pong in case it ends in a tie

The scale of drunken Xavier can be established by the corny nicknames he uses: babe, sweetheart? Getting tipsy. Muffin, baby doll? Drunk. Sexy cake, pudding, honeybun? Definitely drunk. Baby boo, Sugar pie? Bro you’re wasted af, drop this drink right now and stop trying to hit on the coat hanger.

Emotional drunk; the daddy issues WILL show and the emo playlist will be brought up.

Also somehow a bitchy drunk. Will make a gossip club with Yoko and Wednesday on the spot to bitch about every single guest while sipping mojitos and margaritas. 

Bianca: 

Will drown a bottle of tequila without blinking an eye and then recite an entire Shakespeare sonnet without stuttering 

Slightly emotional drunk, but also a loud drunk

Like, legit sounds like Cardi B laughing while drunk – a hyena

Brutally honest with you, but more prone to help you after a few drinks 

Dance monster on her 4th drink; don’t try to stop her getting on the dancefloor 

Taster of every new mix by Yoko; she has excellent cocktail tastes 

Will cry watching ‘Monsters Inc.’ on her 5th drink, will absolutely trash talk the little mermaid tho

The strongest drinker – it takes a lot to actually get her drunk

So she always end up being the referee to all drinking games (which she’s most likely to have instigated)

Have tons of pics of her friends during their drunken antics – goldmine. 

Mama bear taking care of the drunk crew 

Tyler: 

No filter whatsoever

Will either broke down into tears or unleash anger 

Would fight anyone too 

Not a lightweight but doesn’t know how to handle the amount of liquor he’s drinking 

Conspiracy theories after the 5th drink. So. much. theories. 

Had improvised a drunk strip tease once; will not do that again (for free)

Actually received a lot of compliments after that

The official coffee supplier of the crew on hangovers 

“Give me a pint of that coffee, Galpin” 

Around 4am, he’s usually taken by the urge to stress/hangover clean everything. Will do all the dishes to sleep off the alcohol. 

Will alternatively flirt or try to fight everyone, no middle ground 

He’ll actually defend any of his drunk friends being harassed 

High chances he’d join the bitch club too; Enid once photoshopped his, Xavier, and Yoko’s faces on the ‘Mean girls’ poster

(every one of them had secretly that printed in their locker)

Also a mother hen – at least he tries

Bonus: Principal Weems

Did indeed transform herself into a student to attend a party 

Quickly understood why she preferred a glass of Chardonnay in her cozy office

The sole time she threw up after a party thanks to cheap vodka

Also had to purposefully ignore some students after that – some pictures can’t be erased