#if the only thing you find worthwhile about this game is shipping characters and are hoping they'll become canon

[boy-above]

ppl acting like any traveler ship could become canon in genshin are insane

[oddygaul]

Spiritfarer

This game was a weird experience for me. I wanna say that a story like this is more about the journey than the destination - and that’s copacetic narratively, as the unfolding stories of each of the passengers are far stronger than the capital p Plot the game builds towards - but from a gameplay standpoint, the journey itself largely felt like a tedious timesuck, and I kept finding myself wishing we could get straight to the point.

Let’s do a compliment sandwich here.

The overall vibes are immaculate, and the world of Spiritfarer is incredibly cozy. The dialogue is delightful - and not only with the main characters! Even the random villagers always have something charming going on. I think the last time I was actually this enthused to talk to minor NPCs was A Short Hike.

They’re not always cheery, either; the game has a lot of that old-school Animal Crossing edge that got sanded away over the years, where characters are actually allowed to be abrasive or even straight up dislike you. Spiritfarer has multiple passengers that, upon meeting you, are anything from fully disinterested to straight-up jerks. Some of them will warm to you over time, as in the OG Animal Crossing, but some will just never really like Stella all that much… and they will loudly, vocally share that fact with you. Even some of the friendliest, most open characters sometimes need their space. This wider spectrum of interactions goes a long way toward making the characters feel real and engaging, and it’s something I’ve missed in this space for a while.

The art and especially the animation work is absolutely stellar, too. Each of the characters have strong silhouettes, and the animators really make the most of each design’s unique attributes: Stella’s big wide-brimmed hat puffing up when you use it to glide, the Everlight’s infinite transformations into whatever’s handy for the current situation, Bruce and Mickey’s big guy little guy dynamic*, Gustav mightily leaping from floor to floor. A 3D game with this concept would likely stick to a handful of rigs for the characters and keep their movement simple, so I give a lot of credit to the Spiritfarer team for going the extra mile and putting such care into making the passenger animations lively and creative.

*Well, this one is only fun until you find out the why behind the dynamic

Daffodil is the cutest fucking name for a cat btw

Unfortunately, despite how fun they’ve made the basic movement, the actual gameplay bits get pretty tiresome. It turns out that much of the moment-to-moment gameplay is actually doing chores on your boat, and they start to feel like chores remarkably quickly; while running, jumping and ziplining all feel great, most of the production minigames, like watering plants or smelting, are tedious and time-consuming. 

For the first third of the game or so, you’re unlocking new building minigames regularly, so they all feel somewhat novel. Plus, the density of the early game lends itself to a constant multitasking that feels satisfying. You’ll set your boat’s navigation system off to a location, then decide what form of crafting or farming will be the best use of your time; the result is a great “just one more turn” loop that's pretty engaging. The thing is, due to the length of the game, the pacing simply doesn’t stay that tightly engineered. You’ll run out of new buildings and minigames to unlock, start to get tired of the ones you’ve done dozens of times, and have to return to the same islands to farm materials over and over again. 

I will say, I quite liked the cooking system. There was something satisfying about guessing what different ingredients would pop out a new dish, and the illustrations for all of them are cute enough to make the experimentation feel worthwhile.

And unfortunately, this pacing inconsistency applies to the story as well. At first, you’re running into new faces constantly, and at any given moment will have half a dozen passengers on your ship, making it feel like a lively community. The rate of new passengers slows down dramatically, though, and for much of the back half of the game I had only 2 or 3 passengers aboard, leaving the game feeling empty and rote. 

This is not an easy problem to solve - it’s gotta be near impossible to keep the pacing curated if your game is this long - but maybe Spiritfarer didn’t need to be this long? 30 hours is fuckin HEFTY for this kind of game. I dunno, it’s certainly possible other people found the management sim side of things engaging and equally as worthwhile as the character interaction, but to me it mostly felt like busywork keeping me from the story bits, so my patience for it grew thinner and thinner.

For the first half of the game or so, I had a running theory that Stella didn’t actually know any of the passengers, and these people were being enchanted by some sort of Spiritfarer glamour that presents you as someone they’re comfortable / familiar with. The game makes the truth clear as it goes, but a part of me really likes that idea of the ferryman taking the form of someone that can put the departed’s minds at ease. I think that’s how the reapers in Dead Like Me work..?

Now, the reason my frustration with those elements was intense was because boy I got invested in these characters. A few missed the mark for me (I’m sure everyone who plays this game has a different group of passengers that really pushed their buttons and those that didn’t), but so many of them were memorable and heartbreaking.

Gustav, with his desperate hope that the transcendence of art can outlive any individual, really speaks to some existential crises I’ve gone through myself

Alice, who in her old age finally has the means to travel and go on the adventures she always wanted to, only to be betrayed by her failing body... I literally watched this happen to someone close to me weeks before playing this, so the moment was a gut punch. And then that development is tied into the gameplay, by making you move Alice's house to the ground floor because she can't use the ladders anymore, and you have to walk her out to the deck and back every day... inspired, and soul-crushing.

The reveal that the reason Bruce does all the talking and initiates all the pair's movements is because Mickey's been in a coma the whole time... broke me. And then Bruce decides to end his own life because he can't bear to go on alone anymore? Jesus, man.

Okay, I get that I'm a mark for any story touching on Alzheimer's, but Beverly's depiction of the disease was particularly brutal. The Alzheimer's I've dealt with was a very language-based version, so Beverly getting halfway through a sentence and realizing it wasn't right, saying things like "Just give me a moment" or "Let me just take a little break and I'll finish" then giving up in resignation... fucking hell. Too real.

In general, the amount of spirits whose arcs aren’t resolved when they go out is rough. Despite being a work that’s clearly focused on death from the start, Spiritfarer initially feels like it’s going to be a somewhat sanitized look at the topic. You’re going to take these spirits to the door of oblivion, sure, but we’re going to get complete character arcs, we’re going to work through trauma, and people are going to go through the door when they’re good and ready. And for the first few passengers, that’s true… but things get dark quick. Bruce’s tale, as previously mentioned, ends with him killing himself. Atul, one of your most easygoing, dependable passengers, simply disappears one night, never to be seen again. Jackie, who embarks rather late to start a journey of self-improvement, gives up halfway and straight-up tells you he can’t find anything about himself worth living for and suicide is all he deserves. Spiritfarer even twists the knife by letting us read some of his journals afterwards, showing he feels a deep regret and self-loathing for his past actions… he just can’t find any way to live with them.

This is what I respect the most about Spiritfarer’s musings on death, I think. Rather than dressing everything up in neat metaphors and giving you emotional catharsis, it’s not afraid to show death as sudden, as unsatisfying, as desolate, as lonely. By presenting itself so whimsically, it gets the audience to let their guard down so the hard moments hit them with full force. I wish they could’ve had the confidence to lean on those moments without feeling the need to pad the time in between with monotonous crafting systems.

[spinningbuster98]

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles Part 3: Taste the rainbow!

I’ve always thought it was pretty funny how Sega used to market Sonic as the anti-Mario, yet here we have a level with giant mushrooms. Anyway Mushroom Hill is a fine one, very cozy and very big and interesting to explore, which you’ll have to if you wanna get the Emeralds as soon as possible!

Flying Battery is good, but a bit overrated honestly? It’s the most gray looking level in the game and it’s pretty boxed in in terms of design despite the number of alternate routes it has. It also features the most ridiculous setpiece in the game: Eggman? You’re damaging your own ship with that beam! And then you gotta wait until it stops crashing before you can start the boss fight!

Finally: Sandopolis. Act 1 is serviceable but everyone hates act 2. I used to as well, but I’ve grown to quite like it actually! It’s gimmick, while treaturous, does not go against the core gameplay principles as it encourages you to go quickly before the lights go completely out, it’s got a nice sense of atmosphere and a nice dose of challenge for what is at the end of the day one of the final stages in the game. The only thing I don’t like is the block pushing, but most of the time it’s pretty brief, with only Knuckles really having an obnoxious section

The way you get the Emeralds in this game is, as everyone knows, the best one in any Sonic game. Finding Giant Rings is fun and rewarding and it keeps being rewarding even after you get all the Emeralds since they will then award you with 50 rings each, essentially granting you a free Super transformation. It encourages exploration in a perfectly natural and fun way.

As for Blue Sphere there was actually a time when I didn’t like this very much. Sure it’s much better technically than the half pipe, but due to its more puzzle focused approach I found that, once you knew the solution, all challenge went away and it was just about going through the motions. I changed my mind in recent years after I started going for those Perfect bonuses, as those require you to complete the entire maze and play skillfully, which makes it all not only harder but also much more fulfilling in my eyes. I only wish that the game gave you something more than just 50k points for doing a Perfect run, but this is a case where the journey makes the destination worth it. i think it’s telling of Blue Sphere’s overall quality that it works not only as a Special Stage but as a minigame in its own right, which Sonic Team must’ve known given how many of these you unlock by Locking Sonic & Knuckles to Sonic 1

Hyper Sonic! Now look I’m not one of those who cry for his return because this or that, but I think he’s phenomenal from a gameplay angle, because he has all of Super Sonic’s advantages and weaknesses but combined with a multidirectional air dash that allows you to break the levels even further and is so, SO fun to abuse! I only wish that the game, y’know...TOLD you about it! As a kid I thought that Hyper Sonic was just a pallette swap of Super, I only accidentally found out about the Hyper Dash, and it took me years to find out accidentally on Youtube that you could aim it! Sonic is also the only character who, I think, gets something truly worthwhile from getting all the Super Emeralds, as you’ll see

I wanna add though that, while I don’t cry about Hyper Sonic’s absence in later games, the reasons that have been given as to his absence are generally both silly and self contradicting. Oh we don’t wanna risk kids suffering from seizures, but we have no problem porting the hell out of Sonic 1 and CD, the former having Special Stages that look like acid trips and the latter having Special Stage 6, which features an entire screen that has the same issues as Hyper’s little sprite. We don’t want Sonic to look too much like DBZ but we’ll make sure that all the games released during the 2000s have stuff like a character blatantly inspired by Trunks, lots of Super Sonic final battles, an edgy rival, a plethora of secondary transformations and most recently having Sonic literally go Super Saiyan 2!

I guess that the inner machinations of Sonic Team truly are an enigma...

[layzeal]

i think your plea to keep 'shit' out of the main tag is worthwhile, but i don't think most people will understand what it means. to each person, the unacceptable looks slightly different. something that you consider to be drama-causing and shit-stirring to another person, esp a younger person, it isn't, or might even be the opposite. esp when it comes to generational and interpretation differences in language and perceived tone. then it's a big game of 'but what'd i do? i didn't mean it' because people really do stir shit about the most banal things, how could the poster have known they would meet the Number One Discourse Creator on their simple non-confrontational post? or it could be a different game of 'so what, there's no rules against starting a controversial conversation' and they're also right. we can't honestly dictate who does what in the main tag - so long as it's on topic, who actually has the authority to decide what's 'shit' and what's worthy of being seen? you don't have to respond to this btw, i just felt hopelessness at your post. if only!

you know, you're right!! i agree with you! i've just now realized my post would likely make people with like, anxiety disorders or ocd very hesitant to post in the main tag. my intention isn't at all to police what should or shouldn't go there, but for people to think twice before posting something like "ugh x character/ship is so bad and annoying 🙄 here's my bad faith interpretation of why anyone would ever like them and if you do you're ugly and stupid" or "x character/ship is actually the only good thing in this and anyone with anyone bad to say about them is an idiot who never learned how to read" which is a very specific type of discourse bait that, while perfectly fine to post in their own blog, putting it in the main tag for everyone to see? it'll just drive people away from it

but ofc not every post that feels uncharitable or too charitable for a character/pairing is going to be discourse bait, this is fandom and everyone should share their opinion, and posting in the main tag means finding more people that you can talk to about that! it's nuanced and ofc what i consider discourse bait isn't going to be the same another person does, and it's just something we'll have to learn to live with

but that's just all i'm asking for. a little bit more care and consideration, not even for my sake (i don't check the tag that much anyway and cab just block people), but for the sake of the new people arriving who will struggle to get notes on their art and writing if interested parties will have to scroll through rage-baiting hot takes every 5 posts you know?

[finalshaper]

hi i guess?

Some of the text in this is highlighted and colored blue to make skimming easier.

The name's Cayde, without the 6, and undoubtedly not dead. I also answer to Nova, Spades or Six. 18 y/o, autistic he/xe queer transsexual My timezone is Eastern Standard (EST). in a relationship Aspiring content creator

On this blog, expect to find things relating to my fandoms, my hyperfixations, my OCs, my writing projects, and the occasional dash commentary post. My talking tag for all my original posts is caydeposting.

My non-fandom sideblog can be found at @cayde6feetunder.

I don't have a DNI other than don't be a weirdo, don't harass me or my friends, and don't try to start fights and/or drama with me. If I block you and you bother me asking why or you message me asking why I blocked [x person] you will be blocked too. Don't annoy me, basically.

My fandoms and interests primarily include, with major ones bolded and colored, secondary ones italicized:

Destiny

Dead Space

Red Dead Redemption

God of War

And a few more, I'll update this probably when I remember more that are worthwhile enough to include. But this should give a general idea as to what you would see here!

My inbox is always open! Feel free to chat, or send me ask game prompts when I reblog them and I'll try to remember to get to it. I don't bite, I would love to chat.

I am also a writer as a hobby, and I do in fact take requests! Headcanons, short drabbles, etc etc. Keep in mind that I will only answer NSFW asks privately, so if they're on-anon they will be deleted. This is for the comfort of my followers. I have an NSFW sideblog, but you're gonna have to hunt it down yourself! Anyways, here are some brief rules for the requests and other things:

If I don't understand a character well, I usually don't think much about them. So if it takes me longer to do your request, don't take it as a bad request or whatever! I'll try to get to it as best I can.

I primarily focus on the highlighted/colored/italicized fandoms listed above because I give them the most thought.

I am okay with headcanons and fics involving dark subjects, but I WILL NOT be writing anything proshippy, immoral, or otherwise disgusting. Subjects such as violence, gore, sui//cide, and things like that are on the table however. ALL WILL BE TAGGED USING THE "[x] TW" FORMAT. If you have a specific tag you have filtered, let me know and I'll try to remember to use it!

I reserve the right to decline your request for any reason. Don't take it personally!

Want to write a collab? Lemme know! I'll be glad to depending on other projects I'm focussing on.

I would love to hear about your own OCs and your own fics! Flood my inbox.

Now that that that's out of the way. Here's a brief list of my Destiny OCs that you'll see tagged and talked about here. Feel free to ask me about them! I will update this list as we go along. Keep in mind that I am cringe but I am free and I do not care if someone thinks I'm cringe, so what. I regularly reblog ask games involving my OCs, and it's preferred that if you reblog an ask game from me you send me a prompt from it. But you don't have to.

Nebula-10, main OC, Exo; main player character [ REF ]

Pulsar-11, Exo; secondary player character [ REF ]

Comet, Cabal; adopted son of Pulsar and Nebula

Star, Eliksni; adopted daughter of Pulsar and Nebula

Ace, Awoken; adopted son of Nebula and Cayde [ REF ]

Kookaburra, Awoken; adopted daughter of Nebula and Cayde

Atlas, Hive; Lightbearer Knight and Lucent Brood defect

"Mastermind" (Real name unknown), Exo; lead scientist aboard Nebula's ship

Lucifer, AI; the AI on board the Morning Star ship

Kinkajou, Human; girlfriend of Kookaburra

Diavolo-12, Exo; irredeemable asshole bounty hunter that kills for fun.

Cernunnos-18, Exo; local forest dweller.

Axel, human; Ace's boyfriend

Valiksis, Eliksni; bartender on board the Morning Star

Val'Urath, Cabal; mentor of Comet

Tankha/The Stardancer, Human; Morning Star Crew

Sarviiks, Eliksni; House Salvation defect

Phyliis, Eliksni; daughter of Star and Sarviiks

Hiriiks, Eliksni; son of Star and Sarviiks

Balriiks, Eliksni; son of Star and Sarviiks

Tharvi/Narvi, Eliksni; son of Star and Sarviiks

Tamarin, Ghost; Kookaburra's Ghost

Chip, Ghost; Ace's Ghost

Whirl, Ghost; Star's Ghost

Pup, Ghost; Nebula's Ghost

Elytra, Ghost; Atlas' Ghost

Synapse, Ghost; Mastermind's Ghost

Redrum, Ghost; Diavolo’s Ghost

Morrigan, Ghost; Cernunnos’ Ghost

Grandeur, Ghost; Kinkajou’s Ghost

Glimmer, Ghost; Comet’s Ghost

Greased Lightning/Greaser, Ghost; Axel's Ghost

Sapa, Ghost; Tankha’s Ghost

Screech, Vex Harpy; “Domesticated”

Here's a list of my fics to go read!

paradise unforgiven -- destiny fic inspired by paradise lost, about the traveler and the witness.

welcome home, son -- destiny fic about ace

[eziojensenthe3rd]

Midnight Gaming: Take me home, country roads...

So last night I played Fallout 76 past midnight, checked socials... ok you know what we should talk about that a bit.

So the way in which I write these is thag around 8pm, I play a game with the aim to play it past midnight, when thats done I shut everything off, get into bed and use my phone to make notes and check socials for the news. After that I go to sleep and then tomorrow I check my notes and write the post for the day.

Its all to recreate a funny set of circumstances that created one of strangest coincidences i've ever seen. I played crime boss rockay city past midnight, trump got shot. I played fallout 76 past midnight, biden got covid. I played divinity original sin past midnight and biden stepped down with kamala harris now running. I recently played deathspank past midnight and now the us stock market crashed. All of this just to see what'll happen next and to give me something creative to build up for myself.

Thing is, im usually up at 2 or 3 am before I decide to say screw it and go to bed with nothing much to report for tomorrow. Atleast, nothing to report that isnt politics related, id rather Midnight Gaming not be too politically focused. So I ask you, anyone who is reading, would you rather I stick to this or would it be alright If leave checking the news to tomorrow instead of after midnight. Atleast that way I can have more of a selection on what to report for the news segment on these posts. Let me know in the comments whatd you perfer.

So Fallout 76, is it good? Ehhhh... is it playable? Yes. The game atm is playable and you may in fact get some enjoyment out of it. I just wouldnt call it good per se. Once you get outta the vault, the land of west virgina is available to you and to bethesda's credit, appalachia is one the better fallout locales to explore, the various zones from the verdant forest, the savage divide and the cranberry bog to name a few are distinct enough with their own look.

As you explore the world, your main focus is to level up so you can get perk cards and special stats to create a build. And there are a wide variety of weapons to utilise along with ways to build your character. You can go melee, go with sniper rifles or automatics. Go with explosives or use energy weapons. There is a variety to choose from and once you do, you'll want to equip the right perks to utilise them. It does start off running, but when you reach endgame, it does feel like you run outta steam.

The biggest dealbreaker for me when it comes to games is when im left with nothing to do or if what im doing feels too tedious to be worth it. I played warframe before, multiple times infact, on pc, on xbox and on switch. When I tried to get into warframe again, I linked all of my accounts into one and logged in only to hit a brick wall. I have all of my stuff, my warframes, my weapons, my mods. I have locales open and quests in my log. Im just sitting there on my orbiter asking myself "what do I do now?". I had no plan on what i wanted to do, on what i wanted to work on or even what I feel would be fun to do. Im just pacing up and down my ship feeling awkward and lost. Eventually I decided to just forget it and leave, uninstalled and did something else. I felt too awkward to do anything and as a result, it killed any momentum I had going into warframe, causing me to bounce right off.

I left warframe because I couldnt find something I wanted to do, feeling like I had forgotten how to swim and being dunked into the deep end, frantically trying to recall that knowledge. I would've perferred some way of easing myself back in so I dont feel too overwhelmed with everything. With fallout 76 i'm facing the other issue, I have all the gear, perks and weapons that I want that theres nothing left worthwhile to do. I've grinded for a union power armor set, i'm carrying 3 star heavy weapons that shred through most enemies, I have my build set up to allow me to do a lot of damage and resist a lot back. All i'm doing is bouncing between daily quests, daily ops and random events while gaining more levels to save up coins to level up legendary perks while rerolling my gear for more optimal loadouts.

I've done most of what I wanted to do that there isn't much else left to interest me, aside from maybe doing questlines for the stories but otherwise, I think im spent for the time being, no recent or upcoming update has been compelling enough for me to stay.

Fallout 76 is playable yes, the work has been done to improve on the intial launch, one that was buggy and unpalatable for many outside of those who wanted to just point and laugh, but if there was one thing about fallout 76 that was compelling, it was the original story involving you, the resident of vault 76 and the scorched threat.

You're a part of privileged few who got to avoid the horrors of the great war, living in the vault while training and being groomed for the ultimate task: reclamation. To venture back out into the ruined world and rebuild america. Shortly after the bombs fall, reclamation day arrives and you head out to find.. appalachia is fine, seemingly so. West Virginia isn't really a high priority target so its mostly untouched by nuclear devastation. You go into the nearest town to find plenty of evidence that people outside the vault have survived the end of the world and have already started on rebuilding their lives.... and yet no sign of life.. atleast... any that are living.

And then you find out why. A terrible plague that causes the affected to attack, infect and corrupt others, heralded by the winged scorchbeast that champions the sky, spreading its foul influence to assert its dominion on the land below. In your search to find a way to fight this threat, you uncover the ways in which many of the old factions fell, their distrust and unwillingness to cooperate with each other being their downfall, divided they were and conquered they became. Eventually you're led to the hidden nuclear silos, now having to use the very thing that destroyed the world you once knew, in order to save whats left of it.

Throughout appalachia you come across holotapes of your old overseer at various locales, detailing her journey across the new world. One of them seems to take place after the main story of 76, with her expressing complete and utter horror of the vault dwellers, of you, continuing to use the nuclear silos to wage small scale nuclear warfare on each other. She was given the secret task of securing the silos by herself, a near impossible task that forces her to ask her own people via holotape to help.

She wonders if that was in fact part of the plan, to get the reclaimers involved and aware of the silos. She mentions in one log of how she found out about the vaults being experiments but was convinced AND reassured that the experiments were necessary and that 76 would be a normal vault. Was that a half-truth, was it all just one big experiment to satiate some short-sighted curiosity. Were those selected for 76 chosen for being the best or for just being the most skilled and the most competitive. If you took your time and checked the computers in the vault, you can find they had to arrange small contests and awards to occupy the dwellers, one dweller even ended up losing a tooth in an act of spite from a sore loser. Was that foreshadowing of what would happen when the reclaimers gain access to nuclear arms? As she loses her faith in the company she served, she begs you the player to stop using the silos, to stop this madness, to stop bringing further destruction to appalachia.

The fallout series was a look into the cautionary tale of idolising and obsessing over the past. To be stuck recreating the glory days instead of moving forward. The 50's aesthetic that makes up the ruins of the post war america wasn't chosen for looks, but to serve the underlying message, that the jingoism and nationalist red scare was the enabling force of societys worst, most destructive flaws, culminating in total obliteration via atomic fire. That meaning does get lost as the ip becomes gentrified under bethesda. The dread of the cold war now just a bit for the brand, the blast of the atomic bomb not illiciting fear but joy as it could mean a unique boss is spawned to fight or unique crafting materials to collect. What was considered a morbid look into the damnation of humanity's foolhardiness, now just part of the marketing spiel with the phrase "war, war never changes".

But the original story of Fallout 76, before wastelanders brought the npcs back, it atleast had some promise. Of being alone in a post war appalachia with no other humans, with only the mutants, the self sustaining robots, the shadows burnt into the walls and the dying words of survivors as your only company. Of the lone holotape in a secluded shack, carrying the words of your overseer, pleading and begging you, the family she knew and survived armageddeon with.

To stop loving the bomb, and start worrying.

See you all tomorrow. Be sure to let me know what you want done regarding how I handle news. Feedback is appreciated, anons are currently on.

[shepherds-of-haven]

If characters had a Game of Thrones style house banner and motto, what would they be?

Ooh, this is an interesting one!

House Bronwyn: "The Darkness Answers" or "Weapons in the Silent Night" - a silver wolf on a field of black, with a white blade piercing the background. Their house is known for operating as a kind of shadow military that influences and directs things from the shadows, and although the wolf has connotations of solitude and aloofness, they are actually extremely loyal "pack-animals" who form a tight-knit clan and unwaveringly answer the call of duty... no matter how bloody their hands may get from answering.

House Alder: "First in the Charge" or "Our Fury Shakes Them" - a gold lion roaring rampant on a field of red (so, yeah, Gryffindor I guess!). This one is fairly self-explanatory--the Alder house is known by others to produce some of the fiercest and most courageous warriors, though they also have a reputation for being brash and hot-headed. Alder soldiers are always sent in to "hold the line" and are infamous for never abandoning the field or retreating, even when it leads to certain death. "Our Fury Shakes Them" also refers to their propensity to use cannon-fire and gun blasts to destroy their enemies.

House Ironwood: "Our Roots Run Deep" or "The First, The Last, The Eternal" - a golden oak tree on a forest-green banner with a trim of autumn red. Their house is among the oldest and was once known as one of the most powerful military forces on the Continent, with a cadre of skilled Elven knights being produced by that house, but as time went on and the world changed, the house fell into semi-obscurity or became more known for its archival work and love of history, causing some to look down on it as a house of scholars. Whenever they try to invoke the promises and alliances of old, others roll their eyes at House Ironwood's unwillingness to change and adapt to the world around it. As a result, House Ironwood tends to isolate itself from other houses, swearing only to trust their own kind. Their current scion gets them into a lot of trouble for challenging an heir of a Norm house to a duel for slandering the name of House Ironwood, and then killing him in the ensuing standoff. This has led to military reprisals against House Ironwood, and they find themselves in a precarious position of being surrounded by enemies and having isolated former friends.

House Acquell: "Faith is a Shield and Love the Cure" or "Many Hearts Beating as One" - a Celtic-looking knot or a chain of hands interlocking around a heart. This house is looked down upon by more militaristic houses for being a generally trusting, pacifistic house. Its holdings are small and its lineage is quite new, but the house is beloved by its own people due to its scions working as healers, clerics, and devotees of charity, often seen among the streets of their city and passing out food and coin. House Acquell is an extremely religious house, and many of its heirs and heiresses join the Church to become priests and priestesses. The founder of the house was first canonized as a saint.

House Syndran: "Out of Cruelty, Justice" or "The Cunning Conquer" - a black crow or raven spreading its wings on a field of royal purple. This house was built on mercantile roots, but its influence now stretches far and wide, reaching into all matters of business, politics, intrigue, and even war. Its scions are famed for their ruthlessness and willingness to go completely scorched-earth on their enemies, and for their ability to lie and manipulate even nominal allies with completely straight faces. The house leader always bears a gold-capped walking cane. Although its military power is weak, it makes up for it with the host of allies under its economic control. You can always make out the Syndrans at a party by the cadre of serious-faced, dark-haired heirs staring at the proceedings like they're a play under watchful critique. Although not known for being friendly, House Syndran also prides itself on impeccable etiquette and manners.

House Trinaeste: "If I Am Not Free, Then I Am Dead" or "Many Skills, Many Virtues" - a black cat on a field of gold, with two crossed daggers in the background and a key lying at its feet. The "Many Skills, Many Virtues" motto is something of an in-joke, because this house is known for its willingness to train its heirs in even unsavory skills--such as thievery and seduction--in order to ensure their survival. Many heirs are sent to special training at a secret academy on an island south of Conte--though what they are taught there, no one but the Trinaestes knows for sure. As such, this house is shunned by many for its unorthodox values and behavior, and not much is known about the inner workings of the house itself. The heirs and heiresses all seem like empty-headed fops who love to chase skirts (or whatever article of clothing they so desire), so no one ever takes them seriously... but that's their mistake, because House Trinaeste actually has the greatest network of spymasters and intelligence operatives this world has ever seen. They apparently have a lot of bastard children or sometimes even unrelated orphans whom they happily accept into their house anyway, which is another reason why the other houses shun them. They also supposedly have some ties to seafarers and pirates as well as a fleet of ships at their disposal.

House Antiqua: "The Road Not Taken" or "The World to Roam" - a golden globe on a field of deep scarlet/maroon/magenta, though from certain angles, the globe can also like the sun or moon (or all three). House Antiqua is composed of just straight up scholars. Sometimes a second son or a third daughter goes into military service or serves in a great battle and makes a distinction of themselves, but it's never on the level of an Alder, Bronwyn, Aescar, or Stormbreaker. By and large, they're known as a house of oddly-attractive, well-born nerds, more fodder for marriages and families rather than candidates that could bring about great change. They don't really get much of a say in anything among the greater houses, but that suits them just fine. They're like the classic Jane Austen-style families where they just hang out and read books and entertain visitors sometimes LMAO. They are neither very rich nor destitute; neither isolated nor up in everyone's business. They are on friendly terms with most houses, but no one takes them all that seriously when it comes to important matters like war or politics. They are known to serve as advisors and consultants in times of need, however. Many of their heirs leave the house and travel across the world using secret identities when they reach a certain age; it's something of a cliché among their inner circle. They eventually develop strong ties to House Syndran after one son casually beats the Syndran heir in chess during a party.

House Aescar: "The Wind is With Us" or "It Is Us Who Fly" - a tan flying eagle with a serpent-like staff clutched in its talons, soaring on a field of light blue. House Aescar is known for its terrifying use of theatrics in order to instill fear into the hearts of their enemies on the battlefield. They utilize war paint, war chants and screams, and unsettling war horns in order to rev up their soldiers before battle. Like House Alder, they have a reputation for not having a head for politics; they'd prefer you to just point them at the enemy and let them do their thing, and they have little patience for the trappings of politics and diplomacy. If the Continent were divided up into wards where certain houses were in charge of defending the borders from invasion, House Aescar would be the guardians of the West; House Prince, House Ironwood, and House Bronwyn would the guardians of the North; House Stormbreaker, House Trinaeste, and House Syndran would be the guardians of the South; and House Alder, House Antiqua, and House Naveen would be the guardians of the East. The fact that House Aescar is tasked with guarding the West alone is a point of pride for its heirs and scions. The youth of the house tends to be charged with going on a pilgrimage throughout their lands to observe how the common folk live. They are expected to return with worthwhile thoughts or findings about how to improve the house or its holdings, and if their opinions are interesting and well-thought-out, they are allowed a voice in the house's governing council.

House Prince: "Keepers of the North" or "Righteous in Wrath" or "Darkness Flees Our Light" - a white spear with a white shield behind it, radiating rays of light on a field of black. Not much is known about House Prince, except that its current heirs are a set of twin boys. Its military force is known for being utterly loyal, almost to the point of fanaticism, and the house has close ties to House Bronwyn due to their proximity to each other. House Prince is known among the other houses for being insistent on keeping its bloodlines pure and marrying its heirs to the Hunter scions of other close-knit families or even distant cousins, leading some to joke surreptitiously that the house is "incestuous." At one point in time, the older twin heir of the current generation disappeared for a year or two, forcing his brother to assume the guise of both twins to prevent the house from looking weaker to its outside enemies. Certain heirs of the Prince House are said to be cursed with a mysterious affliction that causes them to fall into fits of madness and rage, especially at the sight of blood, and for these reasons, many of them live in reclusive isolation in their castle, rarely seen by the outside world.

House Stormbreaker: "Thunder and Lightning" or "The Storm Stands Vigilant" or "From the Stars We Came, To the Stars We Rise" - a golden, starry ship sailing on a teal sea as lightning splits the banner in half and a dragon swims underneath the ship. House Stormbreaker is among the most sought-after houses for its explosive military prowess and strength, affording it a lot of political and negotiating power. Its heirs and scions are known to be gifted with extraordinary strength and a strange knack for avoiding almost certain death, serving with distinction as battlemasters, generals, and occasionally as knights and champions. A legendary sword is said to be passed from leader to leader, with no one but those of pure Stormbreaker blood being able to even pick the sword up. They are also known as a clan of sailors and are able to deploy their own naval fleet to defend the coastline as needed. Although they have a ferocious, proud, and hot-tempered reputation, heirs of the Stormbreaker house are sometimes not taken seriously in matters of court due to their strange pink hair. Despite this, scions of House Stormbreaker are among the most sought-after candidates for marriage, as people desire their mysterious superstrength and magic to be incorporated into their own houses. However, for reasons unknown, the House Stormbreaker is extremely strict with such marriages, and arrangements are often made three or more generations ahead of time in a careful curation of the bloodline.

House Naveen: "Gold in Peace, Steel in War" or "Not Without Thorns" - a scarlet rose on a field of lavender with two crossed rapiers in the background. House Naveen is the most powerful and influential of all of the Houses when it comes to sheer political power, rivalled only by House Syndran. Its military strength is only better than average, but its holdings, wealth, and political connections are vast and storied. Its current heiress is infamous for refusing suitors and continually denying her father's attempts to secure a marriage, focusing instead on joining chivalric orders and continually maneuvering situations in House Naveen's favor. House Naveen holds the honor of being among the last houses to continue ancient traditions such as jousting and knightly tournaments, but it's their celebrations and social occasions that the house is truly known for. The Naveens are said to employ a spy in the servants of every house aside from House Bronwyn, Prince, and Ironwood. What they do with that information, however, no one knows. On the surface, the Naveen house seems to be largely magnanimous and benign... Interestingly, they have offered an extension of aid to House Ironwood to get out of its dueling problem, but so far, House Ironwood has not given a reply.

House Naveen has also been largely matriarchal in the past, something that still informs its power structure to this day. This makes it a target of scorn by other powerful and male-led noble houses (such as House Eddon, Auberon's house), but it's something that the Naveens flaunt proudly with the rose as their insignia!

[proudfreakmetarusonikku]

CYOAs of the Internet Age

(Or, Metaru talks about their random old special interest for some time.)

Also, before we begin, quick unreality warning! I’m not sure if any of my specific recommendations are specifically like this (I don’'t think so, but I'm not sure, do not quote me on that), but I know a few present themselves as, like, actually being fake forms and stuff, or have the premise of your actual life being a fake simulation of some kind, and they all generally deal with scenarios where you- as in, your actual real life self- being in a different world or gaining special powers and knowledge, ect. in their premise, so if that could trigger you in some way, consider this a warning!

What are CYOAs/Choose Your Own Adventures?

Well, there’s the book sort of CYOAs, but that’s not what we'll be discussing today. Instead, these CYOAs are a much less rigid and very open, though still structured, sort of adventure, more designed to spark your imagination so you can choose the basics and then imagine what happens afterwards. They can be simple- from “choose a single item”- to dozens of pages of complex mechanics, but all have the same purpose, not to be any sort of rigid narrative, but a jumping off point for your own imagination. The possibilities really are endless, because that’s what it’s about- making a scenario in your own head, then thinking it through!

CYOAs are an entirely fanmade, free sort of game, and can really be made by anyone about anything, as long as you know some basic image software. Typically, they use art from various websites (usually not credited, unfortunately, which is one of the major issues of the format), though some lack images entirely or use the authors own personal art. Again, because they’re all about free choice, you can probably find a CYOA for anything, because that also applies to weird concepts!

… Unfortunately, while this concept is obviously amazing and wonderful and the best thing ever (I may be biased), it also originated in places such as 4chan. Yeah, you can see the problem, I think. CYOAs, while great, often have the issue of “wow this is from 4chan culture”, with either subtle or overt bigotry, slurs, sexualisation of underaged characters, ect. This is obviously a massive barrier for anyone looking to get in to the hobby, and as such I’ve took it upon myself to compile a list of CYOA's I’ve found that I believe avoid this problem- though I’m not 100% sure, I went through hundreds for this so I might have missed some stuff! Please tell me if so, and I’ll remove them, and if you have a link to any CYOAs you think are worthwhile and avoid this issue, I'll also add them. Under the read more is an example CYOA- The Village, a CYOA about being in a comfortable, mildly supernatural village- if you want to check out one before clicking any links.

All of these CYOAs I found on r/makeyourchoice, which I’d recommend if you want to seek out more since the only other real communities are like. 4chan. There’s also r/nsfwcyoa, in case you were looking for something more spicy, though obviously due to tumblrs rule set and minors following me I’m not linking to any posted there today. Though, do be warned, as above there's often issues with CYOAs stemming from their origin, and while they’re easy to ignore- they’re basically a prompt for your brain, after all, just cut off those parts in your head- they’re still an issue you should be warned about.

https://imgur.com/a/7HUE3c4 - Comfy Spaceship: A short, visually pleasing CYOA focusing on producing your own starship, and where you travel to. No warnings apply.

https://imgur.com/gallery/hzDfmP5 - Nexus: A long CYOA about becoming a dimensional traveller on a ship called the Nexus, what abilities and challenges you might encounter, and the friends you make. Minor body horror warning.

https://imgur.com/a/Nhij7? - Defender of the Universe: A medium length sci-fi CYOA about being a hero in the far future, with a lot of references to various sci-fi media. No warnings apply.

https://imgur.com/a/fifAm - Built in the Heavens: A long sci-fi CYOA focusing on gaining an incredibly powerful and versatile spaceship, with a lot of options for the complications this will bring. Minor suggestive content warning.

https://imgur.com/a/XM1esCp - Eternal Arms: A very, very long CYOA about taking control of a rebel group fighting against a mysterious organisation that’s took over the world, with mechas! And also potentially magic and/or psychic powers, if you so choose. Minor blood warning.

https://imgur.com/t/cyoa/cYMCU - Dark God: A short CYOA about becoming, well, a Dark God. While, unsurprisingly, there’s many choices allowing you to be quite evil, you can also be benevolent if you so choose. Body horror and a few suggestive images warning.

https://imgur.com/a/sb5yT - Battlemage: A medium length fantasy CYOA about being a soldier against a threat that’s taken your homeland, with a very fun sense of progression and growth. No warnings apply.

https://imgur.com/gallery/QU4D6rU - S.C.R.A.P.P.E.R: A medium to long length, very detailed CYOA about being essentially a space mercenary and everything that could entails. No warnings apply.

https://i.redd.it/8l9g8obsf8x61.jpg - Cat Break: You are a cat. Enjoy! Minor suggestive images warning.

https://imgur.com/gallery/aAhFDG8 - Ultimate God: A long CYOA about becoming an incredibly powerful god and embodiment of a certain concept, and gardener of life. Very inspired by Homestuck, and has a lot of references to other fictional properties, but can be enjoyed without knowledge of any. Minor body horror warning.

https://imgur.com/a/OJJxdDY - Globe Keeper: A medium length CYOA about gaining a planet to protect, and focus on both customising it and developing the powers to keep it safe in your life. Suggestive imagery warning, and one image does have someone holding a noose.

https://imgur.com/gallery/3B84RSF - Seinaru Magecraft Girls: A medium length CYOA about becoming a magical girl, with a dark twist if you read between the lines, and an interesting power mechanic. Minor blood and body horror warnings, and occasional references towards topics like child abuse and cult activity.

https://imgur.com/a/YrBxl - Eternals Rising: A very long CYOA about being a child to a fantasy royal family, with a mysterious destiny of your choice. There’s a lot of moving parts here, but they intersect in a fun way and leave you with a lot of options! Minor body horror warning.

https://imgur.com/a/q1zp6dk - Eternal Adventure: A similar, and even longer, CYOA than the above, but with a focus on running your own adventurers guild instead. Minor blood warning.

[agent-cupcake]

i’m interested to know your take on non-AM felix. ever since i read “epitaph,” it’s kind of made me fall down a rabbit hole of reading his character analyses from different routes, and i find it quite scary that i didn’t really consider how much of his characterization changes in such a negative way (to quote something i saw on reddit, he “failed to become a better person,” “was swallowed up by his own demons,” and “literally becomes a boar, mirroring dimitri” THAT AND i haven’t played anything besides azure moon LOL). also? it’s kind of even inspired me to possibly brainstorm something for a CF!felix/reader where the reader is with him every step of the way when byleth recruits both felix and you, and it turns into some “i can save him” type shit as you watch him spiral downwards because i’m still a sucker for cliche stuff like that!!!! thx

Non-Azure Moon Felix is a tragedy. The comment, “literally becomes a boar, mirroring Dimitri” is absolutely the sum of my opinion on what happens to him.

Hot take: Felix has a primary character personality and arc and should be integrated into the Azure Moon story but cannot be by the nature of the game which is a huge and tragic missed opportunity. Felix’s character and story importance to Azure Moon is not insignificant. He is the one who sets the tension about Dimitri initially and acts as the constant “moral” rebuff to Dimitri’s actions, the only one willing to call Dimitri out for his behavior. I’d say that his story role is far more worthwhile than Gustave’s in many ways. It’s a shame that he and Dimitri didn’t interact more after Rodrigue’s death. In general, I feel the story dropped off significantly at that point, and Felix clearly suffers for it. However, what is clear is that Dimitri’s recovery is similarly a turning point for Felix getting closure. Not because of Dimitri himself, not exclusively, but what his recovery represents for the team, for Faerghus, and the ideals that Felix has violently rejected for so long. Dimitri shaking off the ghosts, reclaiming the throne, and leading the team to victory is the validation of Felix’s actions and the patriotism he’s doubted so much. It allows him to come to terms with the dead himself. Not through rejection, but by accepting Glenn and Rodrigue’s legacy as his own. When he does that, he’s able to forge a path to a brighter future, find his own family, and, more importantly, something to live for other than the pursuit of strength. He accepts that people are more important than strength and that it’s okay to care. In Azure Moon, all of Felix’s endings have him staying with his paired partner and keeping a close and loving relationship with them.

In Azure Moon, we see the Felix who overcame his internal demons and accepted himself as he is, a caring and emotional person with an awful lot of baggage. This is a Felix who decided it was okay to love and be loved, who respects the sacrifices of the dead rather than scorning them for their foolishness. This is a Felix who is shown that he matters as an individual in his entirety. This is the Felix who no longer views ideals as inherently wrong, but is able to form a middle ground in order to understand the people he loves. He even accepts some of them, notably seen in how he stays and serves Dimitri while repairing Fraldarius territory in most of his endings, proving his loyalty. Not empty loyalty to the crown, but to a man he’s worked to understand. In summation, this is a Felix who overcame his trauma.  

If Felix chooses to leave the Kingdom, he is submitting himself to the painful path he put himself on after Glenn’s death. A path of rejecting his family, friends, and country. In short, rejecting himself as he is in favor of the man he believes he should be, a man who is strong and unyielding and does not compromise for the sake of ideals or allow himself to be unnecessarily sentimental. Felix abandoning the Kingdom is the ultimate showcase of his destructive dogma: strength above all. By taking part in the war against the Kingdom, Felix is proving to himself that unwavering and absolute might is more valuable than relationships, loyalty, and family. Not only is it more valuable, but it is also the only thing that is actually effective. By switching sides and figuratively killing the sensitive, childish side of himself, Felix is brought to understand that it’s all meaningless. Hopes and dreams and ideals and everything else is impotent in the face of military might, to feel those things in the first place was a display of weakness. Glenn truly died for nothing, there is no such thing as a true knight, no reason to waste your life for a cause which surely won’t reward you. Rodrigue believed in such foolish values, chivalry and loyalty, and he dies like the old fool Felix accused him of being. Everything Dimitri felt and thought and believed meant nothing because he died, too. As a beast, no less, validating everything Felix ever hated and was terrified of about a person he once adored. He never gets closure with Dimitri, never is able to come to terms with what happened to him.

And through all of this rejection of self, Felix proves to himself that he is not valuable as an individual. The only aspect of himself that is worth anything is his strength, that is his singular point of individuality. There is no reason to form strong emotional relationships, no reason to serve anybody or anything. He roams around without purpose, killing because that’s all he really knows. Some of his endings seem to portray him as happier, or at least give a more hopeful outlook about his life, but I think that’s more of a broken man making the most out of his life. Not because he’s actually moved on or dealt with his trauma, but because he’s got nothing else. Although, I have to point out that it’s also obviously because we have to have nice ship bait in the endings because God forbid a mostly serious game about war forgets to pander and not give the drooling masses a happy ending. Not to say that I’d prefer he suffer his entire life, but it definitely cheapens the experience when his potential happiness has no context other than a single line. That said, his non-Azure Moon solo ending as well as the ones with Dorothea and Sylvain are the ones I feel work the best.

To tie this all up, let’s jump back to something I mentioned above as well as an aspect of “Epitaph” I really tried to highlight, Felix’s lack of closure with Dimitri is what ultimately ruins him. Dimitri is the most important turning point of his recovery in Azure Moon, so it makes sense that his death would have the opposite effect by changing him into an isolated, bitter person who kills without remorse and represses his emotions, even running from them. Felix becomes haunted by his actions and betrayal and by the constant question of why it wound up like this, all the while hating himself for feeling this way because he knows such questions are pointless. It’s a feedback loop of self hatred and violence because he knows nothing else, because he has nothing else. No place to go, nowhere to belong. The fear he expressed about what would become of him when there were no longer any battles to be fought is validated and he’s left hollow.

So, those are my thoughts on Felix. With that fic… Are you proposing an angst-ridden tragedy of trying to save Felix from himself only to realize it’s like blowing into a hurricane and falling further and further into the despair of watching sweet, beloved Felix succumb to his worst self? Because… yum…. I’m on board.

[loquaciousquark]

Talks Machina Highlights - Critical Role C2E113 (Oct. 27, 2020)

Good evening and good night, lovely people of the world! We’re on the internet and ready to go. Tonight’s guests are Travis Willingham and Sam Riegel. This will be calm, controlled, and sane, I can feel it. Brian points out it’s been seven months since either of them were on Talks. Oof. (Sam asks if it’s been going the whole time without him. Bigger oof.) Travis keeps sneaking bites out of an acai bowl or something and tries to look sneaky about it, and I laugh every time because he’s just...so big. He’s such a big person.

(Brian is wearing a lobstrosity shirt. He and Travis talk about Dark Tower for a bit; then Sam tries to get into the conversation: “Is that the thing from It?” Brian: “Is what the thing from It?” Sam: “Is that lobster the clown from It? I’m not very literate. Is that a Langolier? Is that a Shawshank?”)

Announcements: none! Maybe they just forgot. We’ve been talking about Sam’s spooky skeleton decorations for like five minutes. Brian suggests taking them to Travis’s house. Travis: “That’s the fastest way to get to the smell of burning plastic.” Brian: “Speaking of your girlfriend...”

On Avantika: Fjord wouldn’t call it a relationship as much as a casual sexual interaction. Not official! Super not official!!

The first sea voyage wasn’t great for Fjord, but he tried to be thoughtful about preparing for this one before they left: praying, kneeling at the bow of the ship, etc. He’s a little disappointed the Wildmother didn’t even throw him a “yo, fam” heads up.

They weren’t sure how to resolve the conflict at first, since Avantika went for Fjord rather than the crystal. No one expected it to get exposed in that way. Travis thought the necklace was a pocket dimension and was alarmed to learn it wasn’t. Travis wants it destroyed along with the third gateway, so until they are he won’t rest easy.

Everyone enjoyed watching them all fail on the battlefield again. (Sam: “You used [Counterspell] so effectively!”) Travis thought he’d said Thunder Step, which would imply Avantika was running, rather than Thunder Wave. Sam says it’s fine since none of them have that spell and he wouldn’t know it anyway.

It’s very difficult for Veth to find reasons to stay with the M9. She loves the adventures and making a difference, but she also wants to come home and have weekends and have a husband and life. “She’s a career girl!” He’s very excited about the possibilities of Caleb’s transportation effectively creating an easy commute for her. He also, as a player, doesn’t want to be the person who’s always leaving the party. “My characters wanna roam!”

Travis was fully tilted that Avantika might have gotten away right before the break. He doesn’t think he could have focused on Vess DeRogna’s task knowing Avantika had gotten away; he was seriously working out how Fjord would leave the party to go make a last stand at the third gate if she’d escaped.

Sam looooves how Matt plays Yeza, but it honestly makes him feel a little worse at how encouraging he is for Veth to chase her dreams. “He’s always like - go shine! Go blossom!” He wants to have the conversation about Yeza feeling a little ignored. It’s fun to share the tales of adventures with Luc & Yeza. 

Travis says there’s no way it’s Molly--it’s all Lucien. They don’t know if it was a resurrection, if he’s undead, possessed, etc. Everyone--everyone--rags on Taliesin’s accent work. Brian surreptitiously claims Ashly was brought on to relieve him of the burden of the accent. Poor Ashly, ha!

Initially, Travis landed on the Oath of the Ancients, but it had more nature & pacifism in it than he felt fit Fjord very well. Many of them also had a focus on good & lawfulness, which also didn’t feel quite right; he also wasn’t that vengeful for some of the others. He & Matt got together and discussed options. Matt asked what Travis liked about Fjord; Fjord’s love for the ocean was a huge part of it, since Travis himself also loves the ocean & scuba diving, and so Matt created a custom oath for him. Travis does not plan to post its details, but he thinks Matt will at some point.

Cosplay of the Week! a lovely Scanlan by Air Bubbles Cosplay! Sam tells us the “canon” Scanlan cosplay was actually borrowed hodgepodge, and the boots were falling off all day.

It was really cool to see how Yeza & Luc have made a home in Nicodranas. Felderwin was okay, but kind of your basic D&D fishing village, and she likes the Nicodranas is much better. She’s confident & comfortable knowing her family is safe and sound.

Why is Fjord so interested in finding Sabian? To him, post-orphanage, his time with Vandren was the best of his life & the most love he’d ever received, because he mattered & had worth. It was taken by someone he’d known basically his whole life, so Fjord is not going to let that go. “That fuckin’ bill needs to be paid, my friend.”

Sam acknowledges that he should NOT have looked at his phone in re: the Vilya reveal, but it was pretty surprising! He can’t believe none of them recognized it! Travis points out the M9 had never met, heard of, or known anything about Vilya, so it’s not that surprising. Brian points out Matt has also done a really good job keeping the two campaigns separate, so any references were tasteful. Sam marvels that it was so well done: it was tasteful, had emotional and story impact... “That Matt. He’s getting better!”

Liam texted Sam back something like “oh SHIT.”

Knowing Veth had a chance to help someone else return to her child made Veth feel almost karmically forgiven for being away from her kid, but it also made Veth a little guilty--”this lady wants to desperately return home, shouldn’t I want to go home too?” Caleb’s teleportation spell couldn’t have come a better time.

Sam wants Caleb & Astrid to get back together (well, he says “hump each other”), and Dani’s eyebrows climb off her forehead. Veth/Nott really thinks Caleb needs to have a roll in ze hay, and feels like after meeting her that there is a kindness or vulnerability to her that could be worthwhile. Travis thinks she feels like someone tethered, that it feels like she has a bomb or something in her chest that’ll explode if she tries to leave. Sam thinks Eadwulf is super cool. None of these names are spelled like I think.

Travis found the dinner super frustrating, because he felt Caleb was trying to walk a diplomatic line and he just wanted to backhand Trent. 

Fjord is still coming to terms with his feelings for Jester, and the feelings are definitely real, but there’s a lot of timing that he’s considering and he also wants to figure out what the relationship is like outside of constant tension and battle. Fjord is also having trouble figuring out how to exercise the ability to display affection as well since he’s never received them, and is feeling out how to give and receive them. “It’s fine now, because he’s feeling it, but once you say it out loud, or once you come to a point where you make it known to the other side, then what happens? It might be ruined. It might be broken. Or it might not be!” The moment with the porcelain unicorn was too good not to try. Travis also sighs that he’s not a romance D&D guy, “but now I am! Fuckin’ Laura Bailey!” He’s definitely feeling it out and will see how it unfolds in the game.

If Jester hadn’t let go of the Traveler, Fjord would have either attacked the Traveler or the Moonweaver and tried to kick them both off.

Sam doesn’t think the Traveler’s realized yet what a dick he is. Brian thinks it may not happen in this campaign, but agrees the full weight of what he deserves hasn’t been felt yet. Travis: “Yeah, he came to the edge, but it didn’t cost him anything.” Brian: “Yeah, he’s a real edgelord.”

Fanart of the Week! a beautiful portrait of Molly in the snow by @claygryphon on twitter.

Veth acknowledges that they work for shady people with shady pasts, so Vess DeRogna isn’t her first rodeo, but this time it’s personal. It’s Jaws 2: Electric Boogaloo. Sam can’t commit to actual actions, since Vess is like level 20 or something, but “I will get some kinda revenge. Be it petty or significant, I will get revenge.”

How are they feeling about being in Eiselcross? They’ve only just landed, so not sure yet. The cold is intimidating. They’re excited to explore a new island that’s part of Wildemount, especially with the river of lava running through it. “It’s icy with lava? Sounds like a Dairy Queen.”

There’s still a ton of unknowns regarding the Tombtakers, Vess, the nature of their job, and who’s here on whose orders. They’re excited to see how it’s all going to play out. Travis laughs that he doesn’t take notes, he’s just here to fight things. It just washes over him when Matt starts talking about names and places. “It’ll reveal itself in time. [...] I don’t write those notes down. I don’t even know how to spell it off the bat.” I have never identified more with Travis. Sam actually does pay attention and take notes and was really impressed by Marisha’s dive.

Veth became interested in branding her own spellcraft as soon as she saw Caleb doing it. “That’s what the influencer agents are gonna be looking at. It would be nice to leave the world better than we found it, but also with some branded spells.”

What were Fjord’s thoughts on dropping so much money on the ring & the Ioun stone? It wasn’t about money for Fjord, it was about a cool thing to acquire. It’s why he saves money in his campaign. Caleb needs “as much of a flak jacket as he can get.” He also REJECTS the idea of buyer’s remorse on the ring and touts the effectiveness it’ll have on the lava river.

Travis talks about his old coins - a 340AD coin he bought at a ren faire and a 120BC coin that was a gift from a friend.

Sam marvels at the love and thought that Caleb put into the tower. Sam points out they forgot to go to the top two floors altogether. Travis: “Did the mansion get as much careful planning from Scanlan as the tower did from Caleb?” Sam: Absolutely not. But they were still thinking small in C1, figuring out how things went, and they didn’t have as much detail in their heads yet.

And that’s all the time we have for tonight! We end on everyone whispering way too close into their mics and tapping fingernails on mason jars. A fitting end to this crazy episode, I think.

Is it Thursday yet?

[ruewrites]

Raising Them Right

AO3

WBT

Ships: Diavolo/Lucifer (minor near the end)

Word Count: 3960

Warnings: Abandonement, Self Deprication

A/N:  Here it is! So this is the second fic that was inspired from the one angst anon that wanted to know more about Asmo’s past relationships. I really had a wonderful time writing it, and I hope you guys enjoy!

Lucifer could still remember that day. It was clear in his mind and bit at him like a viper, slowly killing a part of him that was now long lost to time. He knew that Levi and Mammon remembered as well. Maybe Satan. But Asmo and the twins? Not so much. Regardless, he knew it had toyed with his brothers in various ways. Forcing different insecurities and means to cope down their throats. Honestly Lucifer didn’t even get away unscathed. 

Hurt and betrayal had bubbled up in his throat as he tore their room apart. Part of him was looking for an answer of sorts. A reason. But the bigger of him wanted destruction, wanted to erase them from their lives entirely. They chose to leave, so why should they have any memory of them? 

Lilith’s room was left untouched. Lucifer boarded up the door the best he could. This made his heart ache the most. He couldn’t focus too hard on what he was doing. It wouldn’t lead to good things. He needed to keep a steady composure for his brothers. They needed someone to look up to. Someone they could rely on. 

They had all packed up and left that night. The oldest three couldn’t bear to be in the house anymore. Satan hadn’t said anything, conflict swirling within his young mind. Asmo and the twins questioned their actions slightly.

“What if they come back looking for us?”

“Are we gonna go home soon Luci?”

“What if they miss us?”

It made the situation worse. It made Lucifer’s throat tighten and his eyes burn. How could he tell them that they weren’t even going back? That that place was no longer home? That they’d been abandoned? That was how Lucifer saw it, and he could feel that Mammon was just as bitter. His teeth were clenched, trying so hard not to snap at the little ones. They didn’t know any better, and Lucifer wished he could have protected them all from this reality. 

He was helpless.

They’d travelled around for a while, until they found a small motel with a vacancy. The older three had done the math. If they worked enough, they could stay here.. He wasn’t sure who called about them, but he wasn’t surprised. Who wouldn’t have been worried about seven children of varying ages wandering around alone on their own? Honestly, it was the responsible thing to do. Even if Lucifer hated admitting to it.

Ever since that day, Lucifer fought tooth and nail for his family. He refused to let anyone take his brothers away from him, refused to let them be torn apart any more than they already were. He’d heard everything. He was too young to effectively take care of them, that the little ones would be better off in more stable households. These conversations only succeeded in making Lucifer angrier. Eventually they reached a compromise. All seven of them would move in with a family, until further notice. 

Lucifer had agreed to this, but also took it as a challenge to get them their own place as soon as he could.

***********

Lucifer had gotten the call. He put himself down as the primary contact for all of his brothers, so he always knew what was going on with them. 

Deep breaths. In. And out. 

Getting angry at Mammon rarely got him anywhere. It was just frustrating. Mammon was smart  dammit! And he was a good kid deep down. Lucifer knew this, and it made it even worse every time he heard that Mammon had acted out once more. Lucifer had apologized to his professor multiple times about not being able to show up to class, and they understood, but it didn’t make the situation any better.

Lucifer got out of the car and started the routine he’d become so accustomed too. What could it be today? Acting out in class? Snatching something off of the teacher’s desk? Stealing from the cafeteria? Oh Lucifer could only imagine.

Greeting the ladies at the front desk, Lucifer was quickly ushered back to the principal's office. Mammon was hunched over in one of the chair’s, his hoodie obscuring his face.

Suspended.

For getting into a fight with another student.

It wasn’t  a long suspension, but Lucifer still didn’t exactly know how to feel about it. There was a tense silence in the car.It got to the point where Lucifer pulled off into a parking lot and shut his car off. Mammon sank down further in the car seat.

“Would you like to explain yourself?” Lucifer hoped his voice came out even, despite the twitching he felt in his lip. 

“It wasn’t that bad.”

“It wasn’t- Mammon you got suspended.”

More silence.

“Let me see.”

“Luc-”

“Let. Me. See.”

Mammon hesitated for a moment before pulling his hoodie down and looking over at Lucifer. He had a black eye. Lucifer put his head in his hands and Mammon quickly went on to try to explain himself.

“It wasn’t my fault! These guys came along n’ they were makin fun of Levi and were tryin to take his-”

“Levi?”

Lucifer’s head perked up as he looked at Mammon. His frustration slowly melted away as he listened to his brother with new interest.

“Yeah! These guys are normally jerks, but then they started goin at our family, and messing with Levi really bad.”

Lucifer was silent for a moment before starting the car. He was quiet for a few moments before speaking up, “Is there anything you want?”

“What?”

“You know I don’t reward bad behavior Mammon,” Lucifer started, “But I don’t think I consider what you did today bad behavior.”

Mammon blinked a few times before snorting, “You sound like a dad.”

“Don’t push it.”

“Aight aight…. Thanks Lucifer. I’ll think about it.”

***********

Levi had always loved his games, and he was good at them. The time he spent on them honestly had Lucifer concerned for his eyes. They made Levi happy and Lucifer could usually hear him talking about the lore behind them or the characters when he wasn’t talking about his favorite shows or manga.

Lucifer didn't understand any of it, he didn’t pretend to. Usually he couldn’t stop the confusion that spread across his face. Understanding what Levi was trying to understand quantum physics. But Levi didn’t seem to mind, he would continue to talk, excitement rising with each word that passed through his lips. Honestly, Lucifer was fine with anything that made him happy.

As long as his brothers were happy and safe, that was all that mattered.

So when he heard sniffling from Levi’s room, Lucifer couldn’t help but investigate. The door was open ever so slightly. He peeked his head in first, eyes scanning the room and settling on a pile of blankets in the center.

He walked closer and sat down on the bed and let the silence permeate for a moment.

“Levi,” he said softly, the sniffling stopped for a moment, “Why are you crying?”

Levi didn’t say a word. Lucifer didn’t move.

“I’m not gonna do anything or amount to anything,” Levi sniffled, “I’m not good at anything. My interests are weird. I’m  just taking up space and… and-”

And Dad said so.

The unspoken words lingered like a bitter perfume in the air. Lucifer knew their father had most likely said such things to Levi, he knew that he’d probably said more to Levi and the idea made Lucifer’s blood boil. Just because his brother had interests that their parents hadn’t deemed worthwhile, it didn’t  mean that it made them any less important nor did it define his worth in any way. 

Yet the words of their abandoners still ran hot through Levi’s veins, and the idea of his own self worth suffered. 

It was despicable.

Deplorable.

“Who told you this Levi?” Lucifer asked.

The pile of blankets went quiet for a moment, “Just people…”

“Well they’re wrong,” Lucifer said, pulling the blanket down from Levi’s head, “You have plenty of talents and you have a place in this family.”

He picked up one of the controllers around them. The plastic felt awkward in his hands, and the buttons were foreign to him. Levi hadn’t moved, so Lucifer went to the next thing he could think of.

“I’d like it if you could teach me how to play.”

***********

After countless hours of research on cats, Lucifer finally made a decision. Satan had difficulties when it came to being calm. He surrounded himself with teas, and books, and music, but every now and again something (or someone) would ruin the atmosphere he worked so hard to create. Lucifer wanted to help him, he wanted him to find some sort of peace and maybe a cat was just what was needed.

Satan loved cats. Ever since he’d been young he’d had an affinity for them. Lucifer used to catch him setting out scraps for the strays outside of their old house, and maybe on more than one occasion Lucifer had left out said scraps for Satan to find. 

Cerberus was good with other animals, he’d seen the dog around cats and Lucifer didn’t think there’d be any problem with having another pet in the house. Satan was responsible and a wonderful student.  Lucifer wanted to help him and wanted to see him succeed.

“Where are we going?” Satan asked, crawling into the passenger seat. 

“I guess you’ll just have to wait and see.”

The look in his brothers eyes when he realized where they pulled up  to was one Lucifer swore he’d never forget. He asked him not to run as they got out of the car, but his pleas fell on deaf ears. He knew every cat in the shelter would be coming home with them if Satan could have his way, but they would be settling on one.

“Lucifer?”

Satan was staring into one of the pens. A small grey kitten with bright green eyes stared back. Needles to say, the soft bundle made the trip home with them. Lucifer swore that the calmest he’d ever seen Satan was when he was with that cat. He became a happier child and took care of her all on his own. His laughter filled the halls of the home more often, and it was contagious. Lucifer enjoyed seeing Satan smile, and he hoped the world would continue to allow him to have this type of happiness.

***********

Clothing stores had become a second home for the Morningstars. Lucifer swore the clothes he bought for his brothers never fit past the mall dressing rooms. Every other week he was bringing one or two of his brothers for shirts, or pants, or shoes, or some other article of clothing. Today it was him and Asmodeus.

Lucifer pushed the cart down the thin aisle glancing at the various clothes on either side of them with Asmo hot on his heels. However, the closer they got to the usual section the further and further Asmo lagged behind. It wasn’t until Lucifer was in front of the button ups that he realized his younger brother was no longer close behind him. Panic seized him for a moment, thinking he’d lost one of his siblings, but soon he spotted Asmo a few aisles down looking off at something.

“Asmo. Don’t wander off,” Lucifer said, as he approached him. The closer he got to Asmo, the better he could see what he was looking at. 

Pretty bows, flower clips, other sparkling hair pieces, skirts, loose fitting sweaters. Lucifer took a moment, looking over all of the different clothes, before realizing how nervous Asmo looked. Normally he was talkative and bubbly, but right now he was uncharacteristically silent and avoiding Lucifer’s eyes.

His brother had always liked pretty things. He loved picking flowers and having Lucifer catch butterflies for him to look at. He loved to watch the way sparkling dresses twirled in the movies they watched together and looking at the makeup on models on posters in the mall. Lucifer noticed these things, Lucifer knew these things about his brother, but Asmodeus didn’t know that Lucifer knew.  Asmo was worried, and unfortunately Lucifer thought he knew why. 

His brothers deserved to feel safe, to be happy, and even if they’d had a rough beginning, Lucifer wanted to make sure the rest of their stories led to a happy ending.

Lucifer leaned against the cart and offered a smile, “Well, pick out some things to try on.” 

Asmo perked up, looking shocked before a wide grin spread across his face. He put multiple outfits together from various sections and filled the cart. Lucifer honestly hoped they’d last him a while and that he wouldn’t outgrow them as soon as they got home. Asmo’s excitement was contagious.

Later that night, when he dropped him off at Solomon’s, Asmo tore out of the car, excited to show his friend his new clothes, hair clip sparkling in the sunlight.

***********

“Is dinner ready yet?”

Lucifer sighed and put the knife down next to the vegetables he was chopping. Beel had an appetite unlike any he’d come across before.  Doctors had said that he was probably going through a growth spurt and that he was likely going to be tall. A growing boy needed food, and Beel was far from a picky eater.

“Not yet.”

It was the same answer he’d given a few minutes ago.

Beel’s stomach echoed through the small kitchen as Lucifer picked up the knife once more. As he chopped away, his younger brother inched closer until his little eyes were peaking over the counter. A small hand reached out to steal a carrot piece from the counter. It wasn’t sneaky, Lucifer saw, but it didn’t matter.

Beel watched Lucifer in silence for a while, eyes wide and tracing every movement his older brother made.

“Lucifer?”

“Hm?”

“If I help you with dinner will it be done faster?”

The chopping stopped once more as Lucifer thought for a moment. Of course he could let Beel help. He didn’t want him using the knife, but this could still be a good opportunity to learn.  Slowly he nodded and looked towards the vegetables he’d already cut. 

“See those right there? Could you put those into the pot for me? I have another pot on the stove filled with water if you’d like to watch it warm up. When it’s boiling we can put the noodles in,” he said.

Beel’s grin widened and he nodded quickly, almost tripping over himself to help.

“And make sure you wash your hands, and be careful with the stove!”

Dinner had been quite lively that night. Beel chattered on and on about how he’d helped Lucifer with dinner, which led to some of the other younger ones wanting to learn so they could cook what they wanted. Lucifer chuckled quietly to himself. He knew he’d have to teach the rest of them eventually, but he never thought that he’d have a little cooking class on his hands.

***********

Finals had Lucifer stressed. He was running off of at least thirty-six shots of espresso split between six separate cups of coffee. Sleep seemed like a distant and fond memory to him, something he hadn’t experienced in a long while. He almost didn’t pick up on the sounds of small feet slowly padding against the floorboards of the house.

“Lucifer?”

The voice startled him, and he almost spilled one of his cups of coffee that had long gone cold. He swore softly before turning around. The soft glow of his laptop had been the only light source illuminating the room, and it took his eyes a while to adjust. Belphie stood in the doorway, pillow in one hand and his blanket trailing behind him. 

“Don’t tell the others, but,” Belphie was hesitant, his eyes swept to the floor, pink flooding his cheeks, “I had a really bad nightmare, and I can’t fall back asleep.”

Lucifer sat up a bit and tilted his head, “Is there anything you’d like to tell me about it?”

Belphie started to shake his head, then he hesitated. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before shaking his head again. “No,” he said, “But can I stay out here with you? But don’t-”

“Tell anyone? Of course I won’t, but you’re welcome to stay,” he yawned, scooting over ever so slightly to make room on the couch. He could feel his brother hesitate for a moment before wandering over to lay down. Minutes ticked by, and it wasn’t long until Belphie’s eyes shut once more and his small body slowly rose and fell

The more peace he could bring his brothers the better. Even at the slightest disturbance of sleep, Lucifer would smooth back Belphie’s hair in an attempt to calm him. Nightmares had become a common thing after what happened for a lot of them, and that meant Lucifer became alright when dealing with them.

He wasn’t going to leave them ever.

*********

Had he made the right decision? Or had his own pride made him so stupid as to make the worst mistake of his brothers’ lives? Should he have let them be taken by other families, potentially more stable families, and just set up dates to meet? Had he been selfish in his decisions?

These thoughts often plagued Lucifer when he was alone with his own thoughts. He thought about the problems his brothers faced and part of him felt responsible. He felt responsible for their fears, their problems, their worries. Everything bad that afflicted them could potentially be his fault. 

Mammon’s rebellious behavior.

Levi’s self deprecation.

Satan’s frustrations.

Asmo’s issues with his image.

Beel’s misplaced guilt.

Belphie’s angst.

Maybe he thought he could do more for them than he was actually capable of.

Maybe he’d been wrong.

**********

“Lucifer!”

Lucifer’s eyes glanced up from his paperwork to look at Diavolo from across the desk. He’d had piles of paperwork today, it felt like more than usual. There’d also been an influx in clients. New hires would definitely be needed soon. Perhaps he could have a meeting with Diavolo and Barbatos about it. 

“It’s time to clock out!” he said, bright and chipper as usual, “I was wondering if I could walk you home?”

Lucifer sighed and put down his pen. Diavolo was a good man and Lucifer did love him, but sometimes Lucifer felt like he took his work a little less seriously than he did.

Or maybe Lucifer was a little too strict. 

“That isn’t exactly necessary, besides, I have some things I need to finish up before I head home.”

“Nuh uh!” Diavolo clicked his tongue and shook his head, “The last time I let you stay past close to work, you were still here when I got back in the morning! It’s time to clock out. I’ll even help you where I can tomorrow!”

If he could stay on task when Lucifer needed him to. But Diavolo was a good man to work with, and he had proven himself time and time again. So Lucifer really shouldn’t worry himself all too much…

With a sigh of defeat Lucifer stood from his seat, each vertebrae in his spine cracking as he did so. He’d sat longer than he intended to…  “Alright, you win,” he said, “Just let me organize my work.”

Barbatos was waiting for them by the doors of the firm, keys in hand. Diavolo’s hand was pressed firmly against Lucifer’s back as he chattered away excitedly. It brought a soft smile to Lucifer’s face as he nodded to Barbatos. The more he thought about it, the more he realized how routine it had become for the three of them to walk home together. They were two of the closest friends Lucifer had ever had. After all, taking care of his brothers hadn’t left much room for socializing.

He knew Diavolo walking him home would also require him staying to talk for a little bit. Lucifer was already thinking of the variety of teas he could make for the two of them to relax with. His home wasn’t ideal, considering his brothers could be nosey when it came to his relationship, but if it made Diavolo happy it would suffice.

“Thank you,” he said as Diavolo opened the door for him, “Now-”

His sentence was cut short. No sooner had he walked into the kitchen and turned the lights on than confetti streamers went off, and a chorus of ‘surprise!’ surrounded him. 

His brothers were all there, standing with wide smiles and eager faces. In the center of it all was a cake: “Congrats on One Year!”

Diavolo was behind him again, guiding a stunned Lucifer into the room. His hand squeezed his shoulder, excitement coursing through his veins. 

“You haven’t forgotten have you?” Barbatos hummed, “The firm has been around for a year now. Your brothers wanted to congratulate you and asked us both to help.”

Ah. That’s right. This is why Barbatos was their secretary. The man knew how to keep track of the passage of time. 

Seeing that their brother was still in shock, Beel decided to speak up, “We wanted to let you know how proud we are of you.”

“Despite everything you’ve had to do and all the odds stacked against you, you still did it!” Asmo chirped in.

“And you did it while still raising all of us,” Satan smiled.

“Even when we could be the biggest pains in the ass,” Mammon said.

Levi turned to look at him, “Hey, stop talking about yourself Mammon.” 

“Oi!”

“Nah, he’s right, we can all be annoying,” Belphie snorted, “Well, you guys anyways.”

Despite his brother’s bickering, Lucifer’s smile had found its way back on to his face, “Thank you… All of you.”

“Well, why stand here when we have a cake to eat?” Diavolo chuckled, “Come on now Lucifer, let’s take a seat. Ha! That rhymed. Look at me being a poet!”

As Lucifer sat down with the others, he couldn’t help but look over all of his brothers. They’d all grown into such fine young men with bright futures. They were laughing, and happy, and together… They’d had their rough patches and a rather depressing beginning, but now they had a bright future ahead of them. Maybe Lucifer did make the right decision and maybe he’d been too hard on himself at times.

Despite every terrible thing that had happened they’d made it. They’d all beat the odds. As he sat there with his family he looked each of them over.

Confident and boisterous Mammon, who enjoyed drawing in attention.

Passionate Levi, who loved his hobbies more fervently than anyone Lucifer had ever met before.

Intelligent and calculating Satan, who’d always be hungry for knowledge.

Sweet little Asmo, who wore his heart on his sleeve and could spot beauty in anyone.

Gentle giant Beel, who was so compassionate and was always sensitive to the needs of others.

And a mellow Belphie, who knew how to appreciate the little things in life.

Lucifer was proud of them. No. Pride couldn’t even begin to describe the feeling spreading throughout his chest. This feeling was so much more intense. They were all so happy together, and Lucifer wouldn’t give this up for the world.

Their parents would never understand what a grievous mistake they’d made. Lucifer would never understand their reasoning, and he would never make excuses for them.

Lucifer had one thing they’d never have: the love of his brothers.

They would never have the satisfaction of seeing them be successful in life, and Lucifer would make sure they were successful and happy.

Even if Lucifer hadn’t been perfect, he knew he raised them right.

He knew they’d have bright and happy futures.

[makeste]

literally just a giant post of Bakugou faces.

today, 4/20 (actually it is very much still only 4/19 over here, but to heck with it, we’re getting an early start dammit), is Bakugou Katsuki’s birthday. and as someone who loves Bakugou and who also hasn’t found much worth rejoicing about in April 2020 in general, it’s important to me to celebrate the shit out of this day. but these are strange times and I am le tired, and so what my tired brain ended up arriving at was “just do a post about how much you love his stupid face.”

so these are my favorite Bakugou faces. I stopped after Kacchan vs. Deku because this post was already like 100k words (slight exaggeration) with like 40,000 faces (slight), and because this already took forever and the next 130-something chapters were only going to have about one fifth as many good faces compared to the first 120, even though there are some good ones there still to be sure. but anyway, so there are no spoilers here. 

happy birthday Kacchan, and happy birthday to Kacchan’s angsty side profile with his hair covering his eyes.

why I like it: he scured.

lol but seriously. because up until this point he’s just been a complete asshole. even after he gets grabbed by sludgeman, he’s all “AS IF I’D LET THIS MUDMAN TAKE MY BODY FOR HIMSELF”, and he’s all feral-looking, and at first you’re like “eh he’ll be fine.” but then along comes this panel to serve as our narrator saying “he was not fine.” because he really is not. and on the page before this too, you can see how tired and desperate his struggles are starting to get. and absolutely no one is trying to help him. and he’s fighting, he’s straining, but he can’t. fucking. breathe.

and then this panel. and he’s just a kid. he looks so very, very young here, like this is the youngest he looks throughout the entire series except for in his flashbacks, and it’s because all the pride and bluster and anger are stripped away and he’s just a boy underneath it and he’s scared. “you looked like you needed saving.” exactly. exactly. and for Katsuki to actually ask for help is so rare. so you know that when he does ask (and he absolutely was begging for someone to come help him even though he couldn’t vocalize it. credit to Horikoshi for conveying all of that emotion in a single panel), he really, really needs it. thankfully there was one person watching who finally snapped himself out of that “a hero’s bound to come along soon” mindset that had everyone else gripped, and realized that he needed to be that hero.

why I like it: because he’s humiliated and fairly shaken up and also the most handsome he’s looked up until this point, but most of all he’s just chewing his lip and being all “god fucking dammit did fucking Deku really just save me, fuck my life, why is the universe fucking dumb.” like even after this hugely traumatizing experience, he’s incredibly resilient to the point where after he calms down, his lingering emotions are mainly just “smdh this is a new level of irritated even for me.” he is so brave and thickheaded and tough and absurdly, ridiculously petty jesus christ.

why I like it: like the old man said. his face just screams “I’m a rotten thief.”

there’s so much personality in this one expression. and then it’s juxtaposed against proto!Katsuki who I really desperately just want to punch in the face. just. my son my be a dick, but by god he’s an honest dick.

why I like it: baby?? cute baby??? mine?? my baby?!?

he’s just like. “I got it all figured out. gosh I’m so good at life.” that is the face of a child who has never encountered a single difficulty in his very young existence. everything is easy and he expects to be good at everything and he always is and he’s so, so pleased with himself. with a kid that little you really don’t want to go and shatter their dreams just yet, but maybe someone should have taken him down just a peg or two before it all got out of hand. alas. he was so cute that nobody wanted to and I can’t even blame them because he’s just that fucking cute, though.

why I like it: this is a very underrated panel which I think most people probably don’t even recall. it’s from chapter 11 just after he loses to Deku and Iida, and specifically right after Momo just completely lays into him and explains in vivid detail exactly how stupid every single one of his decisions was lmao. and it’s like he’s just had his eyes opened. he talks about her speech later, too, so it clearly had an impact.

there is no pride here at all. initially when I was reading this, I thought he was still shell-shocked. but looking back at it, and knowing what I do now about his unexpected willingness to accept criticism (something I certainly wouldn’t have expected during my first readthrough of this chapter), I think this is also a genuine “!” face as he realizes that she’s completely fucking right. YOU DONE GOOFED SON. but it’s okay because he learned from it!

also look how big his eyes are. when they get all wide like that. it’s so rare that I have to appreciate each and every time it happens. also he has no right to have such thick eyelashes. goddammit.

why I like it: because he’s strongest at his moment of weakness! because he’s upset but he learned from it! because he is such a strikingly human character with such complex emotions and there’s such a lovely mix of them on display here and that shit is my weakness! because this is when I signed the adoption papers (well, had them finalized after I initially obtained them after the “you looked like you needed saving” face in chapter 1, at least)!! because he always cries in front of Deku and doesn’t get embarrassed, but then he does get embarrassed if anyone else shows up! because his emotions around Deku are so raw and out of control! because the intensity of them is as compelling as it is confusing! but mostly because someone showing fierce determination while simultaneously showing intense vulnerability is basically the cheat code to unlocking my heart, and also the best thing anyone can ever draw in a shounen manga. thank you I’ll take infinity of them.

why I like it: because half of 1-A saw this face and instantly thought “fuck that’s hot” and then went “!! oh fuck me” but it was too late! that’s right kids. even knowing firsthand what a trashpile he can be, you’re still not immune to his charms. that confidence, though.

why I like it: the face of a boy who has just realized that holy shit, there are other people in his class. nothing gets past him. his reflexes are too fast.

why I like it: the slow motion (this is such a cool moment even if it’s at his expense lol), and the fact that this is such a weird and totally unique expression, and yet he somehow almost manages to make it look good. actually he does make it look good, let’s be real. of course, this was back when Horikoshi had more time to roll up his sleeves and really get into the art. look at all that shading goddamn.

why I like it: he cares!! he has feelings!! he has concern about someone other than him omfg whaaaaaat.

he’s so unsettled by what he just heard about Todoroki. the guy who was so strong and cool turned out to have an absolutely horrifying shounen protagonist past that he never let on about. honestly this scene is one of the reasons why I’m so strongly in favor of not interpreting Katsuki’s parents as abusive; because I just really like the character arc of him actually having a pretty good childhood, all things considered, but still having all these problems. because sometimes people actually do have everything going for them and yet they still screw up, because people are only human and sometimes you can fuck up (or be fucked up) even on easy mode! and if that happens it doesn’t mean you’re any more to blame, or more worthy of derision or scorn, or that you already had your chance so screw you, or any of that! anyway so that’s just such an interesting and relatively rare thing to explore and so I like it.

anyway. so just, the idea of him thinking of Todoroki as someone who had it made all his life, only to realize that’s not actually the case at all and that he’s actually the privileged one in comparison, just makes for a really great character-building moment. it’s a really big wake up call for him, especially given that he’s so often just wrapped up in himself and his own concerns still at this stage of the game. and it’s a moment that has a lasting impact on him and that he doesn’t forget, and it helps contribute to him starting to learn more empathy.

why I like it: my child is rabid please help.

but he’s so happy to have Ochako prove to be such an unexpectedly worthwhile opponent. she was sneaky and she nearly got him and he only just made it out by the skin of his teeth and fuck yes, that was awesome. he was really ready to throw down some more with her and it was gonna be the highlight of his fucking day. I just love seeing him acknowledge other people’s strength, because we know the value he places on being strong. so that’s a ton of respect from him, and Ochako fucking earned it, and this is just a great moment.

why I like it: just casually spittin facts and launching ships. nothing to see here move along.

why I like it: for everyone reblogging that one scene of shoujou!Bakugou from the anime over and over again, I just want to remind you all that as great as that scene is, we shouldn’t forget that in the manga he can be effortlessly handsome without even trying.

why I like it: as I said above.

why I like it: another one of the infamous “haah!?” faces. whenever he does these that one raised-eyebrow eye always goes so wide, and even though he’s trying to look like a pissed off thug it always makes him look surprisingly young instead.

also I’m not crazy for seriously wondering if Horikoshi’s art peaked all the way back in the sports festival arc though, right?? you honestly can’t find a bad panel even if you specifically go out and look for them.

why I like it: babyyyy.

I still don’t get how anyone could watch this scene and not get that he was way more upset than he was actually angry. he looks like he’s about to cry honestly.

why I like it: MY PRECIOUS SON’S ANGELIC SLEEPING FACE. all tuckered out. he’s had a hard day.

but seriously when you smooth out all of the >:O it is amazing how young he actually looks though. this one panel is shaded in such a way that you can see that he still has baby fat in his cheeks!! he’s just a little boy! HE IS A LITTLE CHILD LIKE THE REST OF THEM AND YOU MADE HIM PARTICIPATE IN THESE HUNGER GAMES AND HE KICKED ASS AND THEN GOT SAD AND YOU MADE HIM SLEEP AND CHAINED HIM TO A POST WHEN HE WOKE UP ANGRY AND TRYING TO BITE PEOPLE. anyways what a whirlwind of events huh.

why I like it: this child is literally trembling. he has been shaken to his very core. also for real though how did Jeanist even do that. anyways great internship or greatest internship.

why I like it: this is from chapter 60, right after he basically declares war on Deku and says he’ll crush him during final exams. then he turns around and is just like AND LET’S NOT FORGET THIS ASSHOLE HERE!!! and his eyes are practically bulging out and Todoroki just has his trademark “!!!” totally blank stare. this panel fully kills me guys.

why I like it: how was he THE CUTEST CHILD WHO EVER LIVED?? look at his little fists?! I can’t even deal with this???

why I like it: I actually like this one even more than the more iconic “the strongest heroes always win in the end” panel right below it, because in this panel you can more clearly see that he was crying quite a lot (he was only six!!), but it seems to me that it was more because of the unfairness of it than because he was hurt. even though he was hurt. but these jerks bumped into him and then acted like it was his fault, and it was two against one and he was much younger than them and IT’S JUST ROUGH YOU GUYS! LIFE IS HARD WHEN YOU’RE SIX! but he’s a little tough guy though so he scrubs the tears away in this very clumsy and boyish fashion because HE WON ANYWAY SO TAKE THAT! he is so little but already so determined.

why I like it: his eyes are just so intense all the time. even when it’s not an intense moment at all. also the dot shading here is so cool.

why I like it: okay so technically it’s the back of his head and not his face. but I feel like the fact that Kacchan was twitching and flinching and shaking too doesn’t get enough attention in this scene. he and Todo were both wigging out here and I love it. during the third light novel he also gets freaked out by the whole Disney Channel “we were telling a ghost story but now it seems like the story has come to life” plot that goes on at one point, just fyi. Kacchan is absolutely that kid who will refuse to watch scary movies just because “they’re dumb” and definitely NOT because he is scared, how fucking dare you sir.

why I like it: because this is the first of many scenes in this arc and the next arc in which he is freaking out but doing an excellent job of covering it up with his natural ferocity. he and Shouto have just come across one of their classmates’ arms lying in the middle of the path being chewed on by a villain in a straitjacket. his first reaction is to ask Shouto which of their classmates had been out on the path in front of them. he has immediately put two and two together, and he is immediately ready to throw hands with this dude, rules or no rules. but you can see the shading over his eyes though, and I think that -- along with the sweat visible on his face -- is a huge indicator of how horrifying this actually is to him.

why I like it: because this blank “processing...” expression that he sometimes gets when a lot of people are talking at once and he’s not really sure but he is pretty sure that he doesn’t like where this is heading, is my favorite.

why I like it: because even now it’s still ambiguous just what exactly was the prevailing emotion in these eyes and this expression, and the prevailing sentiment behind the “stay back.” I happen to think it was fear! not the same overwhelming, helpless fear as the 14-year-old who was caught up in the sludge, but a very on-edge, controlled-panic fear of a 16-year-old who’s trying to remain in control because he’s a hero in training now. and I think the “stay back” is the “stay back” of a boy who knows the look in that other boy’s eyes, and knows that it’s no use this time. it’s not protective, and it’s not hostile or defensive either. it’s just... resigned. don’t do it, Deku. that could have been the last thing he ever said to him, and it was measured and brave even through his fear and I love him so much.

why I like it: this is one which has to be viewed in juxtaposition with the panel immediately above it lol. Tomura looks like he could literally stare a man to death with those crazy eyes, and Kacchan is comparison just looks so ridiculously young and small and out of his league. but he doesn’t crack. but his eyes are super wide and even the shadows underneath them are stressed almost to their breaking point. like I’m screwed I’m screwed I’m so goddamn fucking screwed oh shit. my baby, guh. this was such a fucking scary experience though for real??

why I like it: same deal as above lol. this whole situation just keeps getting worse and worse, and here he’s just probing for more information while simultaneously trying to buy himself more time to think of a miracle plan. there really isn’t much chance of him getting out of here unscathed at this point (or at least there wouldn’t have been if the heroes hadn’t shown up), but I don’t think he’s letting himself think about that yet. but I’m sure it’s there at the back of his mind all the same.

why I like it: this is my favorite Bakugou face ever. SO MANY EMOTIONS. All Might came to save him! his hero!! he beat the bad guys (or so they think for that brief moment anyway) and it’s all okay now! he was alone but now he’s not anymore and All Might is there! and he is relieved, and he actually lets his guard down to show it for just a split second! his lip is trembling! I don’t think he even realizes for a moment, and then he does, and he immediately goes all tough guy again and the moment is gone! but while it’s there! it’s so much! I have never so badly wanted to hug a fictional character in my life.

why I like it: don’t you think this person could one day inspire thousands of others. do you see this courage in those eyes. the way he pushes past fear and panic and fatigue. don’t think, don’t doubt. just win.

why I like it: by now you have probably detected a pattern of me liking all of the Kamino faces because he was going through so many emotions that for once the walls just couldn’t keep up. he always looks so much younger when he’s not making >: faces. everything just smooths out. I also like that Horikoshi never makes his expressions symmetrical; he almost always has one eye wider than the other, eyebrows doing different things, stuff like that.

also this is when he sees All Might’s true form for the first time, and you can just see it hit him like a punch to the gut. All Might weakened; All Might weakened because of him; All Might might lose (!?!); All Might might die???? Katsuki’s entire world is falling apart in an instant, and in this moment he’s just a little boy.

why I like it: it beginsss. the angstening.

he’s not even resisting the hand guiding him. none of his usual unruliness or general aura of barely-checked rage. he just looks tired. and completely lost in his own thoughts. which as we now know were not good. I cannot fucking believe we had to wait another 25 chapters after this to finally get this kid a damn hug.

why I like it: because Bakugou Mitsuki is fulfilling my (and dating sim!Momo’s) lifelong dream of ruffling Bakugou Katsuki’s (spiky yet fluffy!!) hair. and all he can do is just chew his lip and halfheartedly glare at her all “mooooooOOOOmmm.” he doesn’t even really look pissed off here (because it’s hard to be mad when someone is talking about how worried they were about you and how relieved they are that you’re safe now, especially when that someone is your mom who isn’t normally the type to be so open about this kind of stuff at all), just begrudgingly grumpy. and I swear to god his bottom lip is made of fucking rubber the way he moves it around, just look at it.

why I like it: those eyelashes though!?!? [grabs Katsuki by the shoulders and shakes him roughly] WHY ARE YOUR EYES SO PRETTY.

why I like it: this is right after he found out he flunked the license exam, and you can see how upset he is. obviously we now know that shortly thereafter he went and had a complete meltdown. and buddy if you keep grinding your teeth like that, your dentist is also going to have a meltdown.

and yet again Horikoshi manages to strike this uncanny balance between making him look pissed off and making him look like he’s trying very, very hard not to cry. he just failed, again. it’s like the whole world is screaming at him over and over again that he’s not hero material at all.

why I like it: because he drags Deku out to the middle of nowhere and is all “I know you have All Might’s power and we’re gonna fight”, and Deku protests, and you expect Kacchan’s reaction to be just about anything other than what it actually is. this is as close to pleading as Katsuki is ever going to get. he may not be drowning in sludge but he is still desperate.

why I like it: this may be the best Katsuki that Horikoshi has ever drawn.

why I like it: super ultra mega unpopular opinion: I like this panel even more than THE PANEL!! that follows shortly after it. I am a sucker for when Horikoshi does this thing where he shows Katsuki’s face from a side profile, and his eyes are covered by his hair so you can’t see his full expression, but you know it is something vulnerable because he only ever does this when Katsuki is trying to hide his vulnerability. I could make a whole separate post just about these hair-covering-eyes faces lol. but out of all of them this is my absolute favorite. I can hear Okamoto’s voice acting in my head just looking at it.

why I like it: because it is THE PANEL. he finally broke completely; he let the walls fall away; he couldn’t hide it any longer. he’s so unbelievably torn up about this; he hates himself for it and feels like a failure; he’s lost and doesn’t have the faintest idea how to find his path again. he ended the Symbol of Peace. he was weak and wrong, and Deku was strong and right, and he can’t even hate Deku for it anymore, he just wants to understand what it is that he keeps doing wrong, why it is that he keeps failing.

why I like it: it’s, uuuuuh, angst.

lol it’s funny because at the beginning of the series, it was always Deku who was always crying at the drop of a hat. and to be fair this is still true. but Katsuki also cries way more than I would ever expect a rival character in a shounen manga to cry. and specifically he has cried every single time he’s had a dramatic and overly emotional altercation like this with Deku (and that’s three separate times now). is it because he’s always felt like he has less to hide around Deku? or because his Deku Emotions are so much more intense and volatile than his other emotions? at any rate, whatever it is, if this happens one more time (and I guarantee you it will too because A Certain Someone still hasn’t officially made an apology yet) he will officially lose all authority to ever call Deku out for being a crybaby again. meanwhile poor All Might will just be beside himself. I’m sorry dude, both of your children are just like this, you just gotta deal with it and accept their feelings.

why I like it: HE FINALLY GOT HIS HUG, BLESS.

and more hair covering his eyes! and chewing of the lip! and his head is bowed so much here, he fully allowed himself to be pulled into this hug and to accept this gesture of comfort for once in his life, just for a moment! after everything he was feeling, everything he was beating himself up over, All Might comes and tells him it’s not your fault. and there’s still so much guilt there, but he needs to hear this so badly that he accepts it all the same. meanwhile he is also CRYING AGAIN!? because this was the chapter where Horikoshi said “I am going to put all of the angst and cathartic conflict resolution into a single fight and it’s going to be the best thing ever” and it really was. do you even understand how much I love this. do you??

why I like it: OH GOSH I FORGOT ABOUT THIS, THIS IS MY OTHER FAVORITE KATSUKI HAIR-COVERING-EYES PANEL.

oh no. he’s ruffling his own spiky fluffy hair. he’s tired and he’s beat up (and whose fault is that lmao) and he’s learning all kinds of new things about himself today. he’s got basically nothing left in the tank, but for the first time in ages he has his path laid out in front of him again and he knows the way to start moving forward. he has been absolved of his guilt, the guilt which was eating a hole away inside of him. and all of a sudden he realizes -- it occurs to him -- hey, All Might finally admitted it, he really did give his power to Deku. but it’s still a secret though, isn’t it? it’s important, isn’t it? and so he tells them, hey, look, I get it, I won’t say anything, you don’t have to worry. it’s partially gratitude -- he owes so much to All Might and it’s ridiculous, that’s a fucking debt right there, and this is the least and only thing he can offer right now in return -- and it’s partially just... the right thing to do. like, common sense. honorable and shit. and it’s not like it’s a big deal or anything. but just, let them know.

I love his side profile so much and I love his hair and his ear and the scuffs on his face and his beaten up hand and his hunched up shoulders and him being soft and trying not to show how soft he’s being and he is precious.

BONUS:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MY HANDS IN POCKETS GRUMPY TRIANGLE EYES ROVING FERAL HOG SON, I LOVE YOU.

[cutegirlmayra]

I see your Sonamy/Shadamy discussions and I raise to your attention the potential of... the OT3.

*SHIPPING INTENSIFIES*

Funny idea I had that I’m now applying to this:

This game is a kind of fight-race (avoid obstacles and tough terrain) kinda game, and the characters find each other and talk through the game. Amy’s story mode connects everyone together.

The characters are still images with dialogue, but their images can change based on their emotion.

Throughout the game, Amy keeps making cute shipping comments, such as with Silver and Blaze, asking that ‘If you get along so well, and can predict the other’s movements, does that mean you also see the other as beautiful?’ hints like that. ‘What if you’re destined lovers!!!???’

In this case, she’s helping everyone find chaos emeralds, even convincing Tails that it’s her ‘women’s intuition’ that keeps finding them, but really, she’s just really really lucky at finding a Chaos Emerald with whoever she teams up with.

Well, when she meets Shadow...

Dialogue---

Amy: Shadow!

Shadow: ....

Amy: -deeper voice- Well, salutations and greetings, Amy Rose. -back to normal voice- Why, what a gentleman! Say, Shadow, are you looking for a Chaos Emerald too?

Shadow: ...

Amy: -Deep voice again- As a matter of fact, I would be enchanted to have your radiant presence with me searching for it. If you would be ever so kind as to offer your assistance? -normal voice- I’d love too! -curtsey- Where do you think it may be?

Shadow: I- -about to speak-

Amy: -Deep voice once more- I need your tracking skills, that powerful hammer could help as well. I’ve heard from others that whenever you team-up with someone, you find a Chaos Emerald. Care to work your magic? -normal voice- Hehehe! If you don’t at least try and talk to me, I’ll just have the conversation for you!

Shadow: Understood. I’ll... speak my own words from now on.

Amy: Sounds good!

-Later-

Sonic: Wah, Amy!

Amy: Sonic! I found you!

Shadow: ...

Sonic: Huh, Shadow too, huh?

Amy: Oh, yeah! I helped Shadow find a Chaos Emerald! Ah! -turns to both- Sonic! I swear, nothing bad happened with me and Shadow!

Sonic: H-huh?

Shadow: ... Greetings, Amy. -mimicking her deep voice impression of him-

Sonic and Amy: -jolt- ..!?

Shadow: I have to admit, I enjoyed our little rendezvous from time to time. Your ‘radiant presence’ made it all worthwhile.

Amy: SHADOW!

Sonic: Umm... I gotta go! Looks like you don’t really need me to tag along...

Amy: No, Sonic, it’s not what you think!

After Sonic leaves.

Amy: Shadow! Why did you do that!?

Shadow: For one, I don’t appreciate you putting words in my mouth.

Amy: Ah!

Shadow: But more importantly, I need your tracking luck for one more thing...

Amy: Only if you promise to explain everything to Sonic!

Shadow: ... And you won’t speak for me again?

Amy: Never again! Please, Shadow!

Shadow: Very well... I’ll explain everything to him...

Upon finding Sonic again, but Shadow had already split off from Amy.

Sonic: Shadow!

Shadow: ...

Sonic: Heh, still better a loner, I see?

Shadow: ...Until recently.

Sonic: ...Ha...Ha... I already know Amy’s not interested in ya.

Shadow: However do you suppose Amy had anything to do with it?

Sonic: Urk!

Shadow: Oh, right. I owe her a favor. Ehem... Sonic, there’s absolutely nothing indecent happening between Amy and I.

Sonic: WHAT?!

Shadow: In fact, I made it all up.

Sonic: B-but I saw you two... you couldn’t have made it up! You two were on a team! A-an-anyways, I don’t care about-

Shadow: Here. -tosses him the Chaos Emerald-

Sonic: H-huh? What’s this for?

Shadow: Consider it a sincere apology. I needed Amy’s... unique talents for one other thing, and I had to get you out of the picture to help her focus better.

Sonic: W-what!? Unique talents!? Shadow-!

Shadow: That should compensate for it all.

Sonic: S-Shadow! If you hurt Amy, I’ll-!

Amy: -comes into the area- I thought I heard a beautiful voice just now!

Sonic: A-ah! Amy!

Amy: Oh, Shadow! -moves passed Sonic-

Sonic: -jolt- ..!

Shadow: Greetings, Amy. Have you been well?

Amy: O-oh, very fine, thanks... um, no! No, that’s not what I was gonna say! Did you explain everything to Sonic?

Sonic: Hmph!

Shadow: Why, yes. I just finished, actually.

Amy: Oh good! Phew! Yay, isn’t this great, Sonic? I’m always faithful! Never need to doubt me, silly!

Sonic: ... I’m looking for the last Chaos Emerald, you’ll just slow me down! You should -fake sniff- go hang out with Shadow from -more fake sniff- now on... How could you? -take off-

Amy: AH! -jolt- Sonic! Wait! Shadow, you liar! You didn’t explain anything!

Shadow: I can assure you, i did. Oh... and if you really do want to accompany me...

Amy: Fat chance! Sonic!!!

Shadow: ... Hmm. -smiles- He’s waiting behind the tree you know... -takes off-

Amy: Soooonnniiicc!!!

Sonic: Heh, I knew he was fibbing!

(XD My OT3 stans tho.)

[lost-in-yujikiri]

What is your take on Kirito’s relationship with some of the male characters in Alicization/Lycoris?

Eugeo

Renly

Eldrie Woolsburg

Bercouli

I didn’t add Deusolbert since he feels more like a older brother or father figure at the very least sort of like Agil and Klein were like Kirito. Eiji and Itsuki, who albeit is a original game character, are of the only few male cast members who weren’t like this but they got shipped more with the MC in Fatal Bullet, who canonically is a male.

1) Eugeo

Sexuality headcanon: Bi

Favorite ship(s): Kirito, Tiese (mostly one-sided on Tiese' part)

Brotp: Alice, Golgorosso

Notp: Quinella

A random headcanon:

- If he wasn't a woodcutter, he'd love to be a historian or a scholar, surrounded himself with books

- Eugeo loves fairy tales, he tended to dream of being the hero to rescue the captured princess in high tower, who in turn became Alice. But given his idolization of Bercouli & when Kirito came to his rescue in Floor 100 of Central Cathedral, he realized that the one he loves in the fairy tales is never the princess but the hero (like for real Reki what did you even think about when you wrote Eugeo's feelings about Kirito in that moment "His heart swelt up with an emotion he couldn't even named"?). However by then it's too late, he couldn't change his objective anymore, so the only thing he could give to Kirito is a red rose blade embedded with his will to continue being by Kirito's side.

General opinion: 

Eugeo is the most intricately written character in the LN version that it's warranted for him be a well-beloved character among readers, and I know there is a lot of controversial opinions on whether his death is a worthwhile decision in Reki's storytelling, but given that I was raised in East Asian study where people treat death differently than how Western people often criticized as the "Bury Your Gay" trope, I find that his death brought out Kirito's most vulnerable character as well as finding strength even in the most hopeless and depressive situation. Also I find beauty in "love that transcends death and time", which is continuously proven in Unital Ring, where he never forgets the memories for his best friend or his passing.

2) Renly

Sexuality headcanon: Pan

Favorite ship(s): His dead male partner, Tiese

Brotp: Kirito

Notp: none

A random headcanon:

- Kirito often sees in Renly similarities with Eugeo and that hurts him (this is CANON in the mobile game), while Renly can't remember his dead partner clearly but he finds comfort in Kirito as well due to how similar they are. They tend to have expeditions together as Swordman Delegate and trusted Knight.

General opinion: Renly is a good side character that a lot can relate to. Also I know there are fans who share my headcanon and even ship them, but personally I don't feel right for anyone to be treated as substitute for their dead beloved so the most I can think of them is that they're good friends who help each other getting over their trauma.

3) Eldrie Woolsburg

Sexuality headcanon: Straight

Favorite ship(s): Alice

Brotp: Eydis

Notp: Kirito (sorry)

A random headcanon:

- He sees Kirito & Eydis (female Knight in ARS who's so highkey suspiciously lesbian) as love rivals for Alice, though through their foes he ends up respecting them as a person, though it's hard to say if he comes to like them 😅

General opinion: I like him and his devotion to Alice, but please chill, man. I think he should learn how to love her as herself rather thinking of her as an object to protect which she clearly doesn't need (this is clear in ARS)

4) Bercouli

Sexuality headcanon: straight (sorry I tried but I can't see him any other than this)

Favorite ship(s): Fanatio

Brotp: Quinella (more in the sense of hundred years old drinking fellows)

Notp: ...Eugeo (seriously people? 😅)

A random headcanon:

- He's only interested in woman but he's totally chill with any sexuality his subordinates are, like how he's so amused whenever he sees Eydis flexing her gayness unknowingly, and if Dakira is still alive he'd feel OK to entrust Fanatio to her

- He highly respects Eugeo for defeating him, and Kirito for his mental strength that changed Fanatio's discriminated look on her own gender and his effects on other Knights, and in a lot of dire situations he can count on the young boys (shown in Lycoris manga)

General opinion: He's a great character and his life goes full circle in canon, so honestly I don't feel like adding anything more.

[geekcavepodcast]

REVIEW | Metroid Dread

Hoo boy, what a ride.

Metroid Dread continues (and, Nintendo says, completes) a saga that started with the original NES release in 1986 and was last updated with Metroid Fusion on the Game Boy Advance in 2002 (The Prime series is a prequel to this story), and while it certainly feels like the end of one story and possibly the start of a new one, the game's ending itself might be one that not many fans manage to get to, despite strong sales.

Once again you play as Samus Aran, an intergalactic bounty hunter raised by bird people, as you investigate the seeming resurgence of the X Virus seen in Fusion. Through the usual story-related shenanigans seen throughout the series, Samus lands on a particular planet and finds herself stripped of most of her badass combat abilities, thus forcing her to explore the landscape, battle deadly beasts, and regain her ability to shoot incredibly powerful lasers and bombs while contorting herself into a metal basketball.

Dialogue in the game comes in cutscenes shared with Samus' ship AI, "Adam," as well as a couple of new characters who shed some much-appreciated light on not only Samus' backstory but that of the world and continuity she inhabits. From a lore perspective, I loved each new development and revelation.

From a gameplay perspective? That's a mixed bag.

While Metroid Dread plays great from a control standpoint - everything is responsive and while Samus feels more "slippery" than she has in other installments, you get used to it fairly quickly - the game's difficulty is another thing. It's almost like the team behind it found out that Dark Souls is popular, and thus cranked the difficulty way up. Metroid games aren't usually easy, don't get me wrong, but you will die a LOT to boss fights that range from "challenging" to "seemingly completely unfair." No boss is unbeatable - it's about pattern memorization and quick reflexes - and the game's automatic checkpoints are merciful and will plop you right back at the chamber before each encounter whenever you die, but the vast majority of exploration and encounters come at such a lower difficulty level that it can be jarring at best and off-putting at worst. Many times I put down my controller in frustration over the difficulty differences.

Frankly, the uneven difficulty leaves me to say that Metroid Dread is probably the best game I will never be able to 100% recommend.

The visuals are fantastic, and the final encounters (plus - spoiler alert - typical "race against the clock before a big explosion" sequence) are all worthwhile. Perhaps I'm getting to a place in my personal and professional lives where I just don't like big swings in difficulty, but I play games to relax and have fun, not feel like I'm being punished... and unfortunately, Metroid Dread made me feel like I was being punished for having "too much fun."

Rent it first. It's a must-play ONLY for the most avid Metroid fans.

[love-bokumono-fics]

Fresh Crops! Week of September 13 - September 19, 2021

The week's newest fics and chapter updates on AO3 under the Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons tag!

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice - by TheBeckster; Complete, 1/1, 2k

Rating: General Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Fandoms: Story of Seasons (2014)

Relationship: Annie/Klaus; Characters: Annie, Klaus

Additional Tags: i only just realized I never posted this story on ao3!, Harvest Moon: A Brand New Season (Zine), gift giving is a love language, also cuddles are nice, Fluff, i feel like I should back date this

Summary: With a chilly autumn night in the forecast, and Annie's house in the midst of a major renovation, Klaus does what he can to ensure his girlfriend is warm and comfortable for the evening.

Stumbling Out of the Shadows - by AccidentallyTheWholeFanfic; WIP, 29/?, 262k

Rating: Explicit; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: M/M

Fandoms: Animal Parade

Relationships: Kasey the Farmer/Toby, Chase/Renee, Anissa/Jin; Characters: Kasey, Toby, Chase, Renee, Anissa, Wizard, Luke, Owen

Additional Tags: Friendship, Romance, Adventure, Slash, Family, Slice of Life, Eventual Sex, Alternate Take on the Bell Quest, Basically Things Are Quite Different from the Game

Summary: Moving to Castanet with hopes of coming out of his shy, introverted shell and doing something worthwhile with his life, Kasey Manatos finds himself roped into saving an endangered land from itself. But in his absolute willingness to help out and prove himself, his recklessness may wind up causing its own problems, as well... Rating bumped up to E to be safe.

Gardenia in Winter - by icyserene; Complete, 1/1, 1.2k

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/F

Fandom: Story of Seasons (2014)

Relationship: Licorice/Annie; Characters: Licorice, Farmer

Additional Tags: Tragedy, Romance, Wedding

Summary: Licorice is kissed by her groom. But I kissed you on those lips, Licorice, Annie thought. That was where I loved you.

Rival After Events - by LuxBeacon (Number13teen); WIP, 5/13, 10k

Rating: General Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Categories: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M

Fandoms: Friends of Mineral Town

Relationships: Elli/Doctor Trent, Kai/Popuri, Ann the Innkeeper | Ran/Cliff, Karen/Rick, Gray/Mary, Harvest Goddess/Pete | Jack, Kappa/Claire, Yuto/Huang | Won; Characters: Elli | Elly, Doctor Trent, Popuri, Kai, Ann the Innkeeper | Ran, Cliff, Karen, Rick, Mary, Gray, Pete | Jack, Claire, Harvest Goddess, Kappa, Won | Huang, Gourmet

Additional Tags: Fluff, Rival Marriage, LGBTQ Themes, Wholesome, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net

Summary: A series of one shots detailing the lives of the Mineral Town bachelorettes and bachelors after marrying their rival. Each story references different locations and characters from across the franchise and each chapter takes inspiration from actual events in the games. Pure Fluff.

The Language of Flowers - by spoopybat; WIP, 70/?, 163k

Rating: Explicit; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Fandoms: The Tale of Two Towns

Relationships: Cam | Kamil/Lillian the Farmer | Sato, Chelsea/Vaughn | Waltz

Additional Tags: Tags Contain Spoilers, POV Alternating, Background Relationships, Starting Over, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags, Friendship, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Minor Character Death, Background Character Death, Minor Violence, Minor Injuries, Physical Abuse, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Socially Awkward Characters, Cliche, Mutual Pining, Awkwardness, Awkward Flirting, Emotional Baggage, References to Depression, Dysfunctional Family, Melodrama, Family Drama, First Love, First Relationship, Sharing a Bed, Loss of Virginity, First Time, Morning After, Morning Cuddles, Morning Sex, Christmas, Domestic Fluff, Kitchen Sex, Unplanned Pregnancy, Pregnancy, Morning Sickness, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Constipation, Arguing, Medical Conditions, Medical inaccuracies but I'm gonna do my best, Panic Attacks, Engagement, Couch Sex, Wedding Planning, Wedding Fluff, Weddings, Honeymoon, Body Worship, Making Love, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Mental Anguish, Spa Treatments, Fights, Making Up, Mental Health Issues, Depression, Language of Flowers, Emotional reunion, Reunion Sex, Pregnant Sex, Therapy

Summary: Lillian, a young woman from the Sunshine Islands, left her home and moved to Bluebell. In hopes that moving to this rural farm town to escape her troubled past and find the happy life she had always wanted.

A New Beginning - by EEVEE300; Complete, 32/32, 103k

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences; Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply; Category: F/M

Fandoms: A New Beginning

Relationship: Neil/Rachel | Rio; Characters: Neil, Rachel | Rio, Rod, Allen, Henry | Haruto

Summary: This is a story about Rachael's New Beginning in Echo Village and about how she fell in love with a certain Animal Dealer along the way. This is my first real attempt at a Fan Fiction story. All rights go to Natsume! Enjoy!