#ive come into this game very cynically and not expecting much though

[sahbibabe]

Ignoring The Obvious

Soulmate AU

Sephiroth/Fem! Reader

Part Eleven

Your hospital stay is short. Your training commences. Reno has serious problems with being... well, helpful. Or encouraging. Especially with a giant Shinra dog chasing you through vents.

THE BED WAS HARD, YOUR knees were killing you, your abdomen was on fire, and the nurse was steadily refusing to give you morphine no matter how much you begged. You had spent the better part of two days as high as a kite, blissfully unaware of the train wreck of memories about to hit you the moment you were weaned off of your medication. The file─your unfiltered, raw test subject notes and classifications─sat innocently on the nightstand as if it was completely separate from the emotional turmoil you were facing.

       It would be easy, so easy to slip into the mercenary's mindset and ignore the pain. To shove the emotions aside and bury them so deep you didn't even have to acknowledge their existence. All you had to do was will them away, and they would be gone. But that was unhealthy and the moment you did that, all of your progress would be ruined forever and you would start from scratch once more.

      But did it really matter? You asked yourself the same question over and over again as you watched the Chocobo documentary on the one-channel television network. You would be going back to that life anyways, with that same mindset and habits, without anyone to stop you from doing otherwise. You would be killing people for Rufus Shinra in the name of eliminating competition; a petty game was what it all came down to.

        And you were the knight who guarded the King.

       You looked away from the television to your food. It was plain hospital food, rich in protein to help you replace all of the blood you had supposedly lost while you fought the doctor tooth and nail when he tried to get a needle in your arm for an IV. Reno had laughed when he told you about the resident's injuries, but it only made you feel sick to your stomach when the nurses had to strap you down like a wild animal.

      Other than Reno, your only other visitor was Rude, and he had been thoughtful enough to bring you a bouquet of real flowers. He wouldn't say where he had gotten them from when you asked, just sat in silence, so you asked him instead how Hojo was doing with that stab wound, as smug as you might have sounded.

       "You didn't stab Hojo," Rude told you bluntly, a slight hint of confusion in his voice. Your smugness was wiped from your face. "You stabbed an assistant doctor who had come in to check your new vitals."

        "No," you had whispered,"no, that… That was Hojo. I remember it like it happened seconds ago…"

       "It doesn't matter. The doctor has been treated and compensated out of your salary. You'll be fifty thousand gil short."

     And that had been the end of that.

     Now, you picked at the cheap, plasticky roast beef on your plate and pushed your asparagus around in circles. You weren't getting anywhere without the alarms sounding on your bed, so you were effectively a prisoner until they turned them off. Add that to the iron they were slowly feeding into your IV and you felt like a rabbit confined in a small cage, pacing a few steps at a time.

       Out of the corner of your eye, sitting right beside the file you were desperately trying to avoid reading, sat the Book of Colors: a book that translated all of the different colors soulmates might see, their specific combinations, and surprisingly, origins.

       The strings felt snug against your fingers as you weighed your options, kneading your fingers into your palm. There was a lot you could learn about the authenticity of soulmate bonds through that book. People followed it like gospel, spoke of it as something holy. You had never had a reason to read it until now, or the money to, but now you had prime opportunity and the eyesight to help you do it.

      You picked up the book and pushed your lunch tray away from the bed.

       It was a hefty leather thing, dyed black and sewn with gold thread to display the title: The Book of Colors. One could easily take it for a children's book, but it was so much more than that. A quick glance at the spine showed it was the newest edition.

       The first page you opened it to described the various types of soulmate bonds, everywhere from bonds to the literal soul to telepathic communication. It depended heavily on the people bound to determine what kind of bonds they got. Cynical, unfair people walked around without color vision until they met their soulmate; quiet, shy people got telepathy; and people like you, a mercenary gone civilian, got strings.

       "Strings guide the lost home," you mumbled, tracing your finger over the plain description beneath the header,"and return hearts to where they belong."

       One of the authors theorized heavily that strings meant involvement with the lifestream personally, or some kind of way to identify past soulmates with one another.

       "It's a very unique thing, the strings," the author wrote,"just like anyone else's, but this means that the two souls have already connected before in the past. Eons or two hundred years ago, who can say?"

      You skimmed over the rest and flipped over to the colors, the part you had been dreading and also curiously dying to read. There were sections to different soulmate types, some colors meaning different things, so you found your section and settled down in your springy hospital bed.

       "Identify the weave of your strings," the book told you. It offered a small chart of different weave types. "You may have two types or you may have four. Find yours and look at the pairing chart to determine the intent of your bond."

       That was easy enough. You shook the threads out and looked closely at their weave; there was a single double braid, what looked like a dutch braid, and an elaborately woven pattern that repeated halfway through the string on each one.

       "The double braid signifies a union between two people," you read, following the lines with your finger. "If there is a child born from that union, two becomes three on this specific line."

        You didn't have a third thread, like you expected, so you moved on.

      "The dutch braid signifies a match with power and darkness. Don't worry yourself, though! Darkness can be equated to many things, such as self conflict, a trouble within the body, or even a mental disconnection from stress."

      Sephiroth didn't seem to be mentally disconnected, but you didn't even know him that well. You messed with the threads for a few moments, stuck on that phrasing, before finding the last section where the more elaborate braids were.

       "This gorgeous flower patterned weave means that you have reunited with your soulmate several times in various past lives. Much like additional colors to the vision discussed in the previous soulmate identification, the different petals on it connote just how many times you have been with your soulmate in past lives. Count them! How many do you have?"

         You raised an eyebrow and counted the individual petals. One, two, three, four, five, six, and… just burgeoning on the final petal, weaving itself before your eyes, was seven.

         But there wasn't a number for that─there wasn't even a color combination or weave combination for the mess around your hand. You checked several times, but to no avail; no one had ever had gold, purple, and green and black threads.

       You slammed the book shut and tossed it back on the nightstand just as the door handle turned and popped open. Reno sauntered past the threshold and made himself at home in the guest chair, eating popcorn and humming an odd tune.

       "So, how's the chocobo documentary doing?" His eyes sparkled with mirth. "Making you bored yet?"

       "Sure. If you count restlessness as bored." You crossed your arms and fixed him with a hard stare. "When can I get out and do my job?"

        "In an hour." Reno threw a handful of popcorn in his mouth dismissively. "Doc says you're cleared to start training and work off that excessive energy you have."

        "Good." You ripped your blankets back and hopped out of the bed. The floor was still cold beneath the cheap socks the hospital had given you. The world swam around you for a moment and you steadied yourself against the nightstand. "Good. That means I didn't pass the exam?"

        Reno shrugged. "You never finished it. Tseng pulled some strings. As long as you pass training you should be fine."

       "Why do you sound like you doubt me?"

       "You'll find out in… oh, about an hour."

      And oh, find out you did.

      "Reno, I'm going to murder you for this."

       Sweat traced rivers down your face as you shimmied your way through the ventilation system of the training barracks, a guard dog snapping at your heels. He didn't answer over the comms system, but you knew he had to be laughing at you somehow.

       "Shit," you yelped, feeling the dog's teeth sink down into your shoe. You kicked back on reflex and it cried out, releasing you instantly. You moved a little faster, relieved at the sight of a vent, and slammed your elbow down on the grate. It didn't budge and there was a very pissed off hound breathing down your neck. "Oh, fuck me."

       "Keep on moving, [Name]!" Reno chortled. You scowled and got on your knees, moving as fast as you could given the cramped space. "Three minutes left!"

        "You and your three minutes can go to hell!"

       "Yeah, but then who would sic hounds on you then? You'd fail your training no problem."

      "Reno," you growled, shoving your fingers into another grate just ahead and pushing down hard. It swung open. The dog got closer. "I'm going to kick your ass."

       "Get out of the vents and then we can talk!"

        You dropped neatly onto a bench, the leatherwork groaning beneath your feet. You hopped off and opened the door right as the dog dropped out behind you, hightailing it down the hall at full speed.

        "Gotta take out the dog, too, [Name]!" Reno reminded you.

        Feet skidding into the marble floor, you whirled around, cursing Reno for his snarky reminders and tackled the dog head on. It flailed as you wrapped your arms around its neck and cut off its breathing, barely keeping purchase by pinning your knees to the over muscled thighs. It growled and tried to bite you, the struggle slowing second by second, until it flopped down on the floor, tongue hanging.

         Unconcious, but not dead.

      You reclined back on your haunches with a sigh, wiping sweat from your forehead, and when you opened your eyes, you found the full brunt of Reeve Tuesti's gaze staring you down.

       Your hand dropped from your forehead. Not even your labored breathing helped you forget that you had somehow ended up in a completely different building than Reno had told you to go to.

       "Damnit."

[lia-nikiforov]

Spring 2018 Anime Watchlist

THERE IS TOO MUCH ANIME THIS SEASON I HAD TO BINGE 37 EPISODES IN THREE DAYS TO CATCH UP

Dropped

Mahou Shoujo Site: Although I originally intended to irony watch this one, expecting something like MahoIku or King’s Game, its sadistic reveling in the main character’s suffering was impossible to stomach. I felt physically ill at the end of it. I’m not, in principle, opposed to gory stuff, y’all know I sat through the whole stupidity that was King’s Game, but MahoSite doesn’t even reach the level of ridiculous over the topness to make it funny, it’s just a cascade of misery porn with not a single moment of levity or triumph for the heroine. I think I was done the moment that gratuitous “if you punch my stomach my period won’t come” line, because apparently some dudes get off on the idea of a woman being so brutalized she stops menstruating??????

Kakuriyo Yadomeshi: I was willing to give this one the three-episode trial after the first episode in spite of the godawful main love interest and the fact that the grandfather sold the MC into literal slavery wtf, because the main girl seems proactive and independent buuuuuuut fuck I hated episode 2. Not only does she seem to quickly forgive her grandfather for SELLING HER OFF, the men around her keep speaking over her and making decisions for her and she turns out to be just independent enough to not be a complete doormat, but not enough to appear defiant and I hate it. Thanks but no thanks, I ain’t here to see a romantization of being literally sold into an arranged marriage.

YOU THINK?!

Cutie Honey Universe: Before this, I’d had zero interaction with any other iteration of Cutie Honey, so I wasn’t sure of what to expect beyond knowing this was from the creator of Devilman. Certainly blatant homophobic jokes and jokes about physical abuse wasn’t in my list of thigs I expected to see, yet here we are. I ain’t here for “hyuk hyuk look at these fat/butch/ugly lesbians, aren’t they ridiculous” jokes either.

Butlers x Battlers: I completely forgot I watched this one. I don’t remember anything about it except being confused

GeGeGe no Kitaro: This one didn’t do anything wrong, but I was never gonna watch it. I just checked out episode 1 because I heard it made a dig at Logan Paul. I wish they’d gone all the way through and killed that character, but I guess you can’t have it all. It was actually a pretty decent episode, and in a weaker season I’d probably keep watching it, but there’s just too much stuff coming out. And I have watched previous Kitaro anime and it’s sometimes too meanspirited for me.

Uma Musume: I didn’t expect much from this show and was pleasantly surprised by the double-length first episode. Special Week was a nice, fun protagonist to root for and although the world-building was weird as heck, it was fun and positive. So I’m not exactly sure of what happened with episode 2/3 that it left me feeling completely dry. The pacing was super rushed, the characters all felt horribly flat, and the races weren’t super exciting because rather than any strategy or strong emotional realization, Special Week just has to start running even faster and faster in the final leg. It was also kind of implied she had gained weight? But then never brought up? And it’s not made very clear why she lost in the end? Was she supposed to learn humility and not getting too complacent? Seems too early for her to learn that when she’s supposed to be an underdog. I don’t know, it didn’t really work for me and I don’t feel like I care to watch more of it.

Because this post is long af and has a lot of gifs some folks were having trouble loading it on mobile, so you’ll have to read under the cut to know which are the shows I’m actually watching oops

Chopping Block: 

There is too much anime and I’m near the end of the semester so I’m gonna have to cut at least one -preferably two- of these shows

Sword Art Online Alternative: This was another one I intended to hatewatch? But rather than offensive or idiotic it’s so far been pretty boring. Episode one was a slog. The first half of episode two was a horrendous spectacle of hating your own body. The only think I liked was the friendship between LLENN and Pito (btw Pito meand ‘dick’ in Spanish and every time she says “call me Pito” I die). Then episode 3 was more boring exposition. FPS games are the least interesting I could think of, and I’ve never been into Let’s Play, so this show is hitting all the right notes to make me bored out of my mind. I also don’t appreciate the big dude not telling Llenn the plan and just kind of being condescending to her. If next episode is just 20 more minutes of the dude explaining things to Llenn, I’m out. (Also, Pito is 100% Elsa Kanzaki)

Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Not feeling this reboot at all. It’s all very dry and just dudes expositioning strategy at each other. Also there are 30 characters in the Ending and only 2 of them are women???? I’ll give it one more episode, but tbh I’ve had problems even paying attention to 2 and 3, it just doesn’t grab me.

Libra of Nil Admirari: Although I like the heroine and she might be one of the strongest reverse harem heroines I’ve seen, the plot itself is very... eh. The guys are also very uninteresting so far. There’s also the fact that Tsumugi claims to have no interest in men or love, but this being a reverse harem with a bevy of men starved for her attention makes me worry this’ll end with her being “fixed” by an actual nice guy who is worthy of her or something. But the OP is very cute!

Hatewatch

Darling in the Franxx: Boy oh boy, the otaku have been creaming their pants and tearing their clothes off for the last three weeks, but “Don’t call it Fucking, It’s Making Love” in the Franxx’s greatest achievement in my eyes is going for idiotically offensive to just bland and clichéd. A recent AMA on reddit with the producer seems to imply that none of the themes of sex, gender and heterosexism that have been at the core of the show were even properly thought out, nor were their implications even remotely considered. I don’t know if the show’s heterosexism would be worse if it was active propaganda rather than what it seems to be: a bunch of ideas the producers thought would be “cool” and “titillating” with no particular meaning to them. Also we’re 15 episodes in and all we’ve achieved is Palurdo has finally tamed his beast waifu who is Not Like Other Girls. Oh, and I guess the monsters actually had humans in there, what a shocker, never seen that before, never expected such a clever twizzzzzzzz....

Mid Priority

Tokyo Ghoul: Re : I thought I was done with Tokyo Ghoul after trying to read the manga and being bored shitless by all the unnecessary exposition, but this one, while not quite excellent, managed to pique my interest. The conceit of Kaneki losing his memories and joining the Doves and helping in exterminating ghouls I’m super not interested in, but his encounter with Nishio has made me curious enough about what has happened with the rest of the characters to keep watching for now.

Rokuhodou Biyori: The iyashikei show of the season I guess. The guys’ personalities are a little bland, so I might bump it down to the chopping block, but it’s only been two episodes, so I want to give it a fair chance

Persona 5: My history with Persona has never been good. Episode 1 of P4 made me sleep, and I watched the first P3 movie THREE TIMES and never managed to parse wtf it was about. This show shares some of the same problems in making me struggle to pay attention, but at least so far the plot seems interesting, the visuals are creative and striking, and I really like the main character’s design. I’m also more inclined to keep watching because Sayokan directed the OP for the videogame.

Hisone to Masotan: There’s a cynical part of me that watches this show and feels like I’m watching a commercial for the JSDF. Yvan eht nioJ, come join us, we have cool dragons!!! I also don’t love the fact that the dragon turns into a plane :/ BUT the characters have a lot of heart, the dynamics so far between Hisone and Masotan and Hisone and Kanzaki have been very touching. A part of me though, wishes Hisone had stuck with Otofu because it’s such a cute name and she sounded really funny yelling “OTOFU!!!”

Safe Sequels

Although some of these sequels would go in higher categories, I was unsure about how to rank them -especially the 2-cour ones- compared to some of my top premieres of the season, so I’m just putting them all together because there are A LOT of sequels.

Yowapeda Glory Line: FINALLY SOMETHING POSITIVE HAPPENED FOR SOHOKU. I was starting to feel exhausted with all the gloominess, especially for seeing Teshima punished, HE DESERVES EVERY GOOD THING. Now we can get back on track and hopefully have a fun race without Teshima brooding all the way through the episode. ALSO THANK YOU FOR THE EXCELLENT TESHIAO CONTENT

Nanatsu no Taizai: FINALLY ESCANOR SHOWED UP. It’s felt like the first half of the show dragged a lot compared to the manga, so I’m happy we’ve reached one of the coolest parts. Though if memory serves, the rest of the season will be spent floundering around, but damn, the Escanor vs Galand battle is very satisfying to watch.

Lupin III Part V: So this time around they’ve added the social media factor into Lupin’s adventures, and so far the result has been quite interesting. I don’t have a lot to say, the artstyle looks closer to classic versions of the franchise and has lost some of the edge from part IV, but the comedy and Lupin’s plans are still creative and fun to watch, even adding a unique spin to the social media component, so I’m excited to see where they take this. But we need more Fujiko yesterday pls

Binan Koukou Chikyuu Boueibu Happy Kiss: A soft reboot of this magical girl parody franchise, with frillier costumes and even more ridiculous attacks and transformations, and I’m here for it. I do wish we’d get at least some cameos from the original gang. I also feel that so far, apart from the Red guy (Kyotaro?) the others don’t seem to have much of a distinctive personality. It’s only episode three, so hopefully that’s something we’ll see developed as the show goes on.

Hozuki no Reitetsu: It’s the same as it’s always been, a brilliantly dry workplace comedy. If you haven’t watched the previous seasons, you’re missing out on one of the best comedies of this decade.

Boku no Hero Academia 3: After the recap first episode, the series has gone back full gear ahead into the next story arc and so far it looks pretty cool. Although I’m never a fan of “regular MC activity gets interrupted by villains”. Idk why it bothers me a lot -a prime example being the S Class exam getting cut short in Fairy Tail and the concept of S Class mages completely ditched thereon after. But anyway, I have faith in the writing that they’ll make this villain interruption cool and worth it. I do however wish they’d let us meet the Class B guys better.

Steins;Gate 0: You know, I was 100% ready to be disappointed and abandon this one right away, but damn, damn have these first two episodes been brilliant. The nuances in Okabe’s characterization, the portrayal of his grief, and his more mature attitude seem like a mirror of the watcher who has grown all the same in the seven years since the show’s original season. I’m hoping the teases about Maho as a potential love interest are a red herring, but other than that, I’m blown away by how good it has been so far. Just delete Daru please.

Card Captor Sakura: Clear Card: Things have started happening! We’re starting to see that Akiho’s mysterious book is somehow having an effect over the events of Sakura’s life. The episode with the animals was particularly strong, with a new card that had a nice renovated design, and a really emotionally effective scene of Sakura and Syaoran embracing to help Sakura regain confidence to save her friends. It’s one of the strongest episodes of the series so far, so hopefully we’ll have more of those and less of the “finding a card that only minimally makes 10 cm from a bookshelf disappear” type. As a sidenote, I find Akiho’s obsession with Sakura’s play a bit offputting.

High Priority

Mahou Shojo Ore: Given how little I knew about this series going in and how excited I was about it in spite of it, I’m pleased to report the show has lived up to my expectations in one way or another. The weird comedy is on point and also everyone is fucking gay. I’m rooting for you Blue Girl! Easily the superior show with Mahou Shoujo in its title.

Hinamatsuri: You know, I didn’t have super high expectations for this one, but it’s turned out to be a very nice surprise. It has that charming paternal relationship between Nitta and Hina that is cute and hilarious. I have to say I’m not super into the classmate-forced-to-become-a-bartender storyline and I’m not sure how that even fits with the rest of the show, so I hope there won’t be a lot of vignettes about it.

Piano no Mori: Wonky CGI and occassionally questionable character design choices (Ajino was so BEAUTIFUL in his youth, why does he look so ridiculous in the present?!!!) aside, this has been one of the strongest premieres of the season. I know fans of the manga have criticized it, but as someone unfamiliar with the original, I’m definitely intrigued by this story.

BESTEST

Megalobox: This one wasn’t on my radar at all. It’s one of those numerous cases of me seeing a title that sounds stupid and deciding to ignore the show based on that alone. I’m glad I stumbled on all the praise the premiere episode received because damn is it good. The story behind the cameras is that this is a 50th anniversary project for Ashita no Joe, and it was meant to be a reboot, but the director couldn’t find a way to make it work, so he created something entirely new, and aren’t we glad about that. It has a unique retro look and although the plot beats do call back to Ashita no Joe, our Joe feels like his own person alright. I think my only nitpick is that I’m not entirely sure of what is even the point of the additional gear. Also, I know how Ashita no Joe ends and I hope this show won’t end like that too :’D

Golden Kamuy: How long has it been since the last time a multi-awarded manga not only wasn’t disappointing but ended up being one of the most promising anime adaptations of the season? Yes, everyone’s seen the ugly CGI bear, moving on, this is a captivating and unique historical show with a so far excellent portrayal of Ainu culture and a kickass lady coprotagonist.  I am really excited to see where this one will go. Also, it was really exciting to hear characters actually speaking ainu language. I’ve done some research on Ainu history (and kickass Ainu women) for school, so I’m very pumped about this one.

Otaku ni Koi wa Muzukashii: By far my favorite premiere of the season. So far, two episodes in, it’s all I ever hoped it would be and more. The characters are charming, Narumi and Hirotaka’s relationship feels natural and effortless -both the romantic aspect of it, and the way they easily become comfortable with one another-. Narumi is delightful and very well-rounded, being as cheerful and optimistic as she can be cynical, and her quick-developing friendship with Hanako is so violently relatable I was screaming. I really love this show. ALSO THE OP IS SUPER CUTE

I FINALLY FINISHED WRITING THIS IT TOOK FOREVER BECAUSE THERE IS TOO MUCH ANIME

[davidmann95]

Some Kingdom Hearts future thoughts

Have to get ‘em out! Went into some thoughts with my psuedo-review of III, but I’ve got others and stuff worth expanding on. I’ll put them under the cut since it clearly goes into spoilers, except for my boldest, most controversial guess: along with being announced either this year or next (since Kingdom Hearts has never reached the end of a calendar year after a release with nothing on the horizon) I think Kingdom Hearts IV is going to be a 2022 release. I recognize that sounds like an intensely generous timeframe, but I have several reasons:

1. Above all else by far: once again, Square Enix and Disney are going to be on Nomura’s ass, nose to the grindstone, to get him to start delivering these on a consistent basis again. Do you think they’re looking at Kingdom Hearts III topping sales charts and thinking “well, it sure was worth the wait”, or do you think they’re going “gosh, these are some nice sales, sure would be nice if it came out years ago and we had a bunch more similarly-selling titles by now, let’s try and aim for something closer to that in the future”. Especially-especially since Nomura and the actors aren’t getting any younger and the series is at a point where the core fanbase for the franchise as-is is going to be the primary target rather than new audiences, which means it has to wrap up in a timeframe where that’s still a viable market. So rapid, priority development and few if any more spinoffs. I mean, not as if there’s really a handheld platform for them to be on anymore.

2. My understanding (and this is going somewhat into the technical side of things, so I’m going thirdhand here based on what I’ve heard from others) is that the lifecycle of the current console generation isn’t going to run out for quite a bit yet, so they can reuse a lot of the assets and whatnot from III.

3. A big deal was made about Dream Drop Distance coming out on the 10th anniversary of the franchise, and given 20 is a much wilder number for this series than most equivalents when it’s about a single cast of characters going through a single story, I can’t imagine they won’t want to push that as at least a similarly big deal.

4. Finally, when things don’t go as catastrophically off the rails as III did, these games seem to have a fairly consistent 3-4 year development span (even III, once they announced the beginning of development in 2013, would have come out 2017-early 2018 if not for switching from Luminous to Unreal Engine), and for the reasons I listed above I think this is going to be on the speedier end of that.

* Firstly: the main discussion I’m seeing at this point regarding IV is “it’s gonna be a Kingdom Hearts/The World Ends With You/pseudo-Final Fantasy Versus XIII crossover!”, and I really expect and hope that isn’t the case. Not that I’ll be pissed if it is, I’m sure it would still be rad, but it strikes me as both unlikely and the lesser outcome. I don’t know that I see the powers that be diverting resources in one of their biggest cash cows towards a sequel to one of their minor games - one that’s already been in Kingdom Hearts, meaning its inclusion here wouldn’t reasonably be a huge enough deal to base a lot of the full story on - and a way to reimagine another project. And for that matter it strikes me as conceptually small-scale given the setup. Nomura went with a name in Yozora that doesn’t just have the bent meaning of Sora’s name but actually literally sounds like him, went with a setting that aside from the one cameo sign mainly screams to viewers “Sora’s suddenly in the real world, holy cow”, and unless I entirely misread it Verum Rex was presented as a total self-roast in Toy Box. It doesn’t strike me as spot-the-reference (even though that’s 100% in there) nearly so much as establishing a tonal contrast to Kingdom Hearts.

I joked initially about this being a Flash of Two Worlds! (linking to a description for non-comics readers who are here because I tagged Kingdom Hearts)/’Kingdom Hearts goes to war with its own gritty fanfic’ setup, but...I actually suspect that’s pretty close to what’s going on here? This seems like a send up of Final Fantasy’s relative self-seriousness and over the top Super Cool characters, as a contrast to Sora’s goofy open-hearted sincerity and optimism. It’s the Secret Movie aesthetic that some want not just more prominent but as the actual main tone of the series morphed into an entire universe all its own, and Sora, out of place, has to find his way through and back home even as the real threat mounts, and probably has to save this world and get through to its heroes who aren’t likely prone to grinning through off-the-cuff monologues about the heart. That is not only entirely my kind of ridiculous meta jam, it feels like a logical next step for the series: if the first trilogy was in part about growing up, the next (and I suspect last, as the Master of Masters and his Foretellers have been set up as the primordial antagonists of the entire mythology and this is where they’re coming to the fore; my old theory of Eraqus being the big bad of an intermediary trilogy looks solidly shot to hell) could very well be about reaching adulthood, in which case it makes sense Sora would have to pass through a near literal fire of Adolescent/Adult Cynicism.

* Speaking of where Sora ends up: I kinda doubt he’s literally dead, or that if he is it’ll last past the opening of the game. They’ve already made a big theatrical production of Sora dying twice now, the second time in the most literal way possible and just a few hours prior to this, so while third time’s the charm I think there’ll be more to it than that. The again common thing I’ve been seeing is that he’ll have to play the Reaper game to win his life back (not something I’m much familiar with but I think I’ve got the basics), but again, while it’ll certainly be part of the game I don’t think TWEWY is going to be the big thing here (like they’d really make that a bigger deal than the Final Fantasy elements have been), and he just dealt with the afterlife and had to essentially play a game to win his soul back, and this wouldn’t even be a game he’s unfamiliar with. My impression is he’s incorporated back and whole - if likely powered down from the ordeal to justify him being back at level one - and the mystery is less whether or not he’s truly alive so much as how he ended up here and how to get back.

* On the other end of things - and I realize it’s a risky prospect to suggest after her getting a shockingly small role compared to everyone else in III was the damning weak aspect of its otherwise basically perfect finale - I think this is where Kairi is actually going to start to come to the forefront. She and Riku would be at the head of a search that everyone would be a part of (they were there when it happened, they know death is negotiable in their world, and they’re good people who all owe him), her especially since he’s her boyfriend - they may not declare it outright but there’s clearly no ambiguity between the two of them as to their situation anymore - and the one he sacrificed himself for, and she’s out there fighting now even if she’s inexperienced. And Riku seems like he’s going to end up lost himself on the search, leaving her behind as the sole Destiny Trio representative. So even if she isn’t a playable co-lead I wouldn’t be surprised if she was the one going on a more traditional Kingdom Hearts adventure searching with the rest while Sora and later Riku deal with the genre mindfuck. On the bright side if nothing else, she’s died twice now too and they’ve both been presented as dead in a “maybe this time for real” way for a finale, so while again third time’s the charm, I figure she and Sora are relatively bulletproof from here on out.

* Speaking of Riku, while this seems more like an old-school proof of concept trailer from I and II rather than the more recent actual scenes, meaning his appearance might well change just as Kairi was different in I’s Secret Movie than she really was in II, it’s very notable that he hasn’t aged at all. So likely instead of another tragic I to II scale timeskip of Sora being lost from his friends, it looks like IV will be picking up immediately and the search for him won’t take long to succeed. Also speaking of Riku, I seem to see people thinking he’s with Namine now? Not that that seems impossible, but while the scene as a whole is romanticized in that it’s basically a princess being carried away by chariot to her happily-ever-after, it reads to me less as an actual romance than Riku fulfilling his ‘brother’s promise. Though if Square/Nomura does want to really get into romance with the next trilogy, since Sora/Kairi is locked down maybe they’ll just say fuck it and do a whole Riku/Namine/Xion/Roxas Love Square situation.

* Actual prediction rather than analysis of evidence: I suspect this is the last major time the Destiny Trio is going to be split up, at least in the searching-for-each-other, not-knowing-if-everyone’s-alive sense. I was the search for Kairi, II for Riku, and now IV for Sora - that cycle looks to be completing. Wouldn’t be surprised if V and/or the finale was finally the three of them as the adventuring party as fans have wanted for so long, with III as the grand finale to Sora/Donald/Goofy.

* It seems early to predict the main villain, but at the same time everyone was accurate in assuming a Keyblade-wielding Xehanort would be the final boss of the trilogy circa 2006, so I’m gonna go ahead and say Xigbar/Luxu is gonna be the end-all with IV. The Master of Masters is still the end of the road, and perfect for it because he’s a real-world normal savvy guy who can manipulate this world of straightforward classical adventurers with ease, while Sora at the opposite end of the scale is silly and sweet even by that world’s standard. But Luxu addresses the same ideas in a way that’d be perfect for this game in particular as it seems to be set up, he’d be the villainous connective tissue as this game moves from one trilogy to another, and he has the dangling personal thread of the ‘reward’ he suggested was coming for Sora. Or hell, since now it looks like she’s at least somewhat privy to what’s going on, maybe Maleficent will finally step back up.

EDIT: Ooh, just remembered, speaking of what Xigbar says to Sora, his Olympus conversation also predicts Sora’s fate? The whole “if you leap in to save somebody, you might just end up in the clutch needing to be saved yourself” lecture, i.e. the premise for IV. Maybe his teach isn’t the only one privy to future events?

* Not both, they’ll wanna space it out, but I’m like 70% sure this is where Marvel or Star Wars are gonna happen.

* Finally, while I’ve heard speculation that the Mystery Star is one of the Foretellers or the person who died in that Union X game, I don’t think she’s one of them given it’s a new voice actor and she cites a name Sora knows. More likely she’s ‘Subject X’ (I went ahead and looked up the Secret Reports, haven’t gone back and done all the bonus challenges myself yet and won’t I imagine for some time), who does seem to be from that time but is I think someone new.

[beneaththeweirwoodtree-blog]

Sansa Stark, victim blaming and the lie of being “A Good Girl”

I’m a feminist and I love Sansa Stark. To some, these are contradictory. To me, Sansa Stark is a shining example of a woman who played by the rules that were given to her, saw the rules fail her, and was victim-blamed by much of a fandom. This is the same pattern that we see reflected daily all around us. 

Allow me to explain:

In the cast of characters, Sansa easily fits into the category of The Ingenue, aka The Good Girl. According to tvtropes, the ingenue is described as, “kind, sweet-natured, polite and optimistic, and on the sliding scale of idealism vs. cynicism, she falls very much on the idealistic side. Her innocent will often inspire protective feelings in heroic characters, and she is frequently one of the more beautiful characters...Unfortunately, her innocent also often makes her woefully naive, making her a prime target for a villain seeking to take advantage of her.” 

Sansa Stark is a product of her upbringing: an upbringing that includes being taught the rules of society. Rules that dictate what she should do (sew, sing, marry well and have babies), who she should speak to and how (Courtesy is a lady’s armor), and how she should be (innocent, polite, kind, loyal). All of these qualities and expectations define the Westorosi ideal of The Good Girl.  

Throughout A Game of Thrones, Sansa does her best to follow the rules that she has learned from her parents and her septa. Yes, Sansa is unkind to her sister and to Jon (she’s a teenage girl, not a saint), I would argue that her bias is tied to what she has been taught is acceptable behavior. She repeatedly states that Arya is bad--because Arya acts in a way that her septa and family has told her is unbecoming for her. Her behavior towards Jon is a reflection of what she observes from her mother. Arya and Jon go against the rules that she has been taught, and so they are deemed bad and unseemly. It should be noted that others in the story also seem to share this opinion towards Arya and Jon, though many people only fault Sansa for holding it.

However, when Sansa comes to King’s Landing, her loyalties are conflicted and her courtesies do nothing to help her in the face of people far more skilled at manipulation than she. Joffrey is her betrothed; does her loyalty lie with him or her family? She believes Cersei to be not only beautiful, but also kind. She has never been shown the evils of the world, and so she cannot see them when they are right in front of her face. The rules she has been taught until this point in her life don’t help her in the face of conflict, leaving her at the mercy of the Lannisters and (later) Littlefinger. 

“She has the traitor’s blood, not me. I’m good, ask Septa Mordane, she’ll tell you. I only want to be Joffrey’s loyal and loving wife.”

--Sansa IV, AGOT

All her life, Sansa Stark was taught what to do and how to do it (politely, one must never cause offense). She was taught that if she followed the rules and was a good girl, her life would be filled with beauty and pain would be far away. When she is dragged before the court in AGOT, she tries to make them understand that she is good. If she is good, nothing bad can happen to her.

This is the same struggle that we ask women and girls to face daily. We, modern and supposedly enlightened people, teach our daughters to be Good Girls (polite, loyal, kind, pure) as if this will keep them safe. Look at the way women apologize more than men. Look at the way women ask for promotions vs. how men ask for promotions. We, like Sansa Stark, are (by and large) taught that we should be kind and courteous to others. But when we follow those rules and they fail us, society is quick to blame us for it--just like some critics do of Sansa Stark. Literally, in this day and age being polite gets women killed.   

When women are firm in negotiating salaries and workload (going against that idea of being polite), we’re known as a ball buster (and not in a positive way), but if we’re too polite or “soft,” we’re told that we should have negotiated harder and it is our own fault that we aren’t paid more.

Women should be sexy enough to appeal to men, but not too sexy--then you’re a slut. And if you’re attacked while wearing a sexy outfit? Well, you were probably leading him on. 

Women learn to turn unwanted attention away politely because if we hurt his feelings, he might physically hurt us. But if he does, we’re asked why weren’t firmer in turning him away. 

We do our daughters a grave disservice by teaching them how to be a Good Girl and then blame them when Good Girl rules let them down. The contempt that Sansa Stark receives from other characters in the ASOIAF universe and from fans is victim blaming. She followed the Good Girl rules; they failed her; it’s clearly her fault. Nevermind that the rules were shit and the whole thing was rigged from the get-go. 

My point is this: Sansa Stark endured. Sansa Stark survived. Sansa Stark is a badass. 

Ladies of the world, we are too. 

. 

[nexlance]

Adolescent Depression: causes, symptoms, treatment, and Parental Communication

Adolescence is a time of transition, and it is "natural" for adolescents to be moody, irritable, lonely. As a result, depression in teenagers is often misdiagnosed or merely due to normal teenage behavior. The stresses of everyday life are also having a negative impact on our young teens. Take a look at the numbers below and be astounded. Figures dont lie, and they are also the perfect way to highlight those details that, when introduced to the general public's attention, leave a permanent impression. It is important to capture the interest of someone who wishes to hear more about what the numbers are showing. There is no wonder that numbers are nothing more than concrete concepts with the potential to sway even the most cynical of minds, and it would even offer the young generation the real picture when it comes to teenage depression. Twenty Percent Of Teenagers Are Sufferers The first thing that will make you wake up and take notes of adolescent depression rates is the fact that almost one-fifth of the adolescent population of the United States has undergone a degree of psychiatric depression before reaching full adulthood. Not just that, but ten to fifteen percent of adolescents have signs of adolescent depression, while another five percent of the adolescent population has suffered from major depression. Second, another concerning feature of adolescent depression is the lack of social acceptance for adolescents with such an illness, and what's worst is that as many as 8% of teenagers would have witnessed the recurrence of depression at least once a year. This is concerning because depression affects just 5% of the national population. adolescent depression usually lasts for eight months. Teenagers are now at risk of having another bout of adolescent depression within two years, with the chances of this happening ranging from twenty to forty percent, and there is also a seventy percent chance that they will have another bout of adolescent depression. Third, a common characteristic of adolescence depression is that many teens experience seasonal depression. This form of depression is most common during the winter, but it can also be seen in areas of high altitudes. And the weather may play a role in the onset of seasonal depression, so teens must be mindful of these social influences on their mental health. Fourth, other data on adolescent depression show that dysthymia, or a moderate type of depression that persists for a long time, affects around 2% of adolescents, and a similar number of teenagers are more likely to develop bipolar depression as they get older. Indeed, it is estimated that up to 15% of teens who have had major depression are at risk of experiencing bipolar depression later in life. As a result, it is fair to conclude that adolescent depression can impact adolescents regardless of their socioeconomic status, economic class, ethnicity, ethnicity, or accomplishments, and that adolescent depression is a very serious mental health condition affecting teens in the United States. There are some prominent early signs of adolescent depression. If you think your underage child is troubled, you must get treatment urgently.

Adolescent Depression Different Than Adult Depression?

Depression is a mood disease in which people feel depressed, withdrawn, lose confidence in what is going on around them, have learning difficulties, and can even commit suicide. Depressive symptoms are normal, and most people will experience them at some stage in their life even though they are not diagnosed with depression. Men have a lifetime prevalence of depression ranging from 5% to 12%, whereas women have a prevalence ranging from 10% to 25%. Severe depression ranked fourth in terms of disease dysfunction and related risk factors in 1990. Depression is expected to rate second only to heart disease as a concern by the year 2020. Depression has also been attributed to an elevated risk of cancer, respiratory failure, immune dysfunction, allergies, migraine, insomnia, infectious disease, and suicide. The body responds similarly to depression and stress. Corticosteroids are hormones that are produced when a person is stressed or depressed. Cortisol levels in the adrenal glands rise and remain elevated during depression, affecting long-term memory. Individuals suffering from depression include increased development in the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands. Long-term stress has been linked to a decline in hypothalamus volume. The hypothalamus is in charge of processing input from the autonomic nervous system and controlling feeding, sexual activity, sleep habits, impulses, and hormone secretion. People who have had repeated bouts of depression have irregular electroencephalograph sleep cycles. Enlarged ventricles and greater cerebral atrophy have been observed in depressive patients with psychotic characteristics. Adolescent depression can show itself in a variety of ways. Adolescents and infants, according to the DSM-IV-TR, exhibit more irritability, social withdrawal, and somatic complaints. Displays of melancholy and psychomotor retardation, as seen in people with depressive disorders, are not common in teenagers. Adolescent depression, on the other hand, may be characterized by frustration, confusion, exhaustion, and lack of interest in usually pleasurable activities. Another characteristic of teen depression is that it affects both boys and girls equally. Because of the presenting signs, adolescent depression is impossible to diagnose. Other conditions, such as Conduct Disorder, Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, and Anxiety, are often associated with the disorder. There are two forms of depression. Shyness, fear, worrying behavior, and avoidance are all correlated with internalizing style. Externalizing personality is linked to substance addiction and behavior disorder. A variety of studies have associated depression and other psychosocial factors to adult pain perception. It stands to reason that depression, or symptoms of depression, will be found in teenagers who are in distress. Adolescents' sense of well-being has been attributed to low back and mid-back pain. Adolescents and children who have back pain complain that their health is bad and that they are unhappy. Physical fitness is a major indicator of depression in youth, both now and in the future. In addition, physical disorder is linked to depression.

Warning signs and symptoms Of Adolescent Depression

Poor or fluctuating grades in school, disappointment in school or at work, and a sense of inability to achieve expectations are all red flags. Withdrawal from friends, family, and hobbies is another possibility. They will become more isolated as time goes by. They can show signs of depression, hopelessness, and a lack of motivation/enthusiasm. Their self-esteem may range from poor to non-existent. They may be unable to focus, make decisions, or miss things sometimes. Changes of sleep and appetite are possible. They can become irritable, irritated, and anxious as a result. They can become addicted to substances (self-medicate), depressed, or obsessed with death. When the adolescent exhibits some of these symptoms, continue to speak to them, even if it's just to let them know you're there for them, and get treatment right away. There are some indicators that a person is suffering from adolescent depression. Changes in appetite, changes in sleep schedule, lack of interest in usually common sports, irritability and often irrational response to anger, and, last but not least, declarations of depression are among the signs. Changes in appetite or eating habits are a typical and very strong indicator of teenage depression. In reality, it is one of the primary symptoms. More specifically, the signs can include eating too much, eating too little, or not eating at all for an extended period of time. These symptoms of teenage depression should not be confused with those with an eating disorder. However, these main signs may also turn into more neurotic habits, particularly as the patient begins to feel better following a diet shift. Changes in sleep and sleep schedule, including changes of appetite or feeding pattern, are symptoms of teenage depression, but the behaviour varies from person to person. Nonetheless, a significant shift in sleep habits with no apparent cause should be regarded as a fairly solid and not-to-be-ignored warning sign. Another well-known symptom of teenage depression is a rapid and unexplained decline in involvement in previously favored hobbies. It's not the same as when a child outgrows a passion of a certain game. If your child enjoys a sport and suddenly decides not to participate during the season, you should be concerned. It may be a symptom of teenage depression. Another red flag, which is difficult to ignore, is when the child becomes enraged frequently or overreacts to his or her own annoyance. This may be more than just a case of more or less anticipated adolescent rebelliousness. However, distinguishing between typical juvenile misbehavior and depression-driven misbehavior requires the expertise of a trained and experienced healthcare professional. There is no such thing as a single symptom of depression. It's still a slew of symptoms. When your child expresses despair, it may only be a terrible hair day, so if you've recently encountered any of the above symptoms of stress, it's time to take action. Call your doctor and brace yourself and your family for a bumpy trip.

Adolescent Depression - Causes and Best Treatment Options Available

Adolescent depression is a form of depression that may develop during adolescence. This form of depression is characterized by a lack of confidence, feelings of worthlessness, persistent disappointment, and discouragement, among other negative emotions. You can't tell whether an adolescent will get sad or not; often it can be predicted, but in most situations, it can be kept silent before anything happens. It is important to treat teen depression until it worsens, which could happen at any moment. You must address the issue as soon as you know you are stressed or your adolescent is depressed. It might not be an easy problem to solve, but you have to start somewhere. Adolescent depression may be a teenager's acute reaction to such conditions or even normal stress, but it may also be a condition that they may recover from for years if they are not supported. When it comes to adolescents, depression is often caused by: - Arguments of independence from parents - a lack of liberty (in their minds). - The normal maturing mechanism, as well as the tension and worry that it entails. - Sexual hormones may play a significant role in depression. Adolescent depression can also be a transient response to upsetting circumstances that may escalate to a lasting situation, such as: - Failing school - Being the victim of bullying - Death of a relative or a close friend - A sad breakup with a partner Teenagers with poor self-esteem, those who are very critical of themselves, and those who believe they have little or no influence over such stressful experiences are at risk of depression. It is also well recognized that teenage girls are more likely than teenage boys to feel depression while they are going through a tough time. Any of the risk factors are as follows: - Unstable care giving - Weak social skills - Chronic illnesses - Sexual, mental and physical child abuse - Genetic depression - family history of the disorder - Parental loss due to divorce or death, as well as other traumatic life activities Any eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia, have been linked to adolescent depression.. Treatments It is important to rule out any physical illnesses first, such as hypothyroidism or anemia. Depression should be considered after all physical causes have been ruled out. The below are some treatments for teenage depression: When pursuing care for teenage depression, psychotherapy may be the first choice. Talk counseling attempts to help the troubled adolescent to improve their way of thinking. They will be taught more reasonable ways to solve their problems, as well as how to develop their interpersonal and social skills. Medication - Antidepressants are often used for children, but with great caution. This is due to a lack of knowledge on the long-term impact of antidepressants on teenagers. Antidepressant side effects can cause children under the age of 21 to have suicidal thoughts or even attempt suicide, necessitating hospitalization. Alternative treatments such as acupuncture, acupressure, and specifically tailored fitness plans can be beneficial to teenagers suffering from depression. Before adopting any new treatments, consult with your child's doctor. Herbal supplements are completely safe and have far less, if any, side effects than antidepressants. Check with your child's doctor whether he or she is on any medications for any health issues. The herbs are not dangerous; however, they can diminish the potency of certain prescription drugs, putting your child at risk.

Coping With Adolescent Depression

Adolescent depression is highly common and can develop in children who will never feel it again. Then, what happens? It is popular for a variety of purposes. For instance, teenage hormone levels undergo drastic modifications and differences. Hormone fluctuations can disrupt a person's mental health. Technically, the condition is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. When chemicals or hormones get out of balance, a person becomes depressed. Adolescents are most likely to undergo the emotions when their hormones shift often.. Children are still suffering a great deal of tension. To an adult who may not have children, this will seem to be a humorous joke. They do, after all, have their whole life ahead of them. They have little commitments and are at a point in their lives where they will have a good time. Regrettably, this is not completely right. Teenagers are continually subjected to social pressure. They are pushed to be slim, to dress well, and to use drugs and alcohol. Any of these stresses, particularly drug and alcohol pressures, are difficult for a teenager to cope with. Drugs and alcohol are depressants, and if a teenager continues to use them, he or she can develop depression. Loss is another cause. When a loved one dies, it is common for a person to feel depression. This trigger isn't just for teens. What Should You Do? Unfortunately, there isn't anything you can do to influence a teenager's hormones or reaction to social pressure. What you should do is speak to your kid about social pressure before they reach the age of adolescence. Describe what it is and how to deal with it. Keep a good watch on your infant as well. They may be depressed if they have severe mood swings or begin to behave abnormally. It may also be a warning if they become socially isolated and refuse to hang out with their mates. Maintain a constant line of contact with your kids. This will assist you with understanding how they are feeling. If you or your kid suspects they are sad, take them to a mental health provider right away. You should begin by speaking with a school counselor. A school psychologist may be able to assist them in coping with their hormones and social pressure. However, if the emotions are more intense, you can see a therapist. Trained therapists are well equipped to treat teenage depression..

Adolescent Depression and Parent Communication

Photo by Ivan Samkov on Pexels.com It is self-evident that puberty is a time of accelerated growth. The child's social responsibility extends into the home, and peer relationships tend to take precedence. Simultaneously, molecular changes are taking place, resulting in bursts of physical and academic development. It's no surprise that so many teenagers report feeling anxious and pressured. Despite the above causes, most teenagers adapt to maturity without incident and grow up to be well-adjusted adults. In particular, study over the last ten years suggests that roughly 80% of all teenagers achieve maturity without major difficulties. Many of the remaining 20% face transition challenges as a result of a variety of reasons such as family conflicts, peer interactions, and educational pressures. For others, the end result is sadness, and normal development is halted. Depression in puberty resembles adult depression. The adolescent is filled with depression, hopelessness, and a lack of interest in a brighter future. Eating and sleeping habits may change; friendships and family relationships may suffer; and school grades may begin to fall. In certain circumstances, the stress subsides and life resumes normalcy. However, if depression persists, the adolescent's life trajectory will be permanently changed, leading to school failure, drug misuse, and an unstable adult lifestyle. Fortunately, parents may take a variety of measures to assist their teen in overcoming stress and returning to normal functioning. To begin, it is critical to understand the improvements in the teen's biochemistry predispose them to emotional control issues. As a result, juvenile populations experience emotional extremes more often than infant or adult populations. Some days can feel like a roller coaster of emotional highs and lows. As a result, adults can become irritated and impatient when a teenager expresses his or her feelings. Second, it is critical to recognize that these emotional responses are very genuine, and that often just listening can be extremely beneficial to the teen. For example, when teenagers are so dependent on their peers, the absence of a best friend or first girlfriend is always viewed as tragic. And parents who are sympathetic to their teen's sadness may grow impatient as the teen's storms of crying, sleepless nights, and sullen demeanor disrupt the family environment. However, if parents are not present, teens can find another person to speak to. Someone else is usually another teenager who lacks the loyalty, empathy, and intelligence needed to be genuinely helpful. Furthermore, as hidden confidantes become Facebook comments, trust problems often emerge. Parents wield considerable strength. Read the full article

[entergamingxp]

Red Dead Redemption’s Greatest Triumphs Are Its Tragedies

May 18, 2020 10:00 AM EST

10 years later, Red Dead Redemption remains one of Rockstar’s best games yet by crafting a world drenched in the cycle of revenge.

When I think back on the first time that I played through Red Dead Redemption, the two things that usually come to mind for me are the beginning and closing scenes of John Marston’s story. When we first meet John in the opening of Red Dead, he embarks by train to enact revenge against the gang members that betrayed him in his outlaw life, coerced by the law in exchange for the safety of his family. From the start, John’s hands are tied not just by government agents, but also by a life that he has never been able to fully escape. It’s fitting that by the final scene of his story, John winds up caught between these two forces and meets his infamous demise in a one-sided shootout against a squad of government agents, or to an extent, agents of fate that are acting out the consequences of his former life.

What has stood out to me about these two scenes in Red Dead is how they act as bookends not only to John’s search for redemption, but to its core theme of the cycle of revenge. Even without its roots in the Western genre, there is the immediate sense in Red Dead Redemption that John’s story will almost certainly have a tragic end. It’s safe to say that it might be one that John may have deserved, and that he got what was coming to him. But by Red Dead Redemption‘s conclusion, it becomes even clearer that revenge is a cycle that few can ever escape out of, and that it merely changes hands from those looking to carry it out.

“Even without its roots in the Western genre, there is the immediate sense in Red Dead Redemption that John’s story will almost certainly have a tragic end.”

Today marks the tenth anniversary of Red Dead Redemption, a fact that I definitely had to come to terms with while writing this. I can more or less remember when I was playing Red Dead for the first time while I was in college, and that feels like a lifetime ago now in our current pandemic sense of time. But to me, that only speaks to how Red Dead has left a lasting legacy not only as one of my personal favorite games ever, but to a story and world that has only continued to resonate with me ten years later. Red Dead‘s story is certainly far from a happy one, but it is by far a meaningful and important one.

Released on May 18, 2010 for the PS3 and Xbox 360, Red Dead Redemption came just two years after Rockstar Games released Grand Theft Auto IV, its sprawling and (at the time) most extensive open-world experience yet. While Red Dead Redemption was the spiritual “sequel” to 2004’s Red Dead Revolver, ultimately it shared much more in common with the Grand Theft Auto series by translating its deep open-world systems to the vast plains of the Wild West. The hallmarks of GTA definitely made their way into Red Dead in terms of how its open-world was designed, and you can feel how Rockstar managed to tune its combat mechanics to better suit horses and revolvers rather than sports cars and automatic weapons.

What truly set Red Dead Redemption apart from Rockstar’s flagship series was storytelling, which provided an interesting parallel to its predecessor. Where GTAIV focused on Niko Bellic, an Eastern European immigrant chasing the American Dream in Liberty City, Red Dead‘s story acted almost in opposition to it through John’s struggle to escape the outlaw life that he once knew. GTAIV was viewing American life and its love of capitalism through a satirical lens, while Red Dead Redemption stripped away the satire and exposed those elements of American callousness in its raw form.

“Red Dead Redemption lent itself to a heightened storytelling experience for Rockstar that was able to get its point across without being hinged on satire and cynicism.”

Red Dead Redemption to me felt like the game that Rockstar really “grew up” with. As much as I’ve appreciated the Grand Theft Auto games over the years, by design their worlds are meant to be playgrounds where players can test the limits of how much anarchy and chaos they can create. Though GTAIV (and later GTAV) would begin moving the series in a more serious direction, to me Red Dead Redemption lent itself to a heightened storytelling experience for Rockstar that was able to get its point across without being hinged on satire and cynicism.

The story of John Marston and his search for the remaining members of the van der Linde gang took on much more personal and emotional stakes than what we’ve seen in Rockstar’s past games. While we wouldn’t know what really happened between John and the gang until Red Dead Redemption 2 arrived in 2018, Red Dead Redemption‘s story of revenge was one that had me invested in seeing John’s journey through to the very end. However, what I didn’t expect to see was how John would be the only character that would become such an engaging, tragic figure.

“Red Dead Redemption gave us a world that by Rockstar’s standards had never felt more alive and human, as tragic as it is.”

Nearly all of the characters in Red Dead Redemption are bound by tragedies from their past, which would only become clearer once Red Dead Redemption 2 showed us the other side of how these characters came to be. Both of these games provided the full circle of these characters’ tragic pasts and futures, and in doing so made them far more human and relatable than I could have expected. Seeing how John wound up on the path towards righteousness and a decent life only made his eventual fate that much more heartbreaking, especially with the involvement of Arthur Morgan. Dutch van der Linde, the true “villain” of Red Dead Redemption, becomes someone far more sympathetic in Red Dead Redemption 2 once you understand his rationale and how he started out. Bonnie and Sadie especially find themselves on a path towards vengeance after the loss of their loved ones, but not without having to make sacrifices to survive and lose parts of themselves in the process.

All of these characters wind up having their lives inexorably changed by the events of their past, even if they chased the outlaw life with the best intentions behind them. Whether it was for family, for love, or for freedom, what Red Dead Redemption achieved was creating a world where actions did have consequences, and where the past would eventually catch up with those trying to escape from it. Even in the epilogue section of Red Dead, where an older Jack Marston avenges his father by killing Edgar Ross, there is the feeling that this cycle of revenge has yet to be undone.

Red Dead Redemption has and always will be a game that is special to me. Even ten years later, its rich world and visuals continue to be one of the defining open-world experiences that I have ever played, and Red Dead Redemption 2 only elevated its sense of a world for players to get immersed in. I can’t listen to Jose Gonzalez’s “Far Away” without being transported to when John rides out to Mexico, still one of those few musical moments in games that is virtually perfect. Like the Spaghetti Western films that it was so heavily influenced by, Red Dead showed us a world that was bloody and ruthless, where the law and outlaws were sometimes one in the same, and where the good guy in this story was very much one with a questionable past.

But more importantly, Red Dead Redemption continues to stand out to me for the boldness of its storytelling, and for creating a world and characters bound by tragedy that had me hooked from the moment that John first stepped into Blackwater. Though a lot has changed in open-world games in the ten years since it released, Red Dead Redemption gave us a world that by Rockstar’s standards had never felt more alive and human, as tragic as it is.

May 18, 2020 10:00 AM EST

from EnterGamingXP https://entergamingxp.com/2020/05/red-dead-redemptions-greatest-triumphs-are-its-tragedies/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=red-dead-redemptions-greatest-triumphs-are-its-tragedies

[prussiantique]

Roman Caprices – Notes

References galore!– and into realms I hitherto had rarely travelled before: memes, movies, even video-games, intermixed into my usual hodgepodge of literature, classics and histories. And if I do make a mistake, then please be gentle in the comments. Consider this following part just me showing that I've done my work. I’ll only go into the references because I never think that interpretation,– of the poem as a whole, of the content, of the ideas, etc.,– is the job of the person writing the poem. That’s really up to the reader. Section I opens with a paraphrasing of Romans 3.13 (yes, that is a Bible reference and matching the form of the poem, i.e. a section of 3 lines followed by a section of 13), before moving on to a “Go home, you’re drunk!” reference. The first line also sounds awfully like a 60s film I saw years ago. Let me think. Oh yeah: ‘A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum’. The old women snipping at twine refers to Atropos, of the Fates, who cut the thread of life with a pair of scissors. Sweet white wine was also considered by the Romans as the highest form of wine, quite the opposite of what most people (not me, because I don’t drink and don’t know good from bad, haha) think today. ‘For reasons unknown’ also sounds very familiar to something Beckett wrote in Waiting For Godot. Section II has the Sicilian gesture, essentially saying that his friend would ‘sleep with the fishes’. How about the ‘offer they could not refuse’? Obvious movie quote is obvious. Pollice Verso or ‘with turned thumbs’ is the gesture most closely associated with gladiatorial combat, but ‘two thumbs down’ is also a reference to Siskel and Ebert, the great movie critics. Gallia Transalpine (Southern France) and Gallia Cisalpine (Northern Italy) were both Roman provinces; essentially the friend is saying that he’s Italian and not from further afield. Naumachiae were massive staged naval battles the Romans watched for sport in basins larger than the Coliseum. They’d row out proper sized vessels and have the crews sort of massacre each other. Romans, eh? Section III’s strange man is a reference to Diogenes of Sinope, the famous Greek Cynic (who lived centuries before the setting of the poem, but meh! This could all be going on in the speaker’s head so what does it matter?). ‘Taken a pilum to the knee’ should be familiar to video-gamers amongst you. Skyrim anyone? Lusitania was what we now call Portugal. Section IV initially plays with the exotic imagery of Coleridge’s Kubla Khan, but couched in the vernacular of the stereotypical street hawker that one expects in the market of a foreign country. 30 denarii coincidently (or not) is the same price that Judas sold Christ to the Romans for. The idea of ages, (golden), silver, bronze and iron, is from Hesiod, the Greek poet, from his Work and Days, which outline the mythical ages of mankind. The brutish genius is none other than Ezra Pound, who settled in Italy in 1924 and whose poem Homage to Sextus Propertius provides the final line of the section. Section V has the clean-shaven man from Lutetia, the Roman settlement of modern day Paris, so a stereotypical rude Parisian joke. And folks, that’s what you call comedy! Haha, no. There follows a reference to Aristotle’s poetics, i.e. ‘riddles and barbarisms’, which drops into the very modern ‘this is why we can’t have nice things’ reference. Crates is another Greek Cynic. Also, one to come and one to go? That sounds like Hatta and Haigha fron Lewis Carroll’s Alice Through The Looking Glass. Section VI opens with an interesting observation on the Latin alphabet we all know and use. The letters G, J, U, W, Y and Z were not originally a part of the Latin alphabet, with G being introduced in the 3rd Century BC and Y and Z after the conquest of Greece in the 1st Century BC. J was a later development of I and is absent from earlier texts, and the same can be said of U and W, which developed from V (or VV in the latter case). Thus Julius Gaius Caesar would be written thus in classical Latin: IVLIVS GAIVS CÆSAR. ‘Proud distensions of empire’ is another line from Homage to Sextus Propertius.

Section VII is probably one of the most *ahem* adult (not mature) passages I’ve ever written. What more do you want me to say? Moving along, bastard-wine refers to either mulsum or posca, which were both low styles of wine. Why bastard? Well, both mulsum and posca were mixtures of wine, either white or red, with honey or flavouring herbs. Iove is Jove, as we’ve established with the alphabet. Romans are also fond of contractions, you know, primarily as it was a pain to hammer long names onto tablets and buildings. Caesar Imperator Augustus becomes Cae. Imp. Aug. respectively. How is this relevant? Well, Maximus Imperator Augustus must be either a pitiful attempt at nominatively compensating for something or merely the product of an overly inflated ego. Add the contraction and well... Do I really need to explain the joke? Section VIII has relatively fewer references, I think, compared to the rest of the poem, but that’s not really saying much. Playing on the idea of Teutonic, the marches new and old refer to Neumark and Altmark, both provinces within the Margraviate of Brandenburg. Conflating wealth and stupid material things seems to be a problem with contemporary society in general. Or it might just be mainland China. Meh. The strange eidolon (let’s see how many of you know what that means without a dictionary!) echoes Yeats’ Second Coming, specifically the rough beast that ‘slouches towards Bethlehem to be born’. Section IX starts off with the castrum, or fortified camp, which the Romans had all over the place, especially if the Astérix comics are to be believed. The border inferior refers to the border of the Roman province of Germania Inferior, which was one of two Germanic territories, the other being Germania Superior, that the Romans owned outside of Magna Germania. Another obvious video-game reference follows: ‘Thank you, said he, but our praetor is in another castrum’ = ‘Thank you Mario! But our princess is in another castle!’. The lines beginning ‘With veneer’ to ‘lost’ echo Shelley’s Ozymandias. Theoretically the subverted final line of the section is as true as the line it subverts. If all roads lead to Rome, they must simultaneously lead from Rome. Section X actually mixes three references together, two from films, one literary. Remember Goodfellas? Joe Pesci’s speech about being funny, except reordering the lines and replacing the word ‘funny’ with the Latinate word ‘comic’. ‘I had choice words with another’ seems to be the spiritual successor of the Duke in Browning’s My Last Duchess. As to the last reference? Well, you tell me: ‘a dread judge’ that exclaims ‘I am the law!’. Sylvester Stallone says hi. Piso was a Roman judge who was famous for his extremely harsh execution of the law. ‘Fiat justitia ruat caelum’ or ‘Let justice be done though the heavens fall’ is the phrase most associated with his brand of justice. Section XI plays off the name Piso (I have no idea if the ‘i’ therein is treated long but I’m going to pretend that it is) and turns it simply into ‘pissed’. Continuing the Roman trick of abbreviation, the speaker is thus pissed on (probably not literally) and pissed off. I do apologize; writing that out in full leave me feeling dirty, I must confess. C. f. is part of Roman naming convention (and again a set of abbreviations). The ‘f’ stands for filia, or daughter, with ‘C’ being the name of the father. As daughters tended to be named after their fathers in the Roman Empire, it’s not much of a stretch to guess what the lady’s name is in this poem (especially if you know me, that is). ‘Canis femineus’ means, I think, female dog. No prizes to anyone who can guess what the speaker is calling her. Section XII is fairly straightforward, I think. Stolidus is an adjective, but as it refers to the baker, it essentially means ‘idiot’, literally ‘stupid [one]’. Amphorae were Greco-Roman containers used for storage and transportation, primarily for wine. As to the penultimate line of the section…I am not going to try to explain where ‘I got 99 problems’ came from. Section XIII is very much what you see is what you get.

[thewritingsofjustinroy]

June 10, 2018

Dear Janis, 

Sometimes, when I’m left alone with only my thoughts, I wonder if I’m truly becoming the man I’m supposed to be for the rest of my life. I often reflect back on all the qualities, talents, accolades, and possessions I dreamed of possessing one day, prior to my early 20s. 

I used to fantasize about becoming the kind of man that everyone wanted to be around, and that everyone loved; I wanted to be successful, altruistic, and important. I was going to be a college graduate by 22, deeply involved in local politics and community activism —becoming the kind of great man that allies adored and enemies envied. I was supposed to be in love to the man I would commit my life to, be surrounded by a tribe of faithful friends, and my family would have finally realized my rectitude and grown to embrace me.   

Currently, at 29, I can’t say that any of those dreams became reality. In fact, none of them did. The older I get, the more complacent I become. The older I get, the less sure I am of my potential. The older I get, the more ashamed I am of just how arrogant, delusional, and absolutely full of myself I’ve always been.

I’ve yet to matriculate and —quite honestly— I am still very unsure of what I want to do with my life; therefore, I have no idea what I should study. Though I love my job with an unreal passion, and though I have devoted myself to a “career” making nearly $10 less an hour than every person my age that I encounter, I am fully aware of how expendable I am. I have worked so hard to move up, but I truly can’t imagine anyone saving me from ever losing my job. As far as anything extracurricular is concerned, I am not involved in anything outside my own selfish, work-obsessed existence. To be honest, I have no idea how to even get involved in community activism, and can barely imagine myself attending a city hall meeting. And as far as my friends and family are concerned, I’m “too busy” to do anything.

The truth is, I’m just too wrapped up in this self-involved loop of self-pity and bitterness that I am willfully stuck in.      

I was looking through my computer recently, and I came across an old Word document containing the “Eight Humanly Virtues” I wished to live by and personify. I modeled it after Benjamin Franklin’s thirteen virtues, which he wrote in his early 20s. I chose eight, largely because 8 is my favorite number, but also because I think I knew I was too flawed to embody any amount of virtues in the double digits. 

The “Eight Humanly Virtues” are as follows:

I. Faith II. Altruism III. Justice IV. Temperance V. Patience VI. Fortitude VII. Prudence VIII. Modesty

I can assure you, I fall short of these virtues by an embarrassing degree.

I. My faith in God is unshakable. Though, admittedly, I frequently wish He actively did more to prevent and mitigate the suffering of others. My faith in others, however, is challenged every day, and is minimal at best. My faith in myself is, in a paradoxical way, even worse. I know that I accomplish anything I put my mind to, and I know that  —for the most part— I’m treated well by those I treat well. Yet, no matter how great my life may be going, I’m perpetually petrified that I will fuck it up at any given moment. 

II. My altruism is all talk. Yeah, I’m not a douche bag to others, and I really try to help those I can; I listen well and can even be nurturing to those in need. I’m not deliberately serving my community, though. As much as I love the idea, you’re not going to find me on VolunteerMatch or handing out food to those in need. I’m not exactly the “thoughts and prayers” type, but I guess I’ve reached the point where I know I can’t do anything to help others (lack of faith in myself, perhaps?), so I don’t even bother. It’s pathetic of me. My poor younger self would be so ashamed. I know I am. I like to imagine that my 30s will bring me the kind of career success I’ve been striving for, which will then allow me to give back and serve those who need serving, but only time will tell that. The spirit of that altruistic young man still exists within me; it’s just a matter of keeping the cynic inside me quiet long enough to get a running start.  

III. Justice is a virtue that’s hard to live by, and I’m not sure why I included it, because it’s almost always contingent on two or more people. I treat others fair and give them the respect I hope to receive, but Lord knows I’m aware of the game, and I know how to play it. I maintain my own fair share; however, when I suspect I’m not getting it, I’ve sure as hell been known to fight for it. To truly live a just life, everyone has to demand and represent justice. Until that happens, I can only do what I can. 

IV. I love booze and I LOVE the person I become when I’ve been drinking. With that said, I was a cocaine enthusiast for many years, and I never loved myself more than when I was using coke. Having been clean for many years, however, I’ve sublimated my snow addition on junk food, soda, candy, and as much booze on the weekends as I want. What a hypocritical bitch I was for including temperance as a virtue I wanted to epitomize. When I wrote these virtues, I was just embracing my twink days; spending my nights dancing the pounds of my chubby adolescence away in a cocaine-and-MDMA-fueled frenzy. And guess what? Life was fucking awesome.

V. I’m honestly not sure if I’m a patient person or not. It comes and goes, depending on the situation, really. I can suffer a great deal without expressing my dissatisfaction. Usually, it’s trivial nuisances that get under my skin, such as a person in front of me moving or driving too slowly, or a someone not thinking or reacting as fast as I expect. The older I get, the greater my patience and self-restraint becomes, I think. I hope to be going in the right direction. 

VI. Fortitude is definitely a virtue I exemplify, but I do think it’s because it’s the easiest to maintain. People do not intimidate me, and I’m not afraid to be confronted or put in a life or death situation. I haven’t feared others since middle school. As an adolescent, and well into young adulthood, I have always spoken my mind, stood up for what I thought was right, and never backed down from adversity. The older I’ve become, the less shit I’m willing to accept. I’m always reminded of a quote from Helen Keller (talk about true fortitude), “Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing.” We are not meant to live in this word paralyzed by fear and subjugated by others. Now, if I can only find the fortitude to fight for what I truly want in this life. 

VII. I think prudence is another virtue I live by because I have to. You can’t expect to live the kind of life you want without learning and growing from the mistakes of your past, and mistakes teach us how to avoid the same missteps in the future; it gives us the wisdom we need to thrive. That’s if you survive them, of course. My common sense has given me a lot of advantages throughout my life, and has helped me to avoid a great deal of unnecessary hardship. Prudence is really just being smart enough to take notes and learning to trust your gut.

VII. I’ll be real with you, Janis, I’m only modest because I have to be; I’m too unattractive and untalented to be confident. If I had a killer body, or could carry a tune, or had a PhD in a field that was helping me bank, I would probably be cocky as fuck. 

Who knows what the future holds for me? I’m never going to be the kind of great man I used to fantasize about becoming, because I was never the kind of young person they were. I have lived a disreputable life, and developed a lot of bad habits that inhibit greatness and righteousness. I can only hope for the kind of feckless life of mediocrity that I used to look down on. 

My hope is that my 30s bring me clarity, resolve, and reinvigoration; I hope my 30s bring me the courage to shed my childishness and self-loathing, and the inspiration to give back and help others.

I’m not the man I want to be, Janis. And it’s all my fault.   

[trendingnewsb]

Justin Timberlakes Super Bowl Halftime Show Was a Total Disaster

For someone so recently tone-deaf, its remarkable that Justin Timberlake managed to get out a note at all during his Super Bowl halftime show.

Then again, the sound design was so poorTimberlakes vocals were only decipherable when no instruments were playingeven that meager commendation is arguable. Whats inarguable is that after a string of jaw-dropping extravaganzas from the likes of Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, and Beyonc, Justin Timberlake delivered the worst halftime show of the traditions recent pop-star era. May the ghost of Prince haunt him forever.

Its one thing when a cynical media is preemptively eager to drag a performance. From the unjust optics of Timberlakes redemption for his part in the Janet Jackson nip-slip fiasco to the rumors that hed be using a hologram of The Purple One against his familys wishes, the lead-up to Sunday nights show was mired in controversy. But its another when the abysmal end product merits the inevitable snark.

Listless, muted, lacking any cohesion and spectacle, it was the Big Games biggest fumble.

These past weeks have served us an unwelcome Justin Timberlake reinvention as a Man of the Woods, with all the conviction of a thirty-something man who grows some stubble and starts telling everyone hes really into IPAs now, as if thats a personality trait. Sundays show thankfully spared us any more of that, opting instead for a stroll through memory lane soundtracked by his hit-laden back catalog. But it was also a reminder of how easily memories can be tainted.

Timberlakes set opened with a performance from what looked like Minnesotas least fun karaoke bar, warbling through his unremarkable new single Filthy with the finesse and enthusiasm of someone forced to get up and sing by their annoyingly drunk friends. Starting underground in the arenas hallway was an odd choice for kicking off pop cultures biggest concert, starting with a whimper in cramped quarters rather than a bang from the greatest stage.

The whole thing was extremely claustrophobican awkwardness that lingered throughout the entire set, as Timberlake moved from one tiny, overly crowded stage to another, and finally into the stands where he was swarmed by fans desperate to film him on their iPhones.

Though its one of his more popular hits, were honestly surprised that he followed Filthy with a few minutes of Rock Your Body, the song he performed with Janet Jackson during the infamous 2004 incident. Youd think Timberlake would want to avoid any reminder of the scandal, especially considering how angry so many people still are over the way he handled it.

As Ira Madison recalled in The Daily Beast, while it was Timberlake who literally exposed Jacksons breast, he swiftly passed the blame onto her. She was blacklisted from TV and her music banned on radio stations, a cloud that hung over her career for most of the next decade while Timberlakes fame skyrocketed, landing him right back on the Super Bowl stage.

Its unclear whether an invitation was extended to Jackson to join Timberlake at Sunday nights show, but after so much speculation she did clarify that she would not be appearing. In response, fans had #JanetJacksonAppreciationDay trending on Twitter, paying respect to the pop star over the white male who disrespected her.

All of this is to say were shocked by the, well, rudeness of Timberlake choosing to sing Rock Your Body again on Sunday night. Its just as well, though, to remind us of how ludicrous we are as a society and selectively unforgiving and hypocritical we can be. We buried Janet for the nipple, but will we forgive Justin for the hate crime that was that Prince duet?

Word leaked earlier in the weekend that Timberlake was planning to pay respect to Minneapoliss greatest pop star by performing with a hologram version of him, a report that was eventually debunkedand at least the third time I can remember that a planned hologram performance was scrapped after public outcry over how tasteless and grim the entire idea is.

Still, the constant pop-culture threat of these things is exhausting. Who are the people who desire these holograms? They are macabre and appropriating and disrespectful and, even excusing all that, cheesy as hell. Its a baffling strategy if the idea is to amp up a live performance. What would make the thrill and the crackling energy of a live show where anything can happen even more electric? I know! A computer facsimile of a human.

Most of us presumed that no hologram meant no cringe-worthy Prince homage, but no, Timberlake dueted with a projection of The Purple One performing I Would Die 4 U. Princes family approved of the use of the projection. Social media certainly didnt.

That so much of the reaction to Timberlakes halftime show is in relation to its egregious connections to two other pop stars speaks volumes; despite the fact that the singer performed a hit-filled set of chart-toppers including Sexy Back, My Love, Cry Me a River, and Mirrors, there was no sense of grandeur that weve come to expect from the Super Bowl stage.

Timberlake has set his own bar as a phenomenal, electrifying live performer. Here, his dance moves werent as lithe and spritely as they once were, almost as if he was marking the choreographylike it wasnt rehearsed enough.

And, because it must be said, he was wearing what might have been the ugliest outfit Ive ever seen. Baggy camouflage cargo pants. A red bandana handkerchief around his neck. A button-up shirt with a still life of deer in a field screened on it. The assault on the very idea of fashion became a grenade to the eyes when he then donned a matching blazer for Suit and Tie, the debonair anthem and ode to suaveness, performed here in a camouflage suit.

Listen, we like Timberlakes hits. Hes a charismatic performer. When that song from Trolls comes on while were at Duane Reade, we smile and sing along and fondly remember that time we spilled wine on ourselves while dancing to it at our sisters wedding. But, momentarily absolving all his thinkpiece-fodder sins, the thing that ruined Timberlakes halftime show was a naked lack of ambition.

There was no political statement, sly as they might have been when Beyonc performed with only women on stage with her when she sang Formation, and then had a dance battle of the sexes against Bruno Mars (that she killed, obviously), or when Lady Gaga opened her show with a patriotic medley saying this is what America means to me, and then proceeded to put on a freak-flag-flying-fantasmic-supernatural-LGBT-empowering spectacular. (And in the first weeks of Trumps presidency, to boot.)

There was no feat of athleticism akin to the sense that Beyonc, Gaga, and Mars trained like a Super Bowl player for their shows, expending every ounce of energy they had in them in their explosive sets. There wasnt even a sense of superb musicianship, a la Prince or Springsteen, or any sort of regal ownership of the right to be on that stage, which Diana Ross, Paul McCartney, Madonna, and Michael Jackson had reigned supremely on before.

I mean, for Gods sake, at least give us a Left Shark. Then again, maybe his entire performance was Left Shark.

No costume changes. No stunts. No guests. (Not even NSYNC!) Just warbled noise. Once upon a time, Justin Timberlake brought sexy back. Now wed like a refund.

Read more: https://www.thedailybeast.com/justin-timberlakes-super-bowl-halftime-show-was-a-total-disaster

from Viral News HQ http://ift.tt/2Erynx2 via Viral News HQ

[brendanstancliff-blog]

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I’d be cynical regarding this all whether or not this wasn’t to the trailers on the next paragraphs, which presents the foes are extremely cute like execute-doh and you can drive the car a fireplace truck. Does which means that it’s high quality? No. However it may perhaps mean that it’s truly worth viewing, and free of charge-to-execute will mean it’s no less than very easy to get started. So, there’s that. Has it been promoted, anyplace, to youngsters? No, certainly not. I’m wholly taking advantage of it right now, i very easily have no idea how extended it'll handle special attention. I must see much higher volume of these premiums generated by 16 year old’s designers not vast companies. |has a tendency to overshadow in short a decide upon several titles on heavy steam. often is the expression, although that does not result in they've a wristwatch for what is high quality. The sound of snapping cuffs sounded from powering me as my wrists ended up sure, and also i used to be delivered exposed (i’d but still to find clothes) using the roadways to many coach, onto that individuals was provided and explained to to be really. By pure good fortune i were able to make it the explosion, so at gunpoint we wanted to indulge the Within your cellular, my captor was adamant helpful to do activities for him, leaning most suitable and allowed to remain in brief succession given that they directed his vast firearm at me. You actually can murder the total machine inhabitants throughout standpoint of a helicopter. The game published 2 yrs past.) but i'm positive that it is suffer from feels added perfect than dayz. Never like pvp? Submit a pve machine and purely grow with mates! Given plan gaining to think about out What moves on when the type of morning z procreates with minecraft, actually, other than added zombies, you will get a small amount of fascinating gun membership recognized as Unturned Generator Id. |Considerably more concerns than simply zombies an exceptional element of the gun membership is rays gauge at some point by and also keep disclosing your self, just how much surrounding the rays gauge enhances, and you'll in the long run perish. It's a real sincere facility which happens to be offer near the new the united kingdom of canada. The heightened abilities will even increase the probability for surge in your provide power to: you'll learn to wipe out added zombies. They have some pieces of corrosion model establishing mechanics, together with the pictures are perfect when placed on the foremost higher level of feature. Types are perfect, although throughout three or more. He expected if he could execute garry's mod on my smaller sized bill and also i grant him to. I really enjoy it and revel in it, and i am not quitting you from gaining good fun having fun with it choose to. Unturned Generator Id is known as a zombie-inspired emergency terror gun membership generated by smartly outfitted premiums. |Limited liquids, being hungry, protection, circulatory system, and energy will need to be checked and managed. Starting point with no cent, players searching communities, farms, and small islands to find references prior they starve to death or to become not properly hydrated. To outlive, its easier to make mates or bring in some coupled. Scouring the web on from the yardage, i viewed an overabundance of idling zombies-anticipating and keeping track of feet. Then, i started throwing xp into “parkour,” an talent that allows you to walk, function, and hop more quickly, extended, and much higher. In Unturned Generator Id, beginning with logs, then develop panels, then develop wooden dishes, then wooden frames or tools. I was strolling with area looking to purchase a golf club metal-to spatter my new-uncovered authorities vest with zombie brains-any time a shotgun and mustache wielding cowboy participant expressed, “i’m quite likely to photograph you strong.in . fastest existence i'd hanging across. They |Pleasant point, it's the actual imaginary product in Unturned Generator Id. needing to pay the 5 dollars doesn't match a compensation-to-acquire approach, considering that positives are remote.