#seriously go read all for the game

[roguelioness]

Obviously no shade to anyone who's enjoying the various pre-DATV reveals but man I'm getting kind of burnt out in the hype because it feels like the book + podcast are homework that players have to do before playing the game

[angelosearch]

I just realized it was around this time last year that I started replaying FFVIII.

This time was different from all the other times I returned to it. For the first time since my initial playthrough, it brought me into the fold of the fandom. I tried to go on Reddit, but that was not enough. In the few months that followed, my ravenous desire for all things FFVIII led me back to Tumblr.

Since then, this fandom has done so much for me and my mental health. I've made new friends (even irl!). I've learned many, many new skills. Through the act of engaging, by creating, interacting with, and enjoying various fanworks, memes, and theories, I've been given so much joy, inspiration, and even moments of self-discovery.

And, of course, this fandom got me writing again, which has just been all-around life-changing. I used to spend so much time scrolling and watching TV - now I use that time writing.

If you would have told me a year ago that I would be learning how to sing, or dressing in cosplay I made, or finishing writing a 200k word fanfic, I NEVER would have believed you. But having this space to explore and play within the context of this videogame has brought out the best, most passionate version of myself.

Connecting with my inner child, returning to my favorite piece of media, meeting some incredible people; it has all just made me feel good about being alive and has motivated me to get creative in ways I never have before.

I was lucky enough to have the time and space to accept the wonderful things the universe offered me over the last year. As I move into this next (likely extremely busy) phase of my life with grad school and my internship starting, I want to express gratitude and also remind myself that while these pursuits do take energy, they also generate it.

This is my promise to myself: I will continue listening to my inner child. I will not stop writing. I will not forget what brings me joy. Holding onto these things is what makes the hard work and late nights and the stress of a new career doable. I will be a better person if I take the time to engage with my hobbies, and, as a therapist, it will be important for me to model strong work-life balance and professional boundaries for my clients.

To all my mutuals, thanks for being here for the journey. Shout out to a few of my closest fandom friends, as I cannot express how much better you've made my life since I met you: @tr1ck5 @suleikashideaway @irishais @gardengalwrites @aleheartilly @sevlinop @foxtrottcantfindshit @quiettekiyet

[leupagus]

Half of this fic is just me looking for more excuses to put in all the cool women that the show wrote out

Still working on the next chapter for the GOT rewrite from hell, but I had to write a little about how the fuck menstruation works in Westeros (other than "oh you can get married now!" which I refuse to believe is the norm) and also to introduce the Sphinx:

The next morning, Shireen woke up to find blood on her shift and a sharp sort of twist in her stomach, as though she'd swallowed a molten pin. The blood came out easily enough, with frantic scrubbing in the basin, but the pain grew over the course of the morning.

"It's your flowering," said Maester Alleras briskly, when she went to him in a tightly-controlled panic. "How old are you?"

"Fourteen," said Shireen, realizing the date. Her nameday had passed two weeks ago.

"And what do you know of flowering?" he asked, smiling slightly at her blush. "Forgive me, but Northerners have queer ideas of teaching their children about these matters. I do not wish to presume your level of education."

"I know it can last for a week or more," Shireen said, thinking of Mother's cycles, how she would confine herself to her rooms to endure the pain in solitude and prayer. "It's very painful and disgusting, but it allows me to bear my future husband's children and therefore is a gift from the gods."

"Hmm. Well, that is what you were taught, at least," grunted the maester. He got up from his desk, rummaging through the cupboard behind him. He was a tall, skinny young man with the deep brown skin and tightly-coiled hair of a Summer Islander, and shared their fondness for brightly-colored nails: they seemed to dance along the shelves until he plucked out a jar and presented it to her with a flourish. "This will help with the pain, and stop the bleeding after this cycle. People of the North use it a great deal."

"Is it moon tea?" Shireen asked, taking it gingerly and wondering at Maester Alleras's use of the term Northerners, which sounded different from People of the North. Perhaps in the Summer Isles, everyone on Westeros was a Northerner. "Why do they use it so much here?"

"It is," he confirmed, "and as for why..." He shrugged. "I've only just arrived in Winterfell, you understand, and as you may have guessed—" this said with another smile— "I was born elsewhere. But from what I've gathered, they must be careful when they have children. The North can only feed so many."

Shireen thought of Fire & Blood, which Father had read to her as a child. The Winter Wolves had been a company of Northerners, who had answered Lord Cregan's call to fulfill the Pact of Ice and Fire with Rhaenyra Targaryen. They'd been greybeards who had knowingly marched to their deaths, for such was the custom of the North back then: at the start of each winter, the old men of each keep and castle and holdfast would choose amongst themselves who would go out into the snows. Some would return home in the spring, having endured the cold or escaped it to find their fortunes in southron lands; most would not.

"Put a thimbleful of this into whatever tea you like best," Maester Alleras continued, gesturing at the jar, his fingernails catching the light as it streamed into the rookery. "Once a day, and come back when you need more."

"Shouldn't I ask—" Shireen bit her lip.

But the maester caught her meaning; his eyes narrowed. "Shouldn't you ask your parents? Yes, I suppose you should. But they should be here to be asked, and they should have told you the truth."

"What's the truth?" Shireen asked, instead of admitting that Mother and Father had never told her anything about it. She couldn't imagine either of them even mentioning the subject. All her information had come from books, or from Mother's complaints.

"The truth is that if a cycle is painful and lasts for a week or more, that is the sign of an illness, not the will of a god. The truth is that you may well find it disgusting, but it is merely something our bodies do and should never be a source of disgust or shame to you or anyone else." He glared, though it did not seem directed at her. "And as for 'bearing your future husband's children,' the truth is that they are your children, just as much as his — indeed more so, unless he carries them about for the first nine months after their birth. But you will not be a woman grown for at least another two years, and any man who wishes you to bear children until at least that time is unworthy of your hand or your love." He sat back down, his half-dozen maester's links chiming musically. "Now run along, little princess."

Lady Sansa was just outside the door, with her brother beside her. "See, I told you she smelled funny," Rickon said triumphantly.

Shireen scowled at him. "Shut up." It was kind of him, she supposed, to have worked out that something was wrong and to wait for her outside the maester's chambers. But Rickon Stark was the sort of friend who was difficult to be grateful for.

"Yes, please do, Rickon," Lady Sansa said, pressing a businesslike kiss on the crown of Rickon's head before turning him round by the shoulders and pushing him down the corridor. Rickon protested, but went all the same, and Lady Sansa turned back to Shireen. "Moon tea?" she asked, nodding at the jar.

Shireen resisted the impulse to hide it somehow. It is merely something our bodies do and should never be a source of disgust or shame. "Yes, my lady," she said.

"Come along, then," said Lady Sansa. "I have some excellent tea from the Arbor. How does that sound?"

"Could I have a hot water-skin, too?" Shireen asked, as Lady Sansa looped her arm through hers.

"Of course. And the lemon trees in the greenhouse have given up their first fruits — we'll have lemon cakes for lunch instead of venison." She smiled and Shireen thought that even if Sansa Stark never took another husband or had children of her own, she was still all the mother that the North ever would need.

[rick-ety]

Hi hi !!!!,, I asked this to velli as well, but I wanna know what Narrator stereotype you've personally heard the most as well ??? If that's okay :)

I saw velli’s post so I’ll try to give a different answer, and I’m not afraid to say that *I* frequently fall under this stereotype at times. I’d say making the narrator cute innocent and clueless. No offense to anyone who does this of course, I love seeing that stuff! But I would say it seems a little bit OOC. He’s selfish, and at times sadistic. This guy would OBLITERATE Stanley at any moment just for funsies because he know it has no consequences. As much as I draw it, I don’t think he would be completely lovey dovey towards Stanley. Sure they need each other and everything, but people are forgetting to add that tension. The constant back and forth, like a strained marriage. I want nothing more than for them to be cute together and all but it would take a LOT for them to get there. And going along the lines of “they’re in a time loop forever” they might fall in and out of that kind of relationship. I miss seeing more character in the narrator besides “silly little tsundere who doesn’t know what romance is.” I’ve been thinking about tweaking my narrator design to characterize him more as well, but that’s a whole other rant lol. Probably weren’t expecting this from the cute narrator guy huh /silly

[sapphoscorner]

Not to be pissy on Pride month, but Jesus Christ this fandom is so misogynistic because tell me why everytime I check the olnf tag there's at least 10 mcs for qiu and 1 or 2 for tamarack and 9/10 the mc for tamarack is a boy?

Tell me why Tamarack is constantly ignored and qiu is praised

Tell me why BAXTER gets more attention in the fandom than the fucking main character

Tell me why when you ask someone why they don't like tamarack their response is always "oh she's loud and my mc might be scared off by her" (which is valid but then, your mc is friends with qiu?? When Qiu is more insisting on being friends than tamarack is)

Tell me why I always see people talk about Qiu angst and nobody brings up Tamarack's??

Tell me why I keep seeing this shit and explain to me how this favoritism isn't because of misogyny, please explain to me how is not misogyny I'd love to know how this isn't blanant misogyny

[nostalgiahog]

Has this been made yet? I’m so normal about this game guys

[themintman]

ok I just started the new detective Pikachu and I can't fucking breathe cause my stupid little transgender brain has decided Tim is trans based on his goddamn HAIR EVOLUTION

YOUR TELLING ME THIS ISNT JUST THE REF PHOTO FOR MY FIEST MASC HAIRCUT I GAVE THE HAIRDRESSER WHN I CAME OUT VS WHAT SHE GAVE ME????

[lytorika]

i know i already used it as a caption at some point but GO GET YOUR GUN, GET YOUR GUN AND LET'S FIND OUT WHAT IT DOES

[brainlessbaguette]

Y'all I am so scared. This could either be great or an absolute dumpster fire of a movie. Why live-action? No seriously why live-action??? For Zelda, the games that are so wonderfully cartooney even at their most serious? Why is Avi Arad producing a Zelda movie? His mixed bag of movies aside I DON'T THINK HES DONE FANTASY??? Like correct me if I'm wrong but I believe its mostly sci-fi, superheroes and stuff.

I know I'll enjoy it regardless, trashy movies are my jam. But if we want more it can't flop like 1993 mario(love that movie) and thats the bit thats got me nervous.

I'm gonna anxiously hold out hope solely becuase the tweet opened up with "This is Miyamoto." Just DON'T do BOTW/TOTK. I know you want to pick the cash cow Nintendo, but video game movies are WAY more likely to flop if you pick the one where everyone would rather just play the game. The bigger the fanbase the worse the odds get, so I am begging you not to come out of the gates with an adaptation of the ones where everyone and their mother has played it.

[moonfromearth]

About me - Simblr Edition

Thank you so so much for the tags @thebramblewood @akitasimblr and @softplumbs!! I'm so excited for these questions and I'm feeling chatty so it's going to be super fun 😉

rules: you can use any sims game to answer these questions!

your 3 traits: Socially Awkward, Creative, and Squeamish

your aspiration: Bestselling Author

in-game world you'd live in: San Myshuno or Oasis Springs!! I love them both so much and they're definitely the towns I've played the most.

favourite townie(s): Ulrike Faust, Johnny Zest, and Nina and Dina Caliente (who I've actually played a lot thanks to a Sims 4 Pleasantview save from like years ago that I still remember really well because Nina and Dina had the best gameplay 😆)

most used pack(s): Probably City Living, Strangerville, and Vampires. I'm sure there's others but I think those are my top three, especially for decorating houses (when I do occasionally).

favourite decor object (no cc): This is so hard since I don't build that often... I think the thing I put in like every build I make though is that cereal box with the cans from Outdoor Retreat... Which is kind of weird but I like that it makes it look like there's food and stuff out in the kitchen it makes it seem more lived in to me.

something you want in the game: Bands!! I think they'd make a great game pack and I feel like the foundation for it is right there with the (surprisingly well working) club system! I wouldn't mind a few more hobbies too, and some new athletic things to do, like it would be cool would to have sims be able to surf in Sulani and stuff but I doubt that one will ever happen.

what colour is your plumbob right now; Green! Just got a boost of CAS inspiration so I'm super excited about that 😁

I'll tag @gothoffspring @oswanily @luvbugtrait @whyeverr and @tiniestsimmer. I feel like a lot of people have already done this by now so if you have/don't want to do it feel free to ignore or if you still want but haven't been tagged to feel free to say I tagged you!

[artheresy]

I have not forgotten the draft regarding "How I would write Clouds Leave No Trace", it still lingers its still there

Im still thinking about how my least favorite parts are Yanqing's characterization, The way the world around Jingliu treats her like she's normal when clearly she's not, The way there's such an effort into putting Yingxing and Dan Feng on the same level of guilt for every single thing that it makes Blade's desire for revenge feel nonsensical and out of no where when he has good reason for it, The way that they don't do more to play up the HCQ's dynamic especially in the normal areas thus making caring about their tragedy a struggle if you haven't done all the "prerequisite reading" (even tho the quest should make the players care more and want to read instead of requiring the opposite), The way that they literally mention Bailu and Blade crossed paths but never show us that scene DESPITE all of the importance placed upon Baiheng and Yingxing's friendship, Did I mention My Massive Problems with my boy Yanqing's characterization in this quest versus what we see of how he's affected both before and after it?

Oh and of course, to mention Jing Yuan not really feeling like he has as much significance being in this quest despite being apart of the HCQ and Jingliu's disciple because yet again, they especially don't do enough to develop on screen (but also not enough in the readable text too) his connections to the rest of the HCQ (which in general if you ask me, makes it a lot harder to be that sad at the moments they clearly want us to feel sad for him over the HCQ)

I could go on and on about the problems of Hyv not fully giving the audience a reason to care for the HCQ's tragedy by the way they are barely shown on screen, shoving it all in readables and character stories and relic lore. Even their legends get barely any screen time to build up to when we hear about the fall out.

Also again, not kidding about Jingliu and the world's perception around her. She is described solely in the beginning as bringing a chill to the room, but she's clearly very intimidating, if you ask me she seems very clearly unstable as well and yet when they waltz around in a populated area with no attention getting drawn to them or suspicion or anything. I also call Massive Bullshit on Bailu being like "Wow but she seems so normal and kind, there's nothing about her at all that could make me think she's marastruck 😲!!" When if you ask me, that whole scene could have been used in a much more meaningful way to make a connection between Bailu and her resemblance to Baiheng Specifically in a way I will further elaborate on in my full post about it BUT YEAH Jingliu deserved so much better with this quest, so so much better

And even just small details get me like Jingliu leaving first from Scalegorge Waterscale, then Jing Yuan, Yanqing and Ren leaving? Like if you ask me, let Jingliu leave with Jing Yuan and Yanqing like they're escorting her (idc about any "She was already turning herself in!" There are a number of reasons to be cautious, not solely of her, and keep her in their view) and then talk to and have Ren leave last.

I am still thinking about it, that post still haunts me daily, I have grown to like the quest but my problems with it are so strong and so clear that it's like AHA I CANT STOP THINKING ABOUT IT

[kamuro-junrenka]

I never thought going through the reminiscing spots in yokohama as kiryu would hit me this hard. he thinks so much about death and it makes me so sad to see he's completely given up on life

[galedekkarios]

is gale actually the worst guy alive or do people just have personal issues that give them a complex whenever someone else is a master of their craft and confident about it 🤔 hmmmmmmm

[toshio]

GAMERS!!! attention attention

just wanted to say that if u own a nintendo switch and u LOVE jrpgs/adventure/fantasy type anime esque games u should 200% download and play octopath traveler 2. it came out like a month ago but. hear me out. it’s so damn good and i’ve been addicted to it!

(also if you didn’t play the first game dw. it’s not connected story-wise so u can just buy the second one). entire game is about $60 usd but trust me it’s worth every penny, the demos are also free in the switch e-shop if you wanna dip your toes in!

if you’ve NEVER heard of it, it’s basically like pixelated jrpg style from the 90s but it has a modern twist on it (made with unreal engine so you know it’s gonna look stunning). simply put, it’s an absolute love letter to those pixelated sprites that we all know and love and grew up with. but with 3D elements & particle effects and stuff, also did i mention there’s lots of angsty traumatic cutscenes about the 8 main characters in the game and almost everything is beautifully voice acted? (like fking seriously. no spoilers but ALL of these 8 characters you play as have traumatic backstories except one character it’s hilarious. we love fictional trauma, mama)

in terms of playstyle - i always compare it to pokemon but better. i grew up loving pokemon but this game has a way better battle system than pkmn, it’s like your typical turn-based JRPG but it has way more elements to it that make it much more engaging and rewarding to follow. also all of the characters talk and grunt and say ~*~anime protagonist~*~ energy quotes while they’re beating up giant demon worms in the desert or giant sharks in the ocean. like holy fuck it’s so epic and DID I MENTION if you’re a weeb you can literally change the voice acting to japanese if you really prefer that (you fucking weebs, i see you).

i’m gonna try to wrap it up because i could literally talk about this absolute modern cult classic series by square enix for hours, the game is AMAZING and i promise you will not regret picking this up. it actually bothers me how little people talk about this game but i don’t mind because it’s an absolute gem to the gaming community. if you’re wondering who my favorite character from octopath 2 is, it’s this guy above ^ named partitio. his lore is basically that he’s a merchant that wants to defeat poverty LIKE HELLO we love a himbo who wants to dismantle capitalism...but anyways. *mic drop* play octopath traveler. NOW.

[lvmbien]

Smn smn anniversary post?? idk

Im a little late on it, but March 13th of last year was when I started playing Obey Me. Which then resulted in me pulling several of my friends down with me and all of us becoming even closer. it was a great time, and even if Im not nearly as fixated on it as I was back then im still incredibly thankful for the game and our respective blorbos for being the catalyst that allowed our bond to grow.

(all that said; this is old art lmfao its been so long since ive drawn this dickhead)

[jamiethebee]

Hmm it's interesting that of all things Spinner chose to be a close range combatant... like, his quirk let's him stick to walls, get to high places, ect. What I'm asking is "why didn't spinner choose to be a sniper/similar job" (and yes the whole gun/ammo accessibility plays a part, but I think it's interesting that his quirk and fighting style don't really compliment each other and it's spurring some plot bunnies for me)