#still its nice to explain myself sometimes and why i don't think of myself as ace even if i am

[1o1percentmilk]

whew that felt good to get off my chest even if it doesn't really matter to anyone besides me

[gauntletqueen]

isn't banning people based on "vibes" a conservative way of thinking? Idk I feel like forcibly removing people in your community who didn't do anything based on your idea on what's normal & fear that they COULD be dangerous is a justification for alot of right wing politicians & a basis behind xenaphobia.

Its literally a talking point of our oppressors.

First off there's something funny to me about seeing me retweet something on twitter and then going to my tumblr to respond to it anonymously

Second off, you're making big assumptions on what these vibes might be and what reasons streamers and other online creatives might have for removing people.

Here's some examples of people I've banned from my community discord server based on vibes:

Someone who only ever cared about talking to me, and never acknowledging anyone else in the server. They acted far too familiar with me despite me not knowing them, and continuously sent me DMs where they roleplayed things like hugging me. I explained why all of this behavior was not appreciated but they never listened. Classic parasocial behavior but none of it was against the rules. I still removed them based on vibes because they made everyone, especially myself, very uncomfortable and would not listen when told to stop.

A user who made everything about themself. They would derail every conversation to talk about something they did, often unrelated to the current topic, talk over others to praise themself on something, never listen to other people, interrupt others to talk about how they would've done something better, etc. Not against the rules! But it sure is annoying! I removed them because they constantly brought the mood down by making others feel like they had no place to speak.

Multiple users who only spread negativity. Almost always taking worst faith stances on things, barging into perfectly fine conversations with some overly negative angle all the time, sometimes I'd tell them to stop and they'd say it's just for fun, but it's not very fun when all you accomplish is ruining the mood, is it?

Any time something like this happens, Me and my mods make sure to take the person aside in DMs and explain the situation first, make it clear to them what they're doing wrong, and how we'd like them to stop, and if we still remove them then, it's their own fault. There have been plenty of times where someone was told to stop a certain behavior, and they understood and corrected accordingly.

I'm not removing these people because I suspect they might be secretly right-wing, or phobic, or whatever you're assuming when you say "dangerous", I remove them because they're annoying and don't listen, and I don't want annoying people like that in a simple little discord community that I made for people who like what I do to hang out with each other and have a good time. I have to manage that community and if there's too many problems that becomes hard, and it'll just be a less nice place to be. It's not that deep.

[x-liv25-jamieswife]

my ranking of the tig villains/most hated characters

i'm bored so i'm doing this. 1 is the character i hate most meaning 8 is the one i hate the least. i apologize if this sucks. its quite late for me as i'm writing this.

drake. ik most people would put eve or smth at the top of this list, but this dude is an abuser and a pedophile (he used to call avery jailbait which means "a person who is younger than the legal age of consent for sexual activity and usually appears older, with the implication that a person above the age of consent might find them sexually attractive" according to wikipedia). not only was he horrible to libby, but he also tried to kill avery. characters like him just give me the ick and the creeps and i just can't stand them.

eve. i think this is self-explanatory. eve is one of the most annoying and petty characters i've ever read about. she tried to kill avery, kidnapped tobias (and ruined his chances of forming a better relationship with avery, and, as the biggest toby and avery father daugther stan, i cannot stand this), manipulated grayson, and hurt many people. if you don't hate her, i don't trust you. also, i hope she doesn't get a redemption arc bc she doesn't deserve it.

sheffield. i have one thing to thank this dude for and that's the love confession from jameson after he put avery in a coma. other than that, he bombed avery, kidnapped avery, cheated on his wife, was a horrible 'father' to grayson (and his daugthers bc of colin). he's honestly tied with eve (he's not first cause i can't stand guys like drake). i dont really think i have to explain myself

emily. i really don't think i have to explain. she's manipulative, petty, self-absorbed. the only thing she has going for her is that she didn't try to kill anyone. she treated the boys like crap, emotionally abused her sister, and (although she wasn't present to do it i still blame her for it) affected avery's self-esteem.

ricky. i know he's high on this list but he's just so creepy to me. anyone who hurts avery in any way si automatically a no for me. he was never there for avery and libby, refused to take custody of her after her mom died, didn't show up to hannah's funeral, tried to step up to get money after avery inherited, got together with skye (ew???). ik this doesn't seem horrible in comparison to what the others did, but seeing avery's feelings towards him in the books (especially thl) made me despise him so that's why he's so high up.

tobias. he emotionally abused his grandsons, put avery in a position that he knew might get her killed, treated his own kids horribly, hurt a lot of people in order to become who he became. the only reason he isn't higher up is bc he did sometimes do nice things (although not often).

vincent. him and tobias are sort of interchangeable??? but he partnered with eve to get toby kidnapped (sort of putting a stop to toby and avery's relationship which like said earlier pisses me off). from what i remember, he didn't really do anything else and i sort of understand where he was coming from (getting revenge on tobias) but what he did is still horrible and taking his anger towards tobias out on a teenage girl is just weird to me.

skye. i find her character sort of interesting but she is a horrible mother towards her sons. she's also a huge pick me bc who sleeps with their sister's boyfriend. she also tried to get avery killed which is just a no no. this is sort of off topic and i've made a post about this before but she didn't get punished enough for what she did to avery and that is grayson's fault. i talk about it in slightly more detail in this post.

although i knew that avery was hurt by a lot of people in this series, this really showed me exactly how bad it was. there are even more people. literally every person on this list hurt her (directly or indirectly (in emily and vincent's case)). these people either tried to get her killed, messed with her head or both. avery is a girl boss. she deserves better.

[666writingcafe]

An Army of Two

Belphie

I gently knock on MC's bedroom door, hoping that they're still awake--or, at the very least, not too deep in their sleep. After all, it is pushing two in the morning; the likelihood of them being up is pretty low.

To my pleasant surprise, they open their door moments later.

"Is everything okay?" they ask, stifling a yawn.

"There's an emergency," I tell them, making sure I sound serious. "I'll explain everything when we get outside, but we have to leave, and quickly."

"O-Okay. Can I at least change out of my pjs first?"

"Of course." MC shuts the door so that they have some privacy, but then they step out of their room a few minutes later. Together, we quietly head downstairs and into the garage. Opening a nearby toy chest, I begin fishing out various weapons and sticking them in various pockets. I don't know if what we're dealing with is human or not, and I don't want to take any chances, especially where Diavolo is concerned.

"Still got your knife?" I ask MC, glancing up at them. In response, they pull their jacket off to the side, revealing a sheath clipped onto their pants.

"Good. You might need it." I pull out a few small, human-safe blades and hand them to MC, who mimics what I've done with mine. It's a little strange that they haven't bombarded me with questions. They may be too tired to think straight, or perhaps they're extremely trusting, but either way it's a bit unsettling.

Once I've ensured that we're both armed, I grab the keys to the least grandiose car we have--a simple black four-door sedan--off its hook and hit the unlock button. I get in the driver's seat, and MC on the passenger's side. Soon, we're out on the road.

"Am I finally allowed to know what exactly is going on, or am I to remain oblivious?" MC asks me, clearly irritated. Making sure most of my focus is on the road, I reply,

"Someone's taken Diavolo. He left me a note."

"What did it say?"

"To the untrained eye, it was him trying to make amends with me. But we already had that talk several months ago, so I immediately knew something was wrong. As it turns out, he hid the actual message by making some of the letters bolder than others. He knew that I'd be able to decode it quickly once I figured it out."

"And he addressed it to you because...?"

"I'm able to keep a level head in crises. Everyone else either freaks out or shuts down completely, so they aren't able to be very helpful."

"Is that why you chose me to accompany you?"

"Partially. I was fully prepared to do this on my own, but I really didn't want to. It's always nice to have an extra set of hands. Plus, you've been able to remain calm in similar situations in the past, so I figured you could handle something like this."

"Well, I'm glad you trust me enough to do this." I find myself smiling slightly.

"I am, too." Things are silent for a few minutes before MC speaks up again.

"So, where are we going?"

"An amusement park."

"That's a strange place to take someone you've kidnapped."

"Depends. Whoever's behind this could need the space."

"For what?"

"Dark magic." MC doesn't respond. I wonder if I've scared them. I mean, I don't know what all Solomon has taught them so far. I hope that he's at least breached the subject with them, but it's hard telling with him sometimes. I can never get a good sense of his priorities.

At a stoplight, I turn my head to take a proper look at MC and freeze. The look on their face is downright terrifying, like they're seconds away from murdering someone.

"MC?" They take a deep breath.

"Listen, I don't know how helpful I'm going to be, but I'm not about to let some fucking lunatics hurt Diavolo. Not without a fight."

Taglist: @lost-in-time-wanderer, @fuzztacular, @dianedancer18, @sweetbrier2908, @flare-love, @completelyshatteredbrokenmschf, @thunderlightning351, @l3v1chan, @anxious-chick

[selfox]

Cy's live-ish reactions are coming back.

FINALLY! I pulled myself together and got to the end of Ungrateful (to this reaction will be later).

These are chapters from Make a Wish till the start of Ungrateful of Random Tales Of Drakgo by @gothicthundra

I had reaction ready for a while, but I really needed to restart it so it would keep me in momentum so it'll have practically 2 reactions - Initial and second one. So that's why I need more time to edit the Ungrateful ark reaction ^^"

Make a wish

Initial first read

Shegooooo omg. Xd nice save. Its so precious how you decided to cook for him Xd dr d you lil, I'll give you a noogie, your hints xd you are precious Guys your tension is palpable. OMG DRAKKEN YOU SMOOTH FUCKER, SMOOTH CRIMINAL. Ma'am... You 2 have been an epitome of UST Tvgggh itty bitty Drakken grow big and strong ...... Not like buffkken tho xD tho buffkken still deserves love Oh Shego, sweetheart...

Second reread

Shego, more like how much one person wants to keep their name out of press. I would have been surprised if it was mentioned. Overall it's all sus indeed.

Well considering what happened not just because of Botox, but you sharing with him very personal information AND whole your cat and mouse game with feelings

I love this subtlety. I can't call it anything else. Especially when it's others POV. After second read you immediately get what Drakken been keeping inside.

I need to understand how Drakken is even making money. Like.... I get stealing money or things to sell, but... Do they do that in enough quantity? Plus you need some steady income with henchmen, lairs and ... Stuff??

✨Realization✨

Ma'am, you've done the goof.

YES HE HAS BEEN.

This man is so traumatized over her disappearing on vacations.

And, Drak, I hate to bring it to you. You are just in love with her OTL Man... I want to hug him, poor blue man.

Shego, you would be surprised how many factors come into play regarding baking. So it's completely understandable. Cus you don't have enough practice.

And here I want to hug Shego, she is... I want to say tsundere, but it's just simple denial of everything. And this cupcake… when you make something yourself it hits different. And she knows it deep inside.

Smart ass Drakken xD

Every time I have the same reaction and it's audibly say: "Ough, about that"

Like I've said before those 2 are precious in their banter... It's so on edge of flirt, but much more meaningful. And the turn of events how that laser became her hoverboard. This warmth. I know they don't do that, but I envision them leaning to one another as if talking conspirationally. Have really soft almost whispering voices.

So close and yet so far. Once again smooth

What still gets me and practically hammers down is how it isn't said what his wish is, and yet you still get what he wants.

Working the Nerves

Initial first read

🤣🤣🤣 Daaaw roumd boi 🤣🤣🤣🤣 omg Shego Yep, I will be laughing all chapter OMG DREW YOU DIDN'T F SHEGO Ouch f hair .... Ok this is some unfortunate incidents, I'm sus Ok, this one on you Bonding :3 Dr d you are an addict DRAKKEN YOU MAD LAD STRONG LAD

Sugar rush and hyperfocus can do some things to a lad. Tho a silver lining to your love handles, Dr D, that it is comfier to cuddle.

I adore that back and forth banter, and to hear how they are at it for 3 days and, honestly, they can do it even longer given chance.

I am still curious what it is now.

You know, during the rewatch of the show, I hadn't realize how fricken much, Shego sits either unusually or plainly on a table/desk. She is just a feline.

She is a very black green tinted cat to herself. Is it Friday 13 of some sort? Did she break some mirror recently? Walked under the ladder??

Ok yeah I completely forgot this part that explains how they have money through stocks.

Gods, I get that funk that Drakken has. Low on inspo and on occasion motivation is hell.

Overall sometimes I think there should exist a skit with name "Adventures of Dr. Drakken and his ADHD brain"

Domestic

Shego, my lass, you do affect him, don't worry Daaaw XD Painting her nails, daaaww.... Wait is that a mirror of her and Pandora? I think I'm reading too much into it Jddjjdjdj KIM

I am still chuckling and those two are still children. Both of them. Rection above still stands XD

On painting toenails, I'm having a flashback to Shego and Pandora's past.

KIM OMG

Bad girl gone good

🤔🤔🤔 hmm I wondered how she was internally… “Shego, I need you” Hehe, someone in love~ and she finally understood it

What hits me how un-Shego these thoughts are, how the tone feels softer in a way.

"Dr. Drakken" - yeahhhh so very formal it feels weird thinking it's coming from Shego, but considering it's Miss Go.

Its the scrambled eggs of thoughts that gets me here with Miss Go laying in the guest bed. How they are going all over.

Heart is still the same, isn't it? And that concern that she has for him.

I love reading this moment of realization that she wants Drakken. Plain and simple. And wanted for a while. Where we are? chapter 83. Time runs fast.

Roller coaster

🤣 "villain royalty, how Disney" Ma'am Maaam You can't kill attraction by behaving like Helga Pataki Ough rough OYL Oh gods my heart ;-; partners Bdhdhdhd “I'm in trouble”, ma'am, you just fell in love

What in the hell happened there? (srsly, I am trying to place it at shows timeline and I'm in confusion, cus it feels like I should know what happened in this lair, I know that later moment will be Capt'n Drakken, but still )

Yep, being tsundere. And I give a point to Drakken for being perceptive.

heh, just the heat~

Famous last words

Shego, you need therapy.

I'm chuckling in my face palm, those 2 are perfect for one another. Ma'am, you are just the same.

Couples counselling, my guys. Those 2 are so stuck in that idea that their feelings are unrequired. And how their miscommunication keeps happening. My guys, you assume too much guah!

I have, had had and will have such an urge to shake her (and him) to get some sense into their heads.

The Chinese Food Of Peace.

*guttural groan of anguish cus of these 2 dumbasses*

Glad she finally finally realized and relaxed about it my GOD. All it took is one talk with your best friend/love and see how everything settled down???

Don't get me wrong I love this a lot, the warmth of their convo, the smiles and ALL OF THAT. Just they are dummies. I love them, but they are dummies. Squared even.

Thus see you all in Ungrateful.

[soaringwide]

Pick a Card readings - what I learned as a viewer/consumer

Part 02 of my vision of the use of pick a card readings. I’m someone who makes them but I also consume them as a viewer. I wanted to combine both in a post but it’s too damn long so I divided in two parts. Part 1, reader (link); and this is part 2, consumer.

Part 02 - From a viewer point of view

Link to part 01 here

I discovered pick a cards readings on YouTube back in 2017, was super into them for like a couple years before distancing myself from that whole thing due to realizing the spiritual bullshit I was getting myself into (it's a story on its own, so perhaps I'll go back to it at another time).

Found my way back to them back in December 2023, again on YouTube, then Tumblr, due to a specific love situation I needed insight on but for some reason wasn't willing or able to divine on on my own.

The Good & the Bad

I definitely think that they can bring actual insight to a situation. There were many time where I was blown-away by how accurately a pile described my situation, despite feeling like I was just ''randomly'' choosing the first one that pulled me in.

It's definitely an interesting exercise of intuition, to see if you're connected well to yourself and if you're able to grab the thread that shines with your color the most. It's quite fun to see that some days it seems really easy to find your pile from the first try, and some days you just struggle, or don't find it at all.

It's a nice way to get familiar with the feeling of your intuition ''clicking'' when you're looking at all the piles, and makes you realize that it's something that's available to a lot of people, and that's fascinating on its own.

That whole thing made me think about what was happening exactly. Like, is this internet reader I've never interacted with actually reading on my personal energy or situation? I don't think so. I went into it a bit in part 01 but yeah I think those readings target too general energies for that. I see it more like story lines floating in the air, and the reader is guided towards translating one of them (by who or why, I don't fucking know).

Don't get me wrong, it might still be accurate because we human are unique but we also are all the fucking same deep down, and history repeats itself all the time.

It's a game of resonance, as in, you're naturally drawn to the pile that holds the same note as the one you hold inside. And sometimes you do stumble upon a reading that is so crazy specific that it seems like it was made just for you. Not gonna get too into that because I found this post by @helianthus-tarot that explains it very well already.

However, something I've experienced myself and anyone has to be super careful about, is to not over do it.

I think it's very easy to end up in a toxic cycle when you keep looking at tarot spreads about the same topics. What happens is that you keep getting slightly different answers, which make you confused about the situation, so you want to find more, and confuse yourself even further in the process, thus starting an obsessive cycle of not feeling satisfied with anything.

It also removes your sense of agency. You end up trusting what you read online more than your own intuition and guidance and you abandon yourself, in a way.

I'm saying that because I went through phases where I was ob-sess-ed with those damn PAC because of a love situation that was frustrating me a lot, and my mood would actually fluctuate a ton if I got a good one or a bad one. It's like I was trapped inside my own head and was just mirroring the chaos happening within me and mistaking it for reality. It's possible that some of them were actually real but I had no way of knowing because I was seeking as many PAC in a day as I could, thus drowning any useful message and keeping myself in a state of fear that colored everything else.

So yeah that's your PSA to be more mindful about what PAC you decide to read or watch. Don't just read everything all the time. Take breaks and only do it if you actually have a clear issue in mind and feel called to a reading, and once you get the message you needed, let it rest until you or the situation develops further.

[goodluckclove]

Blind Trust OC Interview!

I got tagged by @mk-writes-stuff, and this sounded like fun so I'm down!

I've been thinking of an upcoming plot thread where I delve into Scott and Edgar's friendship as children, so I'll be answering as both of them at that age (so, like, 4-8). It'll be good practice to write their kid personalities.

Enjoy some casual conversations between two very different children who love each other very much.

(edit: this turned out way longer than i expected it to be but it's very cute in my brain so i'm letting it happen. i also tag @ivaspinoza and @rkmoon and @thegreatbeargod-writes if they're down!)

Are you named after anyone?

Scott: I'm named after my dad! My dad's name was Scott so now my name is Scott. Mom says that if I decide I want to change it she can help me, but I don't think I will. I might be a girl named Scott and I think that's cool because then I can still tell people about how important my dad was!

Eddie: I think - um. I'm sorry, I'm not sure. I think there was a little boy named Edgar in a children's book I used to have. I don't know if that's right, though. I'm sorry.

Scott: You know sometimes people aren't named after anybody. Sometimes you just get a name off a list. Sometimes you make up special new names to give to kids when they're born.

Eddie: I think Edgar was already a name before me.

Scott: Maybe.

When was the last time you cried?

Scott: This morning! I thought about a duck I saw in the river last year that was smaller than the other ducks and couldn't swim as fast. But its little duck family made sure to wait for it to catch up. It was really nice.

Eddie: You told me about that last night.

Scott: Yeah, it made you cry too.

Eddie: I'm sorry.

Scott: No, it makes sense! It's really beautiful. It's important.

Do you have kids?

Scott: I read in one of my dad's books that I might not be able to have kids myself, and it made me really sad because I thought it meant I wouldn't be able to have a family. But then mom told me - well, she explained a lot of things I didn't really get. I think it just meant that I was wrong before, and if I want I can have a really big family when I'm older.

Eddie: How big?

Scott: Probably a hundred. They can be kids and uncles and aunts and cousins and friends and dogs -

Eddie: You'd need a really big house.

Scott: Don't worry. We'll find one.

Do you use sarcasm a lot?

Scott: I'm not really good at telling when people are being sarcastic. I don't understand how it's different than lying. I think it's a special kind of lying that everyone knows about but me. And that's kind of hard, but I think it's probably okay!

Eddie: It's not good when people are mean.

Scott: Some people feel like they have to be, I think.

Eddie: Why?

Scott: I don't know. But it must be hard for them.

What’s the first thing you notice about people?

Eddie: I'm - well - I can tell if someone's going to be a bad person pretty quickly.

Scott: Wow.

Eddie: It's not really...it's hard to explain. Bad people - grownups, usually - get a look. In their eyes? Sometimes other people don't see it, but I do. I'm...really good at it.

Scott: That's amazing. Like a superpower!

What’s your eye colour?

Eddie: Scott's eyes are blue like, um...the sky in summer after I wake up from a nightmare.

Scott: Oh man.

Eddie: Okay it's your turn.

Scott: Um. Right. I - Eddie has brown eyes. Like...hang on, let me think. Like dirt? Yeah. Good, soft dirt. Mine's not as good as yours was.

Eddie: No, I liked it. I like soft dirt. Thank you.

Scary movies or happy endings?

Scott: I'm not allowed to watch scary movies because some of my older cousins put on Jurassic Park and I cried so hard I threw up.

Eddie: It is pretty scary, I think.

Scott: They say the dinosaurs aren't even real.

Eddie: Yeah.

Scott: How'd they get them to work on the movie, then?

Eddie: I think they made them up. With - uh - technology. Like a special effect.

Scott: Is Air Bud a special effect?

Eddie: I...I'm not sure.

Scott: I prefer Air Bud.

Eddie: I do too, I think.

Any special talents?

Eddie: Um, Scott is really, really good at the piano -

Scott: Eddie knows everything about every bird.

Eddie: Oh no. Oh no, Scott, that's not true.

Scott: Quick, name the best bird.

Eddie: That's not - Scott, that isn't really -

Scott: Come on I bet you know.

Eddie: American Goldfinch.

Scott: I knew it.

Where were you born?

Scott: I was born in Bluerose, Oregon!

Eddie: I was born in the Shreveport Academy in Louisiana.

Scott: That's really far away.

Eddie: Yeah. Yes. It is.

Scott: It doesn't feel far at all when I talk to you at night.

Eddie: ...No. I guess it doesn't.

Do you have any pets?

Scott: I'm friends with all the farm cats in town. Sometimes they'll follow me around to make sure I get home okay.

Eddie: That's nice of them.

Scott: You should talk about your pet!

Eddie: I don't have a pet.

Scott: There's that lizard in your yard.

Eddie: Oh, the skink? I'm not sure if that counts.

Scott: You named him Buster.

Eddie: I did. His name is Buster.

Scott: I like that. Buster seems nice.

What sort of sports do you play?

Eddie: I'm on the Academy little league team, but I'm not very good at soccer.

Scott: I don't play any sports, but I like to skateboard. It makes it a lot easier to get around town.

Eddie: Can you do any tricks?

Scott: Sometimes I can almost do a kickflip but if I keep practicing I think I can learn how to do a hardflip.

Eddie: What's that?

Scott: It's - different. It's cooler.

How tall are you?

Eddie: Short. I wish I was taller.

Scott: Why? I like that I'm short.

Eddie: Sure, but you might be a girl. It's okay if girls are short.

Scott: Well if you keep being a boy, I don't mind if you grow up to be short.

Eddie: I'll...probably get a little taller when I'm older.

Scott: Oh! That works for me too.

What was your favourite subject in school?

Scott: Eddie's really smart. He tells me all about his homework and tests and it all sounds really important.

Eddie: i don't really think school is fun, though. And you're smart, Scott. You're really smart.

Scott: I think science is neat.

Eddie: I thought there were only three types of matter -

Scott: No there are so many.

Eddie: Yeah, you're the one that told me about that.

Scott: Time crystals.

Eddie: Which one is that?

Scott: I can't remember. But they're there.

What is your dream job?

Scott: I want to be a professional zookeeper. And I would be friends with all the animals and take care of them.

Eddie: And you'd play the piano too, right?

Scott: Sure, but that won't be my job. That's just something I'd do for you and our family.

Eddie: Oh. Hah! Okay.

Scott: What about you, Eddie?

Eddie: Uh. Maybe I could be a Scout Leader. Like in the Boy Scouts!

Scott: You can take them to the zoo and - and I can tell them about anteaters.

Eddie: I'd like that.

[messydiabolical]

@dandenbo asked me for the art asks: 🎠What is a typical 'workflow' for a piece from idea to finished? It turns out to be a long answer so here's its own post, under the cut to save your dash! How I go from screenshot to painting: (This is not intended to be a 'this is how you do it!' kind of guide. I absolutely don't do an optimal route, this is just how I go about painting and what works for me! I've done a workflow for a screenshot to painting as I do a few different things but this is one I could explain somewhat coherently. My comics tend to be created pretty chaotically lol)

1) I take an ungodly amount of screenshots while playing. Also pester friends for their screenshots or stalk the group discord for interesting shots.

2) Go through all those screenshots cursing why I took so many, looking for those great moments that I want to paint. I’m particularly looking for nice poses/captivating moments, dynamic lighting or interesting expressions, and they don’t need to have all 3 as we can fix some of that in the next step. Here’s the screenshot I chose for my Keahi x Thane piece:

It was a cute, soft moment between them and I liked the highlight at the edge of their profiles. 3) Refine the screenshot. I don’t use anything fancy for this. I game on windows PC, so I open up the screenshot with windows photo editor. I crop the image, play around with saturation, exposure, contrast, just basic editing until it looks tastier. For this piece I wanted it to be hyper colourful and vibrant, leaning towards warmer tones.

4) Decide what I will change, then gather references for those changes. In this case I was fortunate that not a lot needed changing. I knew I wanted to move Thane’s eye position to looking at Keahi rather than the way he is slightly off focus, do a more realistic ear with earrings for Keahi, make Thane a little more smiley and lower his eyelid and give Keahi nicer eyelashes. I keep a whole bunch of art guides and tutorials on my PC so I grabbed the necessary ones and sent them to my ipad ready to have on hand for the sketch stage. I have Thane’s character model in XNApose, so I can check things like his eyelid specifically in that (this is actually for a different project but shows you what I mean)

If I was going to change up the lighting/shading I would also gather references for that. For example sometimes i’ll take screenshots of lighting schemes I love from films/tv shows (think the strong teal and orange scheme in Mad Max or the neons of Blade Runner). Or for precise shadows, I can again use XNApose. I also have a little 3d printed Thane head I can shine a torch at and take photos of to get shadow ideas. For humans there’s lots of reference to be found with online searches, I find pinterest more useful than google for this. For specific expressions or body parts, i’ll just take photos of myself (hand poses, smiling from the right angle etc.) My camera roll is an interesting place. I have drawn drell frills on my neck and on my chest before to see how the lines would fold at certain angles. 5) Setting up a canvas I work in procreate. For a piece like this I try to go pretty big, say 5000 x 4000 pixels, then i’ll crop down later as needed. 300 DPI. As I work, I’ll make duplicates and continue on the copy each fresh session. When i’m finished I make a backup save of the PNG and .procreate files on an SSD. I immediately turn the background colour down to a more muted colour to not burn my retinas. If i’m using a textured background like an oil board i’ll insert it, and any overlays like canvas effects. Set up my layers from the start basically for easy toggling throughout. I try to be good and label things to make life easier, it doesn’t always happen though. I don't wear a digital glove or use paper effect screens but I do have a bottle of screen cleaner and a microfibre cloth handy at all times. 6) Sketch. I’m still very much learning to draw. I tried for a long time to do the classic ‘ball for a head, draw the planes/lines etc. It was a constant struggle and never clicked for me, the ball especially always made things much worse, turning a circle into a 3d image in my head just does not happen. I find it better to just start drawing and work things out as I go (I use procreates reference window to see my screenshot). So I’ll have my sketch in one canvas, and i’ll also have a second canvas with the photo ref on it at the same size, and if I feel like something is really wonky and off i’ll test my lines over the photo to see what’s gone wrong, then go back to the sketch and correct the areas that revealed. Sometimes I’ll use the grid feature if i’m getting stuck.  Here's a few of the sketch stages:

Here I tried out the lines on the photo and noticed that Thane’s frills were a little too far to the left, and Keahi’s eyebrow needed to arch down towards the nose.In the next pass I correct these:

Also, and I know i’m gonna get side eye from some people for this but I really could not care less to be honest. On some pieces i’ll just trace the screenshot. Sometime I just want to get to painting, am not in the mood or mindspace for a learning experience, and this is a hobby. It’s my screenshot, no one is getting ripped off. My latest Javik piece was done this way 🤷‍♂️ 6) Painting. I’ll start by blocking in the background and the portrait flats, usually on separate layers. I try to have an idea of the background colour from the start as this can effect the whole piece overall, but sometimes you just gotta change it as you go so having it on a different layer makes this much easier.

The painting itself I’ll lay down wider areas of colours, then start going in and refining bit by bit, I tend to work on one area at a time, and sometimes I’ll get pretty well rendered on a small area before moving on, other times work on a wider area. It really depends on my mood and what i’m vibing with that day. Like you can see here I’ve done some general messy colouring all over Keahi, but done a lot of refinement on the eyeball:

7) Finshing the piece, uploading and testing: When I’m sick of rendering the painting and don’t think I can add anything more to it without gnawing my own wrist off, it is time to finish up! I make sure I toggle all the layers I want on, add a top signature layer (lol I lie I forget this all the damn time). Then i’ll upload the piece to my google drive and open it up on my big 4k monitor on my PC, and on my phone, and see how it looks (my ipad is a 9.7inch air). I find that once off my ipad, it often looks a little less saturated and contrasting as it does in procreate. So I might go back and change the levels if it’s too big a difference until it looks decent across devices (it’ll never look perfect on them all though, just gotta find that happy medium).

8) Posting online I really don’t have any strict steps for this. I know some people go for optimal posting times, and will make multiple copies of their pieces in different sizes to fit better on different sites (damn you instagram and your need for everything to be square). I… do not do any of this lol. I post when I’m done whatever time or day that is. I do tend to reblog/retweet etc before I go to bed, as I live in the UK and that will at least be getting into evening time in US. I reblog my own stuff a fair bit.

[lauralot89]

All right friends let me tell you about my day because either I vent or I go to jail for murder

I don't even know who I'd murder but I would

Day starts out normal enough. I've been having an issue where my pharmacy did not autorefill the medication I need for my autoimmune disorder, without which I am in constant pain and will suffer deformity and mobility loss but you know, other than that

Until about noon I'm making some nice progress on a story I'm writing. Then I get stuck. It happens.

I check the pharmacy website and it says there was an error with my prescription and to call the pharmacy, so I do. They say they'll fill and I get a robot call about half an hour later saying the prescription is ready and my out of pocket cost is 120 USD

wait what

this medication has always cost me 20 USD

what the fuck

whatever, I tell myself. I'll get it sorted out after work when I go to pick it up.

At this point I check my email. Message from my auto insurance saying they never received my payment, and my coverage will expire in two days.

I call them. I explain I mailed the payment on July 9. They say they received a notification from USPS on the 11th that the payment was on its way, but then they never got it. And they consider payments lost in the mail if they aren't received within 15 days of being mailed. And today was exactly 15 days since I mailed the payment.

So I pay again, online this time, with the promise that if they receive the check, they'll refund the cost. Now bear in mind I pay the full amount at once rather than the monthly so there is a 900+ dollar check floating around in the backrooms somewhere right now, which does not make me feel great

Work ends. I go to the pharmacy. I'm like why is this 20 dollar medication suddenly 120 dollars? The pharmacist is like "Yeah that's weird. We ran it through your insurance like we always do. You should call them."

So I call them. After some time on hold, I get an agent. I explain what's going on. He's like "Yeah that's weird. Let me call the pharmacy."

I spend the next half hour listening to hold music as I pace around the pharmacy and when I get taken off hold, I'm now speaking to a pharmacy person instead of my insurance guy.

Apparently my insurance decided, unbeknownst to me because there were certainly no emails or letters, that for medications I take every day, they now want me to get ninety days at a time. Which, okay fine, whatever. But if I don't get this either by mail or through Specific Pharmacy My Insurance Works With, then it's an out of pocket cost.

Again, some random pharmacy worker had to tell me this. Not my insurance.

But wait there's more. Currently all my prescriptions are for a thirty day supply, so even if I immediately transfer them to Specific Pharmacy, I still won't get my prescriptions refilled without a bunch of rigamarole because they're supposed to be for ninety days now

(What does this do to birth control, you may ask? Fuck if I know.)

so what I need to do is to call my doctor's offices to have them transfer the prescriptions and change it from 30 to 90 days. which, great, but I have been without the necessary medication for a week now and I can't wait any longer, so I suck it up and prepare to pay 120 USD

Now by the grace of God, the pharmacy tech heard my plight and was like "that's some bullshit" and by reducing it back down to 30 days and also getting coupons involved, he was able to get the cost down to 28 dollars

so you'd think "Well at least there was a happy ending"

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE

So at this point my car is nearly out of gas. So I drive across the street from the pharmacy to the gas station. Get out of the car. Put in my card. Yada yada. And instead of asking me to lift the nozzle and select the fuel type, it says "Thank you! Take your receipt!"

The fuck?

I go ask the cashier.

"Yeah, it does that sometimes. Try it again."

I try it five more times. Every time "Thank you! Take your receipt!"

I drive to another pump. It happens AGAIN.

I go back to the cashier.

"Oh, it must be something wrong with your card."

Now maybe I'm weird but in my experience when your card declines, the message you get is "Card declined" or "Chip malfunction" or "Card error." Messages that I have gotten at this very gas station. But apparently that made too much sense, so they switched over to "Thank you! Take your receipt!"

The lady tells me I can pay at the desk. I wait five minutes before I can pay at the desk because the pump has not cleared out the last "Thank you! Take your receipt!" transaction. She tells me she would send me over to the pump to press cancel, but it would take too long. Then she has me do it anyway.

In conclusion, my heart is full of rage.

[cherrythepuppet]

🧡Alice/017 X Imagnairy Reader🖤

You Worked at the Cabin Fever Labs before it all went to hell, You and your wife, Alice also known as 017 along with your child BeauBut when the Cabin Fever Labs did go down You were ripped apart by the Anti-drone sentinels causing Alice to go slightly crazy but now...after a few years She likes to pretend you are still there with her...

She walked into one of the operation rooms where she saw 'You' sitting on one of the hospital beds reading a book "Heya Dollface!" Alice exclaimed 

"Alice!" You exclaimed putting your book away "Darling How was you're day?" You asked

"Grrreat Dear!" Alice replied "I killed some drones that came through the vents and cut 'em up! Even got some parts to make myself bigger!" Alice explained excitedly

"Now, come here Dear, I got some big ol' kisses for you" Alice said walking over to the bed before grabbing you and pinning you down and kissing you aggressively "I've missed you my dollface!

"You kissed back and smiled "I Missed you as well dear" you replied with a small blush on you're screen

Alice's kisses got longer and more passionate "So, what were ya reading about?" Alice asked "Some kinda depressing book?" Alice added "I hate depressing stuff...except when its me causing the depressing effects!" Alice joked

You chuckled "It is quite depressing! I believe its an Edgar Allen Poe book too?" You said glancing at the book "But seriously What's up with the guy and dead chicks?" You aughed

"Not a clue Love! But hey, at least its entertaining!" Alice said "I mean, its better than a lot of the lame sappy love books out there these days..." Alice said glancing at her wedding ring

You nodded but didn't reply for a moment "Alice...do you sometimes feel as if...you aren't real?" You asked randomly

"Huh? What are ya on about love? I'm as real as you are?" Alice said with a confused sigh "Sometimes you act...odd, love...." Alice said "I hope you're okay?" Alice said with worry and confusion on her face

"I just feel...well it's odd but I feel as if I'm not real?" You sighed "Odd isn't it?" You chuckled

Alice tilted her head "Well...I can assure you, you are very real" Alice said before thinking for a moment "Now, I got a question for ya, why do you think that?" Alice said before she started scratching and repairing one of her legs

"I-i don't know..." You mumbled "It's like-...it's like I'm not real and well...imaginary?" You said

Alice sat there trying to process what you said "...well, that's....kinda crazy talk, Sweetie!" Alice said while still sounding confused and concerned "Do you have any idea why you're even thinking like that Love?""No..." You replied "But It sometimes feels that way...Like i-" You paused "Like I'm dead" You muttered 

Alice stared at you before putting her hand on your cheek "Darling....I'm not sure what could be the cause of these crazy thoughts of yours" Alice said lovingly "...I can assure you, you are far from dead, you're alive and I'm proud to call ya my wife" Alice said kissing your cheek

You leaned into her touch "Your right darling...I don't know what I was thinking" You smiledAlice kept kissing your cheek and smiling

"Hey, you can tell me anything ok love? I'm here for ya" Alice said "Now...why dont we watch one of those silly sappy romance movies? The worst ones we can find and just turn our brains off and watch some bad acting?" Alice said with a giggle "What do ya say?"

You laughed "Yeah" You replied "That sounds nice" You added 

Alice smiled before standing up and offering her hand "Alright, well come on, Let's go pick something super sappy and cheesy to watch" Alice said "We'll just be lazy and cuddle in bed all night".....

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Uzi unleashes her AbsoluteSolver to destroy the door buttons, thus opening the doors and giving the Sentinels more free roaming in the area

The Sentinels make their way to Alice's room However Alice slowly closes the door before the Sentinels show up "BEAU! HELP ME WITH-" Alice cried but It's too late As The Sentinels are here now

Alice is flashed and paralyzed as the Sentinels enter the room, crushing Alice under their feet, thus getting rid of her for good.....

[amyrafiercebladeartz]

Entry 117 

37th Mid Summer

Today Krogan and I had a day off, one that while Johann seemed to oppose it, he and I both managed to sway his mind on the matter. It's the first break I've had since my coming here, and while there could've been better days to have this moment of rest, I am glad, in some ways, that it was today. 

Mostly because today gave me a chance to think. 

As we both left Johann's workspace, Krogan asked me about how the Dragon Eye was working, likely trying to pry out exactly what had happened a few days prior when it crunched in his hands and I… well, took it to examine the damage. I told him my findings; That it was old boar grease that had severely hardened inside the mechanism during its stay in the volcano. Where the boar grease came from, I have my suspicions, but in any matter I found myself beginning to rant. Justifiably so. 

He didn't say much of anything, looking back. He watched me as I explained the cause, how it explained how the Dragon Eye upon recovery had been… fussy, how I'd taken it apart to clean it and found far more of the hardened residue than should even be possible and,  eventually, he listened through my opinion on its condition and how it had been unjustly treated by Hiccup and his meddling-

I digress. 

At the time, I had simply talked, and he'd simply paced alongside of me, sometimes he'd say something and I'd continue on, but now that I think of it, this… behavior… there have been other times that I've talked and he's listened, for whatever reason it was. I honestly don't think he knows what I'm talking about most of the time, but in any case, he always listens with this amused smirk. Sometimes he'll surprise me with a comment of his own, which still catches me off guard when he listens that well to my ramblings. 

It's… nice, actually… that he listens…

And that set me thinking…

Why? 

Why does he listen? 

If it were simple amusement, he wouldn't have to say a word, much less take from the conversation and add to it. Could he be listening just to learn? Is he trying to subtly pry information about myself for later? Lately he doesn't seem malicious, which is a turn I could've never expected. We were at eachother's throats not two months ago, yet now he listens? Is there any reason to this change that perhaps I've not considered?

I don't exactly know. In some ways, I'm almost terrified to consider other options. A man like him… I don't dare say the word 'friend'... not yet, though a part of me wishes it so, that my distrust just may be my old habits dragging me down. 

I've thought about this, and the more I do, the more I realise…

It might be something more...

--

A short story from Viggo's pov, light Krogan/Viggo, very beginning lol

@reallyprofoundkryptonite merr early chrimas ^^

[arsonsara]

Paper Mario: The Twenty-Year Heartache

I'm going to be meeting an old friend soon.

It's been a long time since we last saw each other. I don't know why we haven't talked since then. There's a tightness in my chest every time I think about writing him a letter, my head spins and my thoughts go cloudy every time I think about leaving everything behind so I can visit him, and ache in my throat every time I think about how long it's been.

Sometimes I try and make myself feel better by thinking he feels the same way. Guilty, wishing everything else in the world could go out of focus just so that I...

We...could meet again.

It's a stupid thought. He doesn't have a reason to think about me anymore. He has more important things to do, people rely on him, people look up to him. He can't let those people down. Not for the sake of someone he only met once… I never did get the chance to tell him. I almost did. Everyone else stood beside me, at the end of the pier, as stars glimmered in the night sky and their light reflected back on the ocean's azure waves. It felt right, it felt like everything I could've ever dreamed of...

But...she was there. The only reason he was here was to save her. Ugh, I feel disgusting for even thinking that. He's such a selfless person, so kind, so generous, such a gentle and understanding person. Saying that he was only here just for her feels so...debasing.

But I can't stop thinking about it. How people talk about them, all the history they have, they've known each-other for so long that people can't think of them apart, and when they are, he's always the one to bridge the gap, overcome any obstacle, travel across the entire world...just for her. So all I could muster was a weak whimper, my voice barely above a whisper, before I tore the words from my mouth and just said… "I sure do think you and Peach make a nice couple..."

Because all I could think was that she was realer than I ever could be… ...I never did get the chance to tell him. Whenever I spoke of how I looked, people would always assure me I was "A knockout", "Positively radiant"..."a really pretty girl."… Whenever they heard my sisters mock and ridicule me, they must've thought it was just the talk of an old crone and her droll yes-woman, average, wicked villains who only really exists to act cruelly and not...what it actually was behind closed doors. I will admit, it made things easier. I didn't have to explain my existence to them, I didn't give them any reason for them to question what I was, and keeping it a secret meant I didn't have to burden them with...everything it took for me to get to this point. And why should I not want that? For nobody to question why I have such long hair, why I get so giddy when I think about dressing up or putting on lipstick, or...why I would have a girls name. Don't I deserve to be accepted like that so simply? For me to be what makes me happy and have everyone understand without asking? To not have to justify my existence? I absolutely do!...So...

Why does it feel like I'm still trying to justify it to myself? I want to tell him. I so desperately want to tell him. Everything. Every last little thing I've held inside my heart for the past twenty years. I never thought I would ever get this chance again, and it excites me as much as it terrifies me. My soul is giving off sparks that jolt my body to its very core, and it feels like it could paralyze me as much as it could drive me to scream my truth from the top of my lungs so it could echo past the horizon. There's a part of me that's begging me to quell that scream, for me to bury those feelings deeper than I ever have, bury them deeper than what we found come the end, and just pretend like nothings changed. Stay in line, say your lines, and keep everything shut. Nobody can hurt me like that again if they don't know… ...And maybe it's selfish, or some crazy fantasy that rattles around in my head once I'm done tiring myself out with all these worries and fears. But I like to think that...maybe, even if he didn't know back then that… That he knows now. Even without me having to say it. And that once we meet again, under that twilight sky where he first dried my tears, as the moon hangs above and shines its light down on the both of us...

He'll love me just the same as he always did.

Even if I don't have the strength to tell him how much I love him.

---- I wrote this poem in a flash. It struck my brain like a lightning bolt and all I could think about was putting my pen to paper and writing it. It's messy, off the cuff, uncut and genuine. I don't think I could've wrote it any other way, and I kind of love that. Hope you enjoyed it.~

[kangshxrtie]

9 ➳ "future girlfriend"

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yujin knocked on your door, exactly an hour later, just as she said she would.

as soon as you heard the knock you did a look over your outfit and hair because you still want to impress your girl. you made sure you had everything you needed before rushing over to the door and opening it, smiling as soon as you met eyes with yujin. "hi, i know we saw each other yesterday but i missed you"

yujin's eyes softened at the comment, "i missed you too"

you stepped out of the house, walking side by side to yujin's car. yujin opened the passenger side door for you, and you slid in gratefully. she then ran around the car to get into the driver's seat before starting the car and selecting a random playlist, that was actually song recommendations she got from wonyoung that you liked, but you didn't need to know all of that.

as she set the gps to the meetup location she glanced over at you, "you ready?"

"yep, now let's go meet my future girlfriends" you joked.

yujin playfully pouted, "but i'm your future girlfriend"

"i mean i'm up for grabs until you ask" you shrugged.

"trust me i'm working on it" yujin replied, a hint of sincerity in her voice.

the closer you got to the meetup location, the more your nerves went up. yujin noticed and asked if you were okay.

"i'm just worried i'll embarrass myself in front of them. not only are they some of my favorite idols they're also your friends and if i fuck this up it's over for me" you confessed, your anxiety bubbling to the surface.

"you'll be fine. i told them not to be too overwhelming for the first meeting. they love you, you'll be okay" yujin reassured.

"i don't know how much i trust that"

"do you trust me?"

"sometimes"

"well i need you to rely on that little bit of trust you have for me" she grinned as she pulled into the parking lot of some apartments and parked.

you shot her a glare before unbuckling your seatbelt, "i'm blaming you if anything goes wrong"

yujin grinned and rushed over to open your door, "for m'lady"

"oh, why thank you kind sir" you replied, playing along with her antics.

you two walked into the apartment complex together, yujin holding your hand to calm your nerves. needless to say, it was helping. once you two made it to the door yujin gave your hand a tight squeeze before ringing the doorbell, pulling you in to wave to the camera with her.

once they buzzed the two of you in, both minju and yena greeted you with open arms, and even though your anxiety was at its highest peak right now, you had to push through.

you took a deep breath before smiling at them and holding out your hand for a greeting, "hey, i'm y/n. i'm a huge fan of you both"

minju and yena smiled back at you. "yujin's told me so much about you! nice to finally meet you" minju exclaimed pulling you into a hug.

yena nodded enthusiastically, "yeah, i've been looking forward to meeting you since this morning"

you all sat down on the couch together and it wasn't long before yena started asking questions. "so what's the story here?"

"we kind of had an enemy-to-lovers thing going on" you told her.

"and what she means by that is she hated me" yujin spoke up.

"okay but you can't blame me, you did things that made me think you didn't like me so i just returned the favor" yujin added with a chuckle.

"she thought i wanted to beat her up behind a restaurant"

"i genuinely did think it was a set up"

"but then, yujin explained that she was too much of a pussy to tell me it was love at first sight" you said, teasingly.

"sounds like her" yena said, grinning.

"what's that supposed to mean?" yujin chuckled.

"you can't deny that you did do that" minju interjected.

"okay but in my defense, y/n made me shy"

"aww that's so cute" you said, lightly hitting yujin on the arm.

after the introduction, you all talked for a while about random topics before yujin had to leave the room.

"i'm gonna go to the bathroom for a second" yujin stood up from her seat and looked at minju and yena, "don't say weird shit to her while i'm gone"

"we would never. i can't believe you think we would even do such a thing" yena mocked, placing a hand over her heart.

"i don't think you would, i know you would" yujin replied. she gave you a reassuring tap on the shoulder before heading to the bathroom.

"so what kind of embarrassing stories do you want to know about yujin?" yena asked once the door closed.

"um not really but i do wanna ask what's she interested in. we've only recently realized our feelings for each other and i feel a bit guilty that she goes out of her way to do things for me, but i can't return the favor because i don't know her interest that well. that's actually one of the reasons i wanted to meet you all today - so i could find out more about her interests"

"you passed the test!" yena clapped loudly causing minju to playfully slap the older girl on the arm.

"she's joking, there was no test" minju reassured.

"but if there was you would have passed" yena whispered making you laugh.

"i know yujin prefers staying at home so she would rather do a stay-at-home date than a going-out one" minju told you.

"she really likes korean food. even if you take her to another country, she'll still want korean food" yena said.

they continued telling you more things which you took mental notes of, definitely using those suggestions later.

"i know yena found out about me this morning but what about you minju?" you turned to look at the older girl.

"i've actually known about you since the first time you two met" minju told you.

"oh really?" you leaned in closer, "what'd she say"

"she was all whipped but was mad that she made a bad first impression. then she kept complaining that she kept messing up around you. i'm glad you two finally worked out" minju revealed.

"i'm glad we did too" you smiled taking a sip of your drink. the warmth of minju's words filled you with a sense of reassurance, knowing that from the beginning, yujin had been drawn to you. it was a comforting thought, that strengthened your bond with yujin.

once the bathroom door opened back up yena quickly changed the topic, "so y/n, i heard you're an influencer. what kind of videos do you do?"

you smiled, grateful for her interest, even if it was for a quick topic change, "so i mostly do travel content, cooking videos, quick vlogs, stuff like that"

"you should watch her content sometimes. it's really good" yujin said as she sat back down.

you turned to look at her shocked, "you watch my content?"

"of course i do. you're my future girlfriend, i wanna support everything you do" yujin told you sincerely.

yena and minju were dramatically freaking out over the scene in front of them.

"they're having a literal k-drama moment right now. it's so cute" minju commented.

"i was here" yena added.

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[eight-freakin-gids]

A review of Another Crab's Treasure where I also talk about Slay the Princess  

I've finished* playing two very different games recently, and my experiences with them are such that I feel compelled to share my thoughts on them. This is a long post, so here's a Read More.

      The first of these games is Another Crab's Treasure, the indie Souls-like action RPG. I want to preface this by saying I'm not really a negative person by a lot of standards. My friends and family will occasionally joke that I think everything is "fine," and there's some truth in that. I tend not to hold anything to an exceptionally high standard. I am not overly critical of anything that doesn't meet my standards.

      With that in mind, I did not like this game, and I feel bad about that.

      For some background, I got into the Dark Souls series sometime between the releases of Bloodborne and Dark Souls III. I started with Dark Souls II, and had a hard time getting into it (but later revisited and finished it). Contrasted with that, I got really into Bloodborne, and still consider it one of my favorite games of all time. I played Dark Souls III when it came out, and played the Painted World DLC when it came out. However, I didn't play the Ringed City, and I have yet to play any other souls-like after that point. No Sekiro, no Nioh 2, and not even Eldin Ring (despite literally everyone and their dog playing it). I think a big part of this is due to life circumstances. I don't own my own PS4 or PS5, nor do I own a gaming PC. I could only play Bloodborne and Dark Souls III because I lived with my siblings and could conveniently borrow theirs.

      But I also tell you this because there's a chance I'm just not a SoulsBorne guy. I haven't really had the motivation to seek out these titles I've missed. This could explain why I feel the way I do about A.C.T. But at least, I want to be clear I don't need to git gud either.

      So anyway, we get this new Crab Souls on the Switch, and I think that I might as well try it out. 

      Credit where it's due, Another Crab's Treasure crafts a nice world. It's colorful, it's funny, it's charming, and it brings attention to the real-world problem of polluted oceans. But subjectively, I can't say I enjoyed the game very much. To sum up my biggest issue in one word, it's options. I am a player who values decision making in games. I want to express myself through the choices I make, be it narrative decisions or choice of strategy. Another Crab's Treasure didn't make me feel like I had many choices, and those choices I did have didn't feel like they mattered.

      The game invites us to compare it to its inspirations, so I'm going to compare it to Dark Souls III. I like Bloodborne more, but I want to do Crab Game the favor of trying to create a more direct comparison. 

      In Dark Souls III, you immediately begin with the option to choose between one of a few base character options. Each one offers different tools in order to tackle the incoming challenges. After navigating the opening area and defeating the first boss, you are immediately given access to the game's central hub. In addition to anything you find in the opening area, you can buy more weapons, ammo, and consumable items to help you on your way. The options available to you only increase as you continue to play the game. So many weapons, spells, and armor sets at your disposal, free to mix and match to your heart's content.

      When I played Another Crab's Treasure, I felt stifled. You don't get any starting options. You have one weapon. It has two attacks: light and heavy (compared to Dark Souls games, where you usually have light, heavy, fully-charged heavy, dodge attack, roll attack, running attack, and plunging attack at least. None of that even considering the game-specific movesets like Trick Weapons, Weapon Arts, dual wielding, or Power Stancing). Oh, Crab Game has plunging attacks and running attacks, but you have to unlock them in a skill tree after beating the first boss! Yay! Isn't that awesome?

      I think Crab Game's first boss is really when my opinion on it began to sour. They introduce the Shell mechanic to you, and I do not care for it. What little choice for customization the game would have in this system is offset by the inconsistent nature of it. You can never guarantee access to a specific shell, because you're limited to what you can find in the environment. Even something as simple as a preference between Small, Medium, and Heavy is not something you can guarantee. This lack of consistency only gets worse with the introduction of the Umami system. I hoped that acquiring this game's magic system would help ease my pain, but no. Your "spell" (singular) is tied to what shell you're using. Did you like that spell? Too bad, you weren't perfect, and now you have to manage with something else. Why bother even learning what all of the spells do? It's not like you'll have any of them for long.

      But I'm getting ahead of myself. The fact that Shells have durability also bothers me. Blocking feels like a complete waste of time. You move so much slower while blocking (regardless of what your shell's weight is), and you lose effective health even when you successfully guard against an attack. So. Why. Even. Bother? Also, they throw this entire shell system at you immediately before you have to fight the game's first boss. Better figure it out quickly, fucker!

      It took me an appropriate amount of time to beat Crab Game's first boss. I didn't hate the game, but I was having less fun. Progressing from there, you unlock the game's skill tree system before reaching the second boss. But before that, I want to talk about this game's performance issues. I probably didn't do myself any favors by choosing to play the Switch version. The frame rate drops considerably during certain scenes. And I normally don't give two hoots about performance in a game— I love Bloodborne in all of its 30 FPS glory. So when I bring it up here, know that it means I thought it was considerably distracting. 

      So I'm making my way through the corrupted Fort Slacktide en route to boss #2. At this point, the game's map choices became a mixed bag for me. The implementation of the Grappling Hook was intriguing, but ultimately made it feel like a Legend of Zelda item in the worst possible way. Rather than using it as a generalized tool to navigate any obstacle, you only ever use it to overcome a Grappling Hook Obstacle(tm). I have a few other nitpicks with the Fort Slacktide experience, but I'll spare you some of those. This review is long enough as is. I reached the first shortcut for the area, died, and then never figured out how to use that shortcut. This was also the first and only time I lost all of my Microplastics. So after giving up on finding the shortcut, I try to make my way back up through the same path. And then, I get hit and clip through a wall directly to the fort's second shortcut. I'm not going to hold a bug against this game too much, but know that it happened. With that, my time at Fort Slacktide came to a premature and unsatisfying end. I fought the boss and beat it on the first try. Why is this significant? Because I stopped caring. I just mashed dodge and light attack until I won.

      I have yet to make my way to the alluded-to Big City area. Judging by my collection of Corruption Crystals, The Shallows is likely one area out of fourteen. I'll admit I've played a comically small amount of this game. If you argue that I haven't played enough, I don't think I'll disagree with you. Maybe all of my problems will be solved if only I go a little further, but I don't feel like rolling the dice on that. That doesn't change what I've experienced.

      More than anything, this game has solidified a rule for me: any time a game makes me say aloud "This game is fucking stupid," my enthusiasm for that game is cut in half. 

      Sorry, Another Crab's Treasure. I sincerely hope that I'm in the minority here. I hope your game is the delightful souls-like romp that it looks to be. I hope to give it another chance some other time, but I won't be finishing it now.

      I've written a lot, so I'd like to summarize my points for anyone who doesn't want to read all my hogwash.

Another Crab's Treasure offers considerably less meaningful decisions compared to its contemporaries, and that is in direct conflict with one of my core desires for playing games.

The choices that the game does offer are shallow and come at a slow trickle.

The Switch version has performance issues bad enough that it bothers me, the guy who never cares about game performance so long as the experience is fun.

The systems that set this game apart from its contemporaries (namely, the Shell system) do not serve to improve the game experience for me.

I feel like the game has rewarded me for not engaging with its mechanics. I just did whatever was simplest, and it was the most effective.

I haven't been given any reason to believe that these problems will meaningfully improve if I keep playing.

      Now, I don't intend to talk for long about the other game I played. Partly this is to avoid spoilers, but it's also because I've already written a lot. Above all, I want to leave off on a positive note, so I want to talk about Slay the Princess.

      Slay the Princess is a visual novel. It's a horror story. It's a love story. It's a monochromatic game that features time loops, so how could I, an In Stars and Time enjoyer, not like it?

      I think the biggest reason that I wanted to talk about this game alongside Another Crab's Treasure is to contrast the decision making between the two.

      Slay the Princess, like many other visual novels, features choice of dialog as the primary "game" mechanic. Normally, I enjoy games with complex systems that I can really sink my teeth into. And yet, visual novels are also a favorite of mine. In spite of their simplicity, the impact of your choices is a central pillar to the genre, and that appeals to me greatly.

      This game takes that a step further. It does a thing I love: it makes your decisions matter even when you think that they won't matter. In any given scene, you roughly have two choices: select an "Explore" dialog option, or choose an option that advances the scene. Generally, an Explore option will provide you with new information. Sometimes, it also adds even more dialog options.

      But sometimes, the Explore options will secretly be the options to advance, for better or for worse. Sometimes you can back out, and sometimes you have to live with your decision. I could see that element of the game frustrating some players, but that's the reason why I love it so much. Adding stakes to all dialog invites the player deeper into the role play. You're not just here to mash through all of the text until you reach your next signpost decision. Every line of dialog has consequences, so you need to think carefully. What do you want to say? What do you want to do? Choose carefully. Sometimes, the game will remember your choices even when those choices don't seem like they would have mattered.

      There are a number of other things about this game I adore. It offers an intriguing narrative that had me speculating like a madman, so needless to say I think the story is good. The artwork is gorgeous and haunting at the same time. And, it features the voice talents of Jonathan Sims of The Magnus Archives fame.

      I played this game alongside my younger siblings, and I loved it enough that I will happily revisit it in my own time. 

      If anything I've said here encourages you to try out a new game, than that's a win for me. Maybe you disagree with me about Crab Game. Maybe my reservations about Crab Game give you enough heads-up to better work through it's problems. Or maybe my vague praises of Slay the Princess have piqued your interest. In any case, I hope I can contribute a positive experience to your life.

[mrs-monaghan]

https://www.tumblr.com/mrs-monaghan/716751095560552448/i-love-jikook-so-much-ive-been-supporting-them?source=share

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you or make you hate me. I didn't mean about what taekookers say, because I don't believe in taekook. Never have, never will, for me, the image of them together is just ridiculous, its not even imaginable...

What I meant was other jikook blogs also doubting them for the lack of public outings. I've seen a couple of posts on the jikook tag, posted by jikook blogs, and what they deem as the "change" in their dynamics from 2019 to 2023.

I really do believe in Jikook, I guess depression just gets the best of me sometimes and I start to think negatively about everything, I guess that's when taekookers start to get under my skin and I guess that's when jikookers who out of nowhere turn against them start to get in my head, too. Again, I really didn't mean for you to hate me, I just felt like it's been hard to deal with not seeing them so much and not getting much content about them.

But I do believe they're hanging out a lot in private before they have to leave for MS. Jungkook has been especially quiet these past couple of days.

Oh anon, now I feel like a dick.

I did not mean to make u feel like I hate you. From the bottom of my heart I apologise for making you feel this way 🙏🏽 But let me explain myself. I hate insecure Jikookers with a passion. I hate them even more than tkkrs if you can believe that.

Jikook have done everything to show us their love for each other. And I am sure they would love our support. Imagine how nice it would be and how happy Jikook would be if the fandom actually accepted them. If Armys didn't fight them so hard. Imagine the frustration JK felt after Rosebowl when the next day he saw nothing had changed. Imagine how they felt after they did this

And haters wrote to BH asking them to make Jikook stop. Accusing them of being too gay. I can see that being why they got even louder because "fuck this people" especially JK.

They already have so many haters the least we can do is support them. The least we can do is not doubt them simply because we can't see them. Having these expectations from Jikook when we don't even have them on ourselves is ridiculous. They need us to trust them. Especially since everytime content drops they are more than fine, they are happy and still the same Jikook that we have always known.

So yes, I get annoyed when I see people who doubt them even though Jikook haven't given us reason to. If you wanna doubt Jikook, do it during moments like these where they were clearly fighting

Tweet

Jimin's face there gets me everytime 😂 Baby is so confused. JK tell your man what he did dammit!

This too

Anyway, u get my point. Insecure Jkkrs just irritate me sfm and I took that out on you so I'm sorry. Hope u can forgive me

That being said anon, no content doesn't mean no more Jikook. So u need to adjust that mentality. If u miss them just watch some good Jikook content. Remind yourself why you're a Jkkr to begin with. It will make u less susceptible.

Anyway, insecure Jkkrs suck ass. They especially have no business using the Jikook tag and making other people doubt Jikook too. Keep that shit to yourself 🙄😒

[leaderlamby]

TW: Rant/Long post

Alright so I've been thinking a lot about something and I just need to get it off my chest

No, nothing happened, I just need to vent a bit

So it's come to my attention recently that I have low social awareness, probably the autism

And because of that, I really tend to speak before I think. Even when typing and there's no pressure to respond immediately and I have all the time in the world to formulate my message so it comes off the way I mean

But sometimes I say things and I just don't realise they could be rude until someone points it out

A while ago when I was still in high school, I unintentionally made fun of my friend with tourette's

And that guy was just way too nice to correct me- not that I blame him, I get it can be a tough thing to do, especially irl

But I did genuinely care about him. Eventually after educating myself on TS, I did slowly start correcting myself, like simply ignoring his tics instead of trying to make them funny like an idiot (unless it was like excessive and I asked if he was okay)

And history has been sort of repeating itself in my discord server. It's not like I'm saying anything horrendous, but they weren't very nice things either

Unintentionally insulting one of my friends and their system, saying something to another friend that could come off as dismissive and disingenuous

And now I have a friend who will call me out if I do something like that, and they have, which is why im making this "social awareness" realisation now

The amount of shame I feel when they do (not that I'm upset at them for it, a huge part of this rant is how thankful I am they help me correct myself) - it's a really shitty feeling and I can never apologise enough.

THAT is how people learn. That is how I'm learning right now. Like I said, I have no idea these things are rude when I say them, so this is definitely teaching me to, one, be more educated on some topics and two, slow down a bit with what I say

Ever since I started this server as a public thing, I wanted it to be a safe space, especially now when I've gotten so close to these people

I would hate to be the person who takes that feeling of safety away

I still somehow feel like I'm not getting my point across well enough- this is not a pity thing for me, I don't wanna hear any "Oh its okay"- this is just me needing to vent abt these feelings and wanting to acknowledge how insensitive I am sometimes

It's not a public apology either, none of this stuff is public matter, I just cannot express how upset I am with myself for being the kind of person I hate - insensitive and non understanding

And when it comes to my friends, I ALWAYS want to understand, I ALWAYS want to learn. I always want to be someone they can talk to about their problems and not worry about how I might respond

I just love my friends so much, yknow? So indescribably much, which is why I'm making such an effort to not slip and say shit that could hurt them

Still doesn't feel like I explained this well enough but whatever